School: Corlis

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1. Turf Making

   

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   Turf-making is the same now as long ago. In June the farmers go to the bog to make turf. A number of men joins together as it would be a very hard task for one man to undertake, and when the turf are stacked and fit for use they are divided equally among them . Each man, provided with a spade, shovel and graip goes to the bog every morning as early as possible. The men select a bank which is a portion of the bog or they sometimes keep the previous year's plot. Then they take the water out of the hole, in which the mud was got last year and put into a convenient one. They make a new hole in which they get the mud and usually sink it to a depth of about six feet. Some of the men dig sods with shovels, and others throw them into last year's hole which they had emptied. Before the mud is left out to dry it is broken in the hole and when fine is wetted with water. The men trample the mud with their bare feet so that the water may go through it. It is then graiped and if not wet enough more water is added and it is graiped again. Some men remain in the hole and others go up to

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Margaret O Reilly

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Drumamry, Co. Cavan

   Informant

   Mr Hugh O' Reilly

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   61

   Address

   Drumamry, Co. Cavan