School: Lurga, Patrick's Well (roll number 10317)

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1. The Art of Making the Old Farm Cart (continued)

   

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   of this board and its upper side was inserted two morteses. The ends of the upper side laces were put into them. Those side laces extended backwards over the wheels and was supported on the back by means of a wooden pillar, which was placed between them and the rider below. They acted as wheel guards when the cart had been used for carting hay, straw and unthreshed corn. The tail board of the cart was made so as it could be removed for unloading purposes.

   This style of car had been also supercseded by the present day one, known as the Scottish drey. So called owing to the fact that a Scottish firm named "Stuart & Co." took up residence in Adare, Co. Limerick, where they found forest wood in abundance for wheel making purposes. They were known to make as many as thirty cars weekly. Other carpenters followed suit and at that time commercial enterprise taking a firm grip, their uses soon spread all over the country for carting farm produce to market, as well as pigs and sheep to fairs. The wheel guards being easily removed. Nails took their place for some of the best mentioned purposes as well as turf from the bogs to the farm homesteads.

   Crude and all this structure may seem to be, in view point of the reader it had been no surprise to see one hundred of those carts at the funeral of a well known clansman. Long narrow sacks had been filled with hay or straw, and covered over with a red woolen quilt, knit for that purpose. Those quilts forming part of the funeral style. Ladies and gentlemen alike sat on them.

   Recorded from Jermiah Mulqueen, Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)
            1. thatching (~353)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Jeremiah Mulqueen

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick