School: Ballyvaldon (roll number 10792)
- Location:
- Ballyvaldon, Co. Wexford
- Teacher: Máire, Bean Uí Shúilleabháin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0885, Page 291
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- (continued from previous page)machine was called - were scarce and were always on 'borrow'
She says as time went on the flail was substituted for the flax break. She remembers her father using the flail
Next the flax was "scutched" that is it was struck with a "scutch" - a heavy wooden blade with a handle.What fell off at this process was called borach. The borach after the first "scutching" was "coarse ' borach, the second scutching was "fine" borachThen came hacking or carding and then spinning. This latter was done in the winter nights when "the praties were scrawbed" The light was very poor but the women did not mind as she said the "spin" was in their fingers.
She remarked that a "travelling" man told her mother one day that Cork county seemed as under snow, he saw so much linen being bleached as he came through.
