School: Drumdigus (C.), Kilmurry McMahon (roll number 13479)

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1. Folklore - The Churn

   

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   There are different kinds of churns for making butter. Some of them are worked by hand and some of them are worked by horse power, and some by steam. Those worked by hand are called "plunge" churns in which the butter is made with a staff with a beater attached to the end; the barrel churn, placed on a stool with wheels on the stool to act as rollers it is an easy churn to make butter in. The box churn is a new invention and although possessing many advantages some people would prefer the barrel churn. Churns are of different sizes and are made by coopers. The churn takes a long time to make is the cream is cold, but if it is of required temperature it will be made in 15 or 20 minutes. Should a stranger come in while the churn is being made he is supposed to work the churn for a minute or so because if he did not he is supposed to bring the butter. You will easily know by the noise in the churn when the churn is made, because the churn has an empty sound.
   The butter is then taken out with the butter spades and placed in a "cooler". The butter milk is then strained and any of the butter which remained in

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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

   Anna Mc Namara

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Derrynalecka, Co. Clare

   Informant

   Mrs Brogan

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   80

   Address

   Derrygeeha, Co. Clare