School: Drong (2)

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1. The Scutching of Flax (continued)

   

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   The flax was put on the flake to dry and a kiln man would mind it to keep it from burning, it didn't often burn. When it was dry it was put in a machine. This machine was like a pulper, only longer. Inside there were rollers for crushing the hard outside skin of the streaks of flax. One person would put it in, in handfuls and another would take it out. Then it was taken to the scutch house. There the girls of the house were working. Every girl would get a bundle of flax. She would have a stalk and a handle. The stalk was a smooth stick, and the handle was a round piece of stick. The girls put the flax on the stalk and hit it with the handle, till all the little hard bits called shoves fell off. There were four sticks stuck down in the ground like a stool tuned upside down. The flax was put down between the sticks to keep it straight. There was a string under the flax and when there was a stone scutched the string was tied very tightly round it.
   The stone was called a "babbie". There would be great competition among the girls to see which would have the most babbies for the day. The flax was then brought out to the town and sold. The people would get great prices for it.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Jack Lockington

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Drumrane, Co. Cavan

   Collector

   Roberta Browne

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Cornabaste, Co. Cavan