School: Johnstown, Arklow

On this page

1. Old Houses

   

   Share Share Post

   In ancient times houses were all thatched in the Johnstown district. There were roofed with reeds. First the mud was put on. Then the reeds were put on and one of those reeds would cover the whole of one one side of the house. The reeds were got along the river bank. They were like big wide leaves but they were very wide and stiff. The beds were kept beide the fire in the kitchen. Bed was called "foll" in the olden days here in Johnstown. There were no grates used for fires in those houses. The fires used to be in old cans and those cans were placed in a small hole in the centre of the floor.
   In the roofs there were little holes and on thse holes there were placed old buckets with no bottoms in them.
   These were used instead of chimneys in the old houses. In some old houses the fires used to be in the middle wall and there was a hole in the

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. buildings
            1. residential buildings (~2,723)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Eibhlís Ní Chinnsaolaig

   Gender

   Female

   Informant

   Pádruig Ó Chinnsaolaig

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   40

   Address

   Johnstown Lower, Co. Wicklow