School: Mullinahone (C.) (roll number 15363)
- Location:
- Mullinahone, Co. Tipperary
- Teacher: Máire Ní Shéaghdha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0560, Page 290
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- XML School: Mullinahone (C.)
- XML Page 290
- XML “Thatching”
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- In olden times, and before slates and tiles were known, houses were covered with thatch. Heather from the mountains and reeds from the bogs were the first materials used for thatch. Afterwards the people began to grow wheat, and the wheat being very long was more suitable for thatch.Then men turned specially to thatching so that it soon became an art. A thatcher's outfit consists of a long iron needle to sew the first layers of straw to rafter by means of tar rope, a pairing knife to point the hazel sticks, a wooden mallet to drive the hazel sticks into position, a wooden rake wtih iron teeth for combing the straw, a shears for trimming the eaves.The thatcher commences by laying the straw at the bottom or eaves, packing it firmly in regular breadth, 12 inches wide, until he reaches the top. The layers of straw are held down by means of hazel pegs.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Mary Teresa Vaughan
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Grove, Co. Tipperary
- Informant
- Vincent Vaughan
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 48
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Grove, Co. Tipperary
