School: Melview, Longford (roll number 7518)
- Location:
- Knockawalky, Co. Longford
- Teacher: P. Ó Tuathaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0757, Page 182
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- Long ago, almost everything was made by the people themselves. Among the many things they made were baskets, creels, mattresses, mud walls, cruppers and mats.
To make a basket a hoop is procured and sally rods are woven in and out through stronger ones extending across the middle from each side of the hoops which is also of the same material, willous or sallies as they are commonly known. These baskets are nearly flat when made, strong and light and were used in farmhouses for carrying turf, potatoes and for straining the water of boiled potatoes. Creels were made of the same material, strong and deep articles to hold eight to ten stone of potatoes. There was a handle on them and there were generally a pair of creels of the same material and size in which donkeys carry potatoes and turf. Mattresses were made of straw plaited and woven firmly. These were in common use by the poor many years ago. Mud walls were made in dwellings by mixing stiff blue clay and straw and this was made two feet wide making and substantial wall. Rafters were made for the houses from old oak beams raised on the bog where they lay some people say since Noah's flood. There were not nails used to out them together, there were pins(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Seamus Mc Manus
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Aghadegnan, Co. Longford
