School: Kilcurry, Dundalk (roll number 7177)
- Location:
- Kilcurry, Co. Louth
- Teacher: P. Ó Conaill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0664, Page 257
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- XML “Churning”
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- Churning is very common in our district, because the grazing is good, and nearly everybody keeps a cow or two. There are a good many dairies in it also, and the people that own them supply the town with milk and butter. Churning is usually done twice a week.
There is not as much milk churned nowadays as in olden times, because there is a good deal of it sent to the cerameries where butter, cheese, and ice-cream are made. Long ago there were no creameries and people made most of their butter at home.
There are different kinds of churns, namely barrel churns, and dash churns. The barrel churn has a handle on it and it is turned with the hand. Sometimes it is called an end-over-end churn. The dash churn is not as easily worked as the other one. There is a dash in it and it has to be lifted up and down until the churning is finished.
Some people put a piece of coal under the churn to keep away evil spirits.
