School: Davidstown (roll number 9682)

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1. The Local Forges

   

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   The forge now used by Lar Doyle, Moneyhore was built one hundred and fifty years ago & was formerly a great place of resort. At night all the neighbours gathered in, told stories, discussed happenings in the parish, played cards, blew at the bellows & took a hand at making staples &c. In those days the smith did no work on ploughs, which were all of wood. When this forge was built, cattle were used to do farm work, & they used to be shod. A man coming to the forge had to bring his own iron, nails &c. When first built the forge was all slated, now half of it is covered with felt. Lar Doyle's father and his grandfather worked in this forge and he has worked in it for over 35 years.

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   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)
            1. smithing (~2,389)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Billy Rossiter

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   13

   Address

   Ballygillistown, Co. Wexford

2. The Local Forges

   

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   The nearest forge to Davidstown is at the Leap Cross, which is on the main (Ross) Road. This is the road from Ross to Dublin. It is 68 years built. My grandfather was a blacksmith when it was built. He left it to my father on his death. My father and brothers use sledges, hammers, vices, chisels, tongs, a drilling machine, draw knives, pincers. There are two doors in it - a large one for horses & a small one for people. There are seven windows & a cement floor. At the bottom, where the horses are shod, there are planks. There are two fireplaces, each about 36 inches off the ground. The bellows is fastened to the wall near the fire.
   Forge water was said to cure toothache & falling sickness, but I never saw anyone take it. We get the water from a large lough on the opposite side of the road & my father rolls wheels into this lough to contract the hot iron of the bindings. We make gates, railings, mend all kinds of implements & machinery & repair motor cars & lorries.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

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