School: Drom an Mhadaidh
- Location:
- Drumavaddy, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: S. Ó Murchadha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0990, Page 030
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- Flax growing was common in the district up to thirty years ago. Back in the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's the work of scutching the flax fell to the womenfolk. The girls and young women went about in groups from house to house scutching their neighbours' flax. Work commenced each day before day-light about 7 a.m. and lasted at least twelve hours. Each girl was provided with a scutching board - a broad board., fastened at one end to the work-bench. On this the girls laid her sheaf of flax and beat it with all her strenght with a stout cudgel. The work was most laborious and unpleasant, as the dust was continually rising up and "choking" the workers. The perspiration poured down them as they lashed the flax and the divested themselves of all their outer garments for relief.
The people of one house - that of Charles Gaffrey of Crimlin (Millers) were accustomed to weigh the amount each girl scutched per day. This was to encourage them to still greater effort - although it must be remembered these girls worked without wages much as the men work in "weiheals" (weizil) now. The young-men of the district were wont to be - take themselves to the house were the scuthers were working and their praise went to the girl(continues on next page)
