School: Carpenterstown (Templefanum) (roll number 5415)

Location:
Carpenterstown, Co. Westmeath
Teacher:
Mary Smyth
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0722, Page 149

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0722, Page 149

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  1. XML School: Carpenterstown (Templefanum)
  2. XML Page 149
  3. XML “Cutting the Turf”

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  1. The turf is cut in my district in the months of May and June when the weather is fine and dry. The people in my district use turf because it is the cheapest fuel. It is cut in a big bog near my house. The turf is good but the bog is nearly cut away in some places.
    The turf bank is cleaned at first to take away all the grass and moss from the top of it. It is cut with a slane and a breast-slane. The slane is a sharp peice of steel with a wing out of one side of it. The breast-slane is much like a spade only much wider. The breast-slane is only used to cut the brink and to cut the corner sods. The man who is cutting throws the sods up to the men who catch it and put it on the barrows. It is then wheeled out on the bank. Then it is spread out on the bank to dry and after at few days it is tossed
    When it is firm it is put in footings five or seven sods are put standing on their ends. When they are dry
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Rose Farrelly
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Hilltown, Co. Westmeath