School: Stackallen (roll number 1309)

On this page

1. Old Houses

   

   Share Share Post

   The houses long ago were made of mud and thatched with straw. They were looked upon as being very healthy houses because the people lived to be very old in them. The mud was made of yellow clay wetted and short straw mixed through it and then it was put on the wall and left there to dry. There used to be flag stones which would be got on the land put under and over the windows which were very small and the floors were made of clay. The roof or covering was made of rough timber cut in the woods and the straw tied on in bales or wangles as it is called. There is a house not far from where I live and it is one of the old make as you can see the thatch on the inside of the roof when you are standing in the kitchen. The fire place is on the hearth and they burn big logs of sticks on the hearth and instead of the mantel pieces used in the later day houses there is a big piece of rough stick supporting the chimney and over that there is an iron bar with crocks hanging from it for hanging on cooking utensils. There are two half doors on the outside

   (continues on next page)

   

   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

   Josephine Maguire

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Braystown, Co. Meath