School: Clonlara
- Location:
- Cloonlara, Co. Clare
- Teacher: Dll. Ó Heoghanáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0585, Page 039
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- XML School: Clonlara
- XML Page 039
- XML “The Smith and the Smithy”
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- There is one forge in the district. It belongs to Mr. Towmey. His antecedents were also smiths. The forge is situated about a quarter of a mile from Clonlara on the left hand side about one hundred and fifty yards from the main road to Killaloe. This forge is built on a hill. It is a good stone building with a slated roof and a double door.
It contains two hearths. The bellows is oval shaped and was locally made. It is made of leather and iron.
The tools the blacksmith uses are:-
The anvil, hammer, pincers, file, knife and sledge. He uses the anvil to lay the red hot iron on it whilse hammering it. On it he makes horse shoes, gates and sleans, grates and harrows. In former times they used to make ploughs, spades, axes, pickaxes and last but not least they made and sharpeded pikes. It was through the making of these the smith became famous and popular as in the days of the Fenians the smith made these. The smith’s forge was the first place that was raided by military and police.
He makes a big fire outside to shoe wheels. When veterinary surgeons were not as numerous as they are not the smith prescribed for mostly all the horses ailments. Of course their trade is not as(continues on next page)
