School: Rathwire (B.) (roll number 8415)
- Location:
- Rathwire, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: C. Ó Gallóglaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0727, Page 385
Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
See copyright details.
Download
Open data
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
- XML School: Rathwire (B.)
- XML Page 385
- XML (no title)
- XML (no title)
Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.
On this page
(no title) (continued)
“Most of the potatoes in this district are sown in drills.”
(continued from previous page)The potatoes are nearly all dug up by a spade. A farmer with an acre or two acres of potatoes generally uses a potato digger. Some farmers plough out their potatoes. This is a bad method for many of the potatoes are covered by the clay. The potatoes are stored in pits in the haggard or field. A shallow trench about two feet wide is made and the potatoes are put into it and built up in the shape of a rick. They are then covered with old hay and outside is placed a coating of clay. When the potatoes are stored in the haggard they are generally covered with hay and bog sods.The varieties used are Mary Queen, British Queen, Duke of York, Flounder, Epicures, Shamrocks, Cups, Champions, and Leinster Wonders. The Leinster Wonders originated in Killucan. They were raised by a man named Wheatly and are still called Wheatlys in the district. A new variety of potatoe was raised a few years ago by a man named James Hill Thomastown Killucan. They are an excellent variety and he calls them "The Baile na Céide's.
(no title)
“There used to be an old custom of putting flaggers or rushes at the doors...”
There used to be an old custom of putting flaggers or rushes at the doors of houses on the eve of St Johns Day. On St Johns Day there used to be a big bonfire on the top of the(continues on next page)