School: Ballincor

Location:
Ballincor Demesne, Co. Offaly
Teacher:
Mrs Julia Liffey

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Old Crafts

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0819, Page 173

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There are a great many old crafts carried on in the district of Lacka such as thatching, basket-making and lime burning. In years gone by all the old houses were thatched.
All the old men know how to thatch. First they cut sticks and get some oaten or wheaten straw. They they put the straw on the house and tie it down with sticks so that it cannot be blown off. A great many people make their living by (mk) making baskets and selling them to shopkeepers. To make those baskets they first gather sticks. They stick these sticks down in the ground. They then weave other sticks in and out through these, and they soon form a basket. Lime burning is also carried on in this district. There is a big hole called a kiln down in the ground. In this they light a fire of turf about a foot deep. Then they throw in the same amount of lime into it. After that they put another layer

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Collector
Thomas White
Gender
male
Informant
Bernard White
Gender
male
Age
60
Address
Cloghmoyle, Co. Offaly
Language
English