School: Carlanstown (roll number 884)

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1. Old Houses

   

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   There are still many ruins of old houses to be seen in this district. Some of them had mud walls and others were built of stone. Some of them too, seem to have been very small and still I've heard old people say that large families were reared in them. It seems impossible to believe that ten, or maybe even twelve persons could eat, drink and sleep in one tiny room, still, there was once an old house not far from where I live wherein father, mother and ten children lived in one room. They had a settle bed in this room and another ordinary iron bedstead in a corner so that at night when the "box-bed" was "let down" there was barely room enough for two to stand on the floor.
   Most of these old cabins were thatched but I know just one that had slates. This one still stands and has some slates on it still far in on Rosmeer bog.
   Many of the old houses long ago had no chimneys; the smoke came out through a hole in the roof. Others had no glass i the tiny windows and in winter time rags and papers were stuck in the apertures to keep out the cold. The floors were all of clay, and nearly every house had a half-door. They are common enough still about here. Everyone used turf and sticks for fuel; coal was almost unheard of by most of them.
   I have never heard of anyone in this locality using rushlights, dips, etc. to show light at night. They burned candles in the long winter nights but in the summer they went to bed with the light and thus they needed no candles etc.

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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

   Peggy O Brien

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Carlanstown, Co. Meath