School: Baile Aodha (C.). Inis (roll number 13419)

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1. Houses Long Ago

   

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   Houses Long Ago.

   The houses long ago were entirely different from those of the present day. Then, the walls were made of mud and the rafters of bogdeal. When the timber was up scraws were put as a first covering.Tthese scraws had to be very tough and to be cut very thin. They were about two feet wide and each one had to be long enough to reach from the eve to the ridge. They were then laid neatly with the grassy side out. It was then thatched with wheaten straw which was called reed. Once every year the houses were thatched and therefore in the very old houses the roofs are very high. On the inside the scraws were covered with canvas bags which were sometimes white-washed.
   Houses are usually built in groups or "[?]bailes" as they were commonly called and each house going in the same direction, usually from West to East. In hollows or sheltered spots these old "[?]bailes" were for the most part and care was taken not to have a house built in the path of the fairies. People were very superstitious and exact as regards

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. buildings
            1. residential buildings (~2,723)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Norah Casey

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Killerk East, Co. Clare

   Informant

   James Casey

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   50

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Killerk East, Co. Clare