School: Redwood (roll number 11912)
- Location:
- Redwood, Co. Tipperary
- Teacher: Máighréad Nic Chormaic
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0530, Page 195
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- XML “Churning”
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- End-over-End or Tumbler Churns are mostly in use in this district now. The dash-churn is a thing of the past, here now. It was used in this place years ago and was made from a barrel, or was barrel-shaped. A "cooper" lived in Curragha, of the name of Meara. The family still go by the name of "Cooper Meara" to distinguish them from other people of the same name, in the same townsland.
If a person came in for a drink, or for the loan of anything, while the churning was in progress, he was supposed to take a "twist" out of the churn, in other words to assist at the churning. In olden times the fairies were supposed to steal milk and butter, and on this account, the practice of taking a "twist" out of the churn still exists, so as to prevent the new-comer from bringing away the butter.
Blessed Salt was put in the churn, and a piece of mountain-ash was placed under the churn also, to destroy the power of the fairies. A red-hot iron was placed under the churn also.
Churning is done twice a week in this(continues on next page)
