School: Skryne (roll number 1210)
- Location:
- Skreen, Co. Meath
- Teacher: Brian Mac Gabhann
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0686, Page 327
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- (continued from previous page)A good workman was highly regarded in the district, and there were certain standards to measure a worker by.
A mower with a scythe should be able to mow half an acre of meadow in the day or three roods of oats if he had one to "take out" the oats.
A man with a spade should plant 40 perches of a "brow" of a ridge of potatoes in the day.
A man should be able to carry up to 30 Stones of corn in a sack. (My Father .R.IP.) carried 33 stone of corn up two flights of stairs to a loft on one occasion, and did not consider it a great feat)
The days' work as laid out above was a normal day's work. Often men on "task work" would do twice as much work as stated above. There was nothing very unusual in men mowing an acre of meadow in the day but the working hours would be long. There is not the same value put on the good worker now as there was over 20 years ago, nor yet is the same care taken with farm work.
- Collector
- Brian Smyth
- Gender
- Male
