School: Árd-chill
- Location:
- Ardkill More, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: Bean Uí Chonalláin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0978, Page 248
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- XML “Threshing in Olden Times”
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- In the days of our grandfathers threshing machines were unknown. All threshing was done by the "Flail". In the barn of the farm-yard the threshing was done. A load or two of oats was piled high in one end of the barn. The floor was well swept and dried. Threshing was usually done by two men, though often a man threshed alone. The latter was considered 'lonely' and every thresher was glad of a comrade.
Two or three sheaves were taken at a time from the pile. The belts were loosened and the sheaves laid flat on the floor. The men faced each other with their flails and commenced to beat the heads of oats till all the grains were beaten from the straw.
Sometimes the straw was not removed from the floor but another round of threshing was done on top of it. Sometimes the threshers lifted the straw with their hands and shook any remaining oats and straw from it. Then(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Ben Galligan
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Ardkill More, Co. Cavan
