School: Drumcrow
- Location:
- Drumcrow, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: B. Boylan
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0982, Page 148
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- XML “Old Crafts - Candle-Making”
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- Long ago when there was no factories and as people could not get articles they wanted in shops they made them at home. A common craft was candle-making from rushes and grease. The rushes chosen for this purpose were thick ones. At first the skin was carefully peeled off, leaving nothing but the white centre. The centre was then immersed in melted fat or grease. This grease was made by heating butter, lard or fat. When the grease had penetrated through the rush it was taken out and left to dry. When it was dry it was ready for use.
There was a special candle-stick made from lead for this type of candle. It had a long narrow stem, which was hallow in the centre. The candle was put into this and nothing but the point of it could be seen. According as the candle burned or became shorter it was raised up in the candle-stick. There was a small movable pan or stand in the hollow part of the stem and it could be raised or lowered as required. This candle was not as efficient as the modern candle but it served its purpose in times(continues on next page)
