School: Clochar na Trócaire, Meathas Truim (roll number 13313)
- Location:
- Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford
- Teacher: An tSiúr Bernard
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0770, Page 417
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- In olden times there was no such things in houses as electric lights or oil lamps but the lights they used that time were known as rush candles. The people used to go out through the fields and collect all the big long rushes. When they came in they used to peel them. Then they had a little instrument which was the shape of a small boat, known as a "grisset". They used to put the "grisset" on the fire and melt the lard of grease in it. When the grease was in a liquid formation they used to run the peeled rushes through the grease and then let them dry. The blacksmith used to make an instrument which was called a "boss" to represent each member of the family and all the candles were lighted together. Every member of the family then knelt down and said the Rosary.The old saying that used to go with the twelve candles was:- The member of the family represented by the candle that burned out, was to die the first, and the candle that lived the longest that member of the family which was represented by it was to live the longest of the whole family.
