School: Drumkilly
- Location:
- Drumkilly, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: Owen Mc Govern
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0989, Page 355
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- XML “Churning”
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- Long ago the people churned all their milk at home and a churn was to be found in every house. Since creameries have been introduced very little churning is done in the homes as the milk is nearly all sent to the creamery.
Churns are rarely to be found in the country house nowadays. A churn is a wooden vessel about three and a half feet high. It is wide at both ends and narrow in the middle. There are five iron hoops round the churn to keep the boards together and to prevent it from leaking.
All the people of the house usually help to churn. While the churning is being done some hot water is added to the milk to make the butter come on it.
If a stranger comes into the house while the churning is being done he is asked to take a "brash". If he refuses it is said that he will bring the butter home with him, but if he takes a "Brash" no harm can befall the butter.
The people know the butter is coming on the milk when they see little specks of butter appearing on the "dash" and on the lid of the churn. The little peices gradually grow bigger and when they are fairly large the churning is finished.
The butter is them separated from the milk(continues on next page)
