School: Cabra, Kingscourt
- Location:
- Cabra, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: Violet Irwin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1008, Page 149
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- XML “Food in Olden Times”
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- Long ago people were in the habit of having three meals per day - breakfast, dinner and tea.Their breakfast consisted of oaten-bread, butter, eggs and milk. For dinner, potatoes were added, while their supper was of oaten porridge and buttermilk.It is said that meals were served in the centre of the floor, the family sitting round in a circle. Knives and forks were practically unknown among the poorer classes. They used their thumbs for peeling potatoes, and buttering their bread.In later years, tea was used as a luxury. When it was introduced into the country, the water in which it was brewed was thrown away and the stewed leaves eaten. As well as oaten bread, potato bread and "boxty" were also eaten.Oaten bread was baked in a grid-iron before the fire. Potato bread was baked in a griddle over the fire. "Boxty" consisted of grated raw potatoes, a little boiled potatoes, and flour(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Ethel Rowntree
- Gender
- Female
