School: Glascorn (roll number 16615)

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1. The Old Houses (continued)

   

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   miles to get the timber as there are no woods round about. They used the timber as they cut it down without peeling it or planing it. They used no nails to join the wood together but they used to make holes an augur and put wedges of oak from one hole to the other. Then they put a layer of scraws on the rafters and they joined the thatch on to this with collops or with blackthorn rods.

   The floors were also made of yellow clay and when dry this was often as hard as cement. Then they used to spread fine sand or rushes on the floor so that it would not be cold or uncomfortable. They used to have a big fire of turf or wood on the hearth and sometimes there was an edging of small stones round the hearth. My grandfather told me that the fireplace was some

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Thomas Casey

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Brottonstown, Co. Westmeath

   Informant

   Joseph Reilly

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   65

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Balleagny, Co. Westmeath