School: Knockcommon (roll number 16549)

Location:
Knockcommon, Co. Meath
Teacher:
Sighle Nic Aibhsc
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0684, Page 109

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0684, Page 109

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  1. XML School: Knockcommon
  2. XML Page 109
  3. XML “Old Houses”

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  1. The old houses were chiefly built of mud and stones containing at the most three apartments A kitchen, a parlour and a bedroom. These old houses were always thatched with oaten straw which remained after the treshing.
    In every old house there was a bed in the kitchen. This was not like the beds we have now because it could be closed up in the day-time and used as a seat. This wooden bed was called a settle-bed. Long ago people used also have a bed in the parlour.
    Fires were never lit in the middle of the floor but were nearly always lit on the hearth. The fires used ot be of wood and sometimes of turf from the bog of Horsestown. The bread used to be baked with, "haulms" that is fetches that were threshed.
    The old floors were nearly always of clay and sometimes of bricks. Clay floors were very unlevel Half doors were not common in this locality the only time they were used was when there were young children in the house, because it kept them from running out.
    Rushlights were always used in this locality and were made by people themselves. The
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. objects
      1. man-made structures
        1. buildings
          1. residential buildings (~2,723)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Josie Dwyer
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Rathdrinagh, Co. Meath