School: Derrynananta

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1. Old Houses

   

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   Old Houses

   In former times all the dwelling houses were thatched. They were thatched with either straw or rushes, rushes being the most common. The rushes were cut on the mountain or on the farm. The thatch was put on with scollops. There were expert thatchers, and they went round the country thatching houses, and they were usually well paid for their work. Straw was more permanent than rushes. Later some houses were slated. The slates were got from merchants in Ballyconnell or Enniskillen. The slates were sold as Bangor slates, and came from Bangor in North Wales. I never saw a bed in the kitchen in this part of the country nor did I hear of such. Very rarely was the fire place at the gable wall. It was generally at a wall separating the kitchen from another room. I never knew or heard of a fire being at the side-wall or in the corner. The chimneys were usually made of stones and mortar. In a few cases chimneys were made of wattles interwoven, and plaster with mortar. I never saw or heard of houses without chimneys or having fires in the centre of the floor. I never saw or heard of houses without glass windows. In saying this I am dealing with what might be called farmer's houses. In two cases I knew of men who were labourers and they got what (might) be properly called a cattle shed. In these dwellings there were no glass or windows of any kind. The doors in these two

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   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

   Susan Dolan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Corracleigh, Co. Cavan

   Informant

   James De Lacy

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   81

   Address

   Moneensauran, Co. Cavan