School: Coole (roll number 3936)

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1. Essay on Old Houses

   

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   In olden times nearly all the houses were mudwall. It was made from rushes mud and clay. The clay would be dug out of a field and mixed like cement now. The roof would be made of bog oak and covered with sods and then it would be thatched with either rushes reeds or straw. The chimney was built from woven rods and then outside the rods would be plastered with yellow clay.
   In the kitchen of the old houses there would be hurls each side of the fire place. These hurls were erected in the wall with woven rods and all the bacon would be kept there and when people would catch fish they would put them in the hurls to dry. In all the old houses there was always the place of a bed left in the wall. This bed was called a Alcove. In the day time there would be a curtain drawn across and you would not think there was a bed there at all. In some of the old houses there would be no windows on them. At night the windows would be closed with

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary Gunning

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Coole, Co. Westmeath

   Informant

   Mrs Gunning

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Coole, Co. Westmeath