School: The Downs (roll number 8875)
- Location:
- The Downs, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: S. Molloy
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0730, Page 119
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- XML School: The Downs
- XML Page 119
- XML “Turf-Making”
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- Turf making is one of the principal occupations of the farmer.
When the farmer is going to cut turf, the first thing he has to is to clean the bank with a sharp instrument called a bog-knife. When he has that done he cleans off the bank with a spade and shovel, and the employs a few men to help him to cut the turf.
The he starts to cut the turf with a very sharp instrument called a "sleán". One of the men he employs catches the turf and puts it on a turf-barrow, and when the turf-barrow is full another man wheels it out and throws it on the spreading-bank.
This continues until all the turf has been cut. When the turf has been three weeks cut, the farmer makes it into small heaps called footings, using eight or nine sods placing them in such a way, as to let the air into it to dry it. Then when the turf is fairly well dried in the footings, it is made into small ricks, each of these when dry, weight about a ton. These small ricks are called clamps.
Clamping consists of gathering the footings and making it into a big heap.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Annie Cleary
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- The Downs, Co. Westmeath
- Informant
- Patrick Cleary
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 60
- Address
- The Downs, Co. Westmeath
