School: Baile Uí Mheirigín, Merginstown
- Location:
- Merginstown, Co. Wicklow
- Teacher: Áine Ní Fhearrachtáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0914, Page 273
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- The food used long ago by the people of Ireland was very different to that of the present day. Their food was more wholesome and it was made of home produce
The people lived a clean healthy life and many sicknesses and diseases as are common to us now were unknown to them then.
Porridge, potatoes and butter and buttermilk was their chief diet. The porridge was made from oatmeal and water. First a saucepan of water was put on the fire and boiled. The oatmeal was then put in and cooked on the fire. It was served on a plate with buttermilk poured over it.
Potatoes were used at every meal as there were no luxuries for supper or any other meal. In the middle of the tables used long ago was a hollow in order to hold the potatoes. Some-times the potatoes were put into a basin and left under the table so that no one could pick the best ones.
Bacon was very dear then but farmers could cure their own meat. American bacon was then used when no home cured bacon could be got. They used to preserve the butter when it would be plentiful. They put a lair of butter in a pail and put a lair of salt on top of it. This was(continues on next page)
