School: Rathfeigh (roll number 10281)

Location:
Rathfeigh, Co. Meath
Teacher:
Mrs Rose Madden
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0686, Page 286

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0686, Page 286

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  1. XML School: Rathfeigh
  2. XML Page 286
  3. XML “Churning”

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  1. We have a small churn at home which holds seven gallons. It is about two feet high and about one and a half ft wide on top and bottom. The sides are round. It is about a year old. The part inside which churns the milk is called the beater. There is no mark on the side or bottom.
    We churn twice a week in the summer and we seldom churn at all in the winter. My mother and sister and I do the churning. Any strangers who come in give a help also as there is an old belief that if strangers come in and do not give a help they are able to take the butter away by means of a spell. The churning takes about half an hour. It is done by the hand. The beaters are in a rolling motion from side to side.
    When the beaters get clear the butter is made. In winter soft water is poured in and in summer cold water is poured in. The butter is lifted out with butter knives to a butter dish and the milk is washed out of it. Then salt is put on it and it made into rolls. We use the milk to make bread and we feed the calf on it.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. economic activities
        1. agriculture (~2,659)
          1. butter and churns (~3,280)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Maureen Gaffney
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Loughanstown, Co. Meath