School: St Columba's, Cloonagh, Granard (roll number 12813)

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1. Crafts

   

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   Mrs Kate Kiernan of Kilmore, Electoral division of Mullinalacta, Barony of Granard, who is near 70 years of age, told me how her father Michael Duffy carried on the trade of basket making, and Mrs Kiernan, when she was a girl assisted her father. She told me that the Duffy family carried on this trade for generations past, and they were the only family, who followed this occupation in this district.
   There was a large Sally garden at her house, and her father grew most of the rods that he needed in it. He grew white Sallies, Black Sallies, White Willys, Black Willys, and yellow willys.
   The willys were very bitter to the taste, especially the yellow willy, and her father often abused her, for trying to peel the willy with her teeth.
   Her father made three kinds of basket, [?] a butter basket, a hand basket and a clothes basket.
   With the stronger and rougher Sallies and willies, he used to make Creels, barraoga, and pratai baskets. To make the butter baskets, the first step was to put down a big pot of cold water over the fire, and put the sallies or willys in it, by rolling them in a ring. Then boil them for an hour, and take them out one by one. When they were cool enough to handle, they were peeled with the fingers. The peelings were so strong that they used them instead of cards.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mrs Kate Kiernan

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   70

   Address

   Kilmore, Co. Longford