School: Moneymohill, Shanagolden (roll number 8395)
- Location:
- Moneymohill, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Máire Ní Liain
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0484, Page 081
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- XML School: Moneymohill, Shanagolden
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- XML “Candle-Making”
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- Candles long ago were made from tallow, and the tallow was got from the cows. They used to get cotton threads as wicks, and dip them into the tallow, and then put them up to dry. When they were dry, they used to dip them in again, and so on until they were as round as a candle. These candles were called tallow candles.
Candles were also made in the following way:- They used to get a mould the shape of a candle, and put a wick into the middle of it. Then the mould was filled up with tallow, and let get cold. When they wished to get out the candle, the mould had to be heated a little, and then the tallow candle comes out quite easily.
There was still another method of making candles in this locality. Rushes were got and dried. The rushes were then put together till they were like a wick. Next a pan of water was got, and also a pan of tallow. The newly made wick was dipped into the hot tallow, and then taken out and dipped into the water to cool. This process was continued till the tallow became the shape of a candle.
- Collector
- May O' Keeffe
- Gender
- Female
- Informant
- Pat Mc Greal
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Briskagh, Co. Limerick
