School: Balrath (1) (roll number 9770)

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1. Tit-Bits (continued)

   

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   Long ago people had to thresh their oats in the kitchen. First the kitchen would be cleared out into a room. Then the stack of oats would be put in and the man of the house would get his flail which was made of a hand-staff and a bolkin. They are joined together by an eelskin (the middle band) and two loops of eggbine.
   He would take down two sheaves and leave them lying on the ground and loosen them. He would stand a few yards away from them with his flail and thresh away till he would have it all threshed. He would put the oats in bags and put the straw out.
   Then he would wait till a good windy day and he would bring it out to a high field. He would get a riddle and a wite. He would take the chaff away with the wite and then riddle the small oats and put it in bags again. This is not done now as they have better ways. A bodhpán is used to fill the oats into the winnowing machine. It is the rim of a riddle covered with a sheep

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Thomas Creggy

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Carlanstown, Co. Westmeath

   Informant

   Mrs Creggy

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   60

   Occupation

   Farmer's wife

   Address

   Carlanstown, Co. Westmeath