School: Bilboa (C.) (roll number 15693)
- Location:
- Bilboa, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Síle, Bean Uí Raghallaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0519, Page 110
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- XML School: Bilboa (C.)
- XML Page 110
- XML “Food in Olden Times”
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- Food in olden days was much different to the food nowadays. They used to have three meals a day. The breakfast was at 9 o'clock. This consisted of potatoes and salt and milk. The dinner was at 12 o'clock. Potatoes, cabbage, flour-dip (a kind of white sauce) and sometimes bacon were eaten for dinner. Red herrings cooked on the tongs over red coals were usually part of Fast Day Dinners.
About an hour after dinner people drank one cup of tea and ate one slice of bread. Later on this habit was dripped and the four o'clock tea takes its place now. A train passes from Limerick Junction at about four o'clock, the passing of this train was a signal for the four o'clock tea.
When the men used to be working in the meadows before the introduction of Summer time they used to keep a look out for the four o'clock train. When they used to see the trail of steam in the distance they used to say "There's the four o'clock - are they coming with the tea?". The supper was at six o'clock - this consisted of stirabout and sour milk. They sued to sit around the table in the middle of the floor. The bread was made of barley, and salt and soda and sour milk. They did not eat late at night. The used to eat eggs on Easter Sunday, three to the father, two to the mother and one(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Mary Smee
- Gender
- Female
