School: Derrydamph
- Location:
- Derrydamph, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: Mrs Lundy
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1016, Page 115
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- XML School: Derrydamph
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- XML “The Linen Industry - Home”
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- About one hundred years ago the linen industry was quite common in this neighborhood. Nearly every farmer grew flax which was made into linen by his own folk. First the flax was carded by two boards, like butter boards, but tiny wires were inserted into the faces of these and left projecting about half an inch. The flax was then pulled up and down between these boards until the threads were all mixed and teased together. This process was called "carding the tow."
Then the boards were reversed and the carded tow was placed between two smooth sides and rolled into rolls about one inch thick. These rolls were taken by the spiner and put into the spining wheel, which was worked by the foot, and spun into thread. This thread was collected on spools at the back of the wheel and when full were passed on to the weaver or the person at the loom who spun them into linen cloth.
This was a great industry in by-gone days and men's shirts were the chief articles made from this cloth, which was a greyish colour but bleached quite white. These shirts(continues on next page)
- Informant
- George Lundie
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 76
