School: Templenoe, Caiseal

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1. Churning

   

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   Before creameries were established in Ireland forty-five years ago, churning was carried out on each farm by means of barrel churns worked by horse power on large dairy farms and staff churns worked by hand in small farms. The dairy was the best kept and coolest place on the farm. The milk pans were kept as bright as silver and it was a treat to see the "bean a tighe," skimming the milk with her skimmer and then when the cream was ripe, it was put into the barrel and churned. There was always great excitement on churning day and the children of the household each got a little print of butter which usually had very fanciful shapes. My grand-mother who was a famous butter maker often told me that it was a common thing to see fancy baskets filled with flowers made of butter. Sometimes people could not make butter at all, as the cream would only get oily then the "pisréogs," were working the old

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. agriculture (~2,659)
            1. butter and churns (~3,280)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Kitty Ryan

   Gender

   Female

   Informant

   Mrs Tim Ryan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Dangan, Co. Tipperary