School: Stormanstown, Ardee (roll number 9371)

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1. Old Houses (continued)

   

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   being used.
   All the foregoing varieties were made in the home. "White" candles, as they were called, were bought in the shops. My grandmother never saw them being made, but when young she often saw them in use.
   They were of various sizes: 4, 6, 8, etc., to the pound. At the top of each candle there was a loop in the wick. A cord was run through the loops of as many candles as weighed a pound. The cord was then knotted and was hung on a crook in the roof. There were several of these crooks in every shop. The size generally used was 10, i.e., ten candles weighed a pound. Poor people bought them singly or in pennyworths. There was a "tailors candle", size 4, which was used by these tradesmen while they worked in the house.
   The rush candles gave a bright, clean light, but did not last long. The resin candles were smokey.
   On the eve of Twelfth Night (i.e. on 5th Jan.), twelve rush candles were divided equally (or as equally as possible)

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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

   Sean Kelly

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Cardistown, Co. Louth

   Informant

   Mrs Callan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Cardistown, Co. Louth