School: Coole (roll number 3936)

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1. Essay on Old Crafts (continued)

   

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   district up to about twenty eight years ago. The people who made it had a special piece of land called a tan yard. You could have the holes [according] to the amount of leather you are tanning. The holes were filled with water. The skin was then put in along with the oakbark. After three months the hair falls of[f]. It is then hammered into shape and then left out to dry. The leather was then tanned and boots could be make [made]. It takes two years for a complete finish.

   In this townland people made all their own candles. The were called rush candles. The rushes was [were] pulled and then peeled and then dipped in greace [grease]. The[y] were then put out to dry. The[y] were put in a large candlestick with pinchers on top to hold the candle. These candles only lasted an hour.

   Soap was made with weeds called Forands [?]. When the[y] were pulled the[y] were boiled and juice was squeezed out. It gets thick after some time, and it is mixed with ashes. It is made into balls and it is used for bleaching linnen.

   This is the method adopted when burning lime in cills [kilns?]. A hole is made in a high piece of land with a hole in the bottom. It is lined with bricks. When you are going to burn the lime you break lime stones and put sticks and turf [and turf] at the bottom and light a good

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Maura Meehan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Coole, Co. Westmeath

   Informant

   Dan Smyth

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Coole, Co. Westmeath