School: Mullingar (Pres. Convent) (roll number 934)
- Location:
- Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: Sr. Brigid
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0736, Page 042
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- Bleaching of Linen.
When woven, the weaver (?) made a bale of his linen and carried it home, usually on his back. He also bought with him a yard measure as he sold the material in his own house. He charged 4d. per yd. and something more for table linen, but before being ready for sale it had to [be] boiled and bleached. Boiling - early in the morning people went to fields and gathered bucket fulls of sheep green. Linen was cut in lengths and put to step in big tub of water to which sheep green was added. After four days it was taken out and brought to water to be "rinsed". It was then spread out on the grass, and when dry was brought in and boiled in water containing weed. It was next washed in river a second time and bleached on the grass. Farmers who had a lot of linen woven at home often sent it to be bleached in the old bleachyard - Ballinderry.
- Collector
- Cora Donnelly
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
- Informant
- Miss M. Sheerin
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Castletown Geoghegan, Co. Westmeath
