Long ago, people made dye from sorrel and log-wood. The sorrel was boiled in water. when the sorrel was boiled the water was of a dark colour. it was strained to separate the leaves from the juice. The log-wood was boiled in water, and when the log-wood was boiled the water was of a reddish colour. This dye was used for dyeing thread woven by the hand.

This is how the people long ago used make candles. They would bury the fat of cattle in the bogs and leave it there until it would be fit to melt it and run it into shapes. Then they put a sop of rushes in the middle of the candle, that's what they had instead of a wick.
The people long ago used dye their clotheswith the juice of wood-sorrel. The wood-sorrel would be boiled in a large pot and the leaves would be taken out and the garment boiled in the liquid. They used also make dye of the branches of an alder tree and of the roots of heather.
The people used make ropes of hay called sugans, that is a custom yet.

DyeingLong ago, the people of Rockchapel dyed the wool with a plant called the yellow root.They pulled the yellow root washed and boiled it. The garment was steeped for four days in the yellow dye and it came out a dark brown. This dye was generally used for woolen garments.Log-woodThe people dyed cloth with the juice of plants. Log-wood was used to dye the cloth black.Copperas was used to dye the cloth brown.Sorrel was boiled with blackberries to dye the cloth black.The sorrel was boiled with the red flower of the fuschia, to dye cloth red.Sorrel is a plant that grows on the brow of potato ridges.The juice of log-wood dyes garments black.

Dock leaves greatly impoverish the soil, because of the length of roots. Thistles seldom appear in gardens, but once they do, they spread rapidly and drink the moisture.
Broom, silverweed, small willow herb, cowbane and bedstraw grow in wet and marshy places. Ivy grows on and climbs along trees and stone walls. Goose grass grows in the hedges. Fairy-thimbles or foxglove also grows on hedges. Wood sorrel grows near the wood. The daisy is found in the pasture and the

The wood sorrel is an Easter herb and for that reason it was called "Hallelujah". The dandelion got its name because it hs petals like big teeth. Dandelion is a French word which means lions teeth. Foxglove is sometimes called "throatwort" because when it is boiled it will cure a sore throat. Sheep eat buchalans and cows eat thistles. If a person has rheumatism and eats dandelion he will be cured.

for digestion. Dandelion and wood sorrel are good for a heart burn. Every district long ago had it own herbal doctor. There is a Mrs Pollock living near the town of Roscommon who has a wonderful cure for ring worm. There is a man living in Killashee whose name (was) is Gregory Burke who can cure external cancer, by the applecation of a plaster.

The most harmful weed growing on our farm is "yellow root" it is found growing near the bank of a river and in swampy places. Its stem is short and soft, and it dies down after flowering. Other herbs are chicken-weed, dock-leaf, dandelion, marshmallow, wood-sorrel, and nettles.
A brew from the dandelion is used for indigestion and stomach complaints.
Marshmallow is used for sprains and stiff joints. This is first boiled and then rubbed to the affected parts. Wood-sorrel which grows on ditches and in fields is eaten raw. This consists of a very small green leaf and it tastes somewhat like salt.
Nettles are used by people for the good of their blood.
Some of these herbs are very harmful and they make the soil

Long ago the people dyed the cloth with the juice of plants. Log-wood was used to dye the cloth black. Copperas was used to dye the cloth brown. Sorrel was boiled with black-berries to dye the cloth black. The sorrel was boiled also with the red flower of fuschia to dye the cloth red. Sorrel is a plant that grows on the brow of ridges of potatoes.

Long ago the people used dye their clothes with a plant called wood-sorrel and also with the roots of heather.
It would be boiled first in a big pot and the leaves would be taken out. Then the garment would be put into the juice of the wood-sorrel.
The people used make ropes of hay called sugans, this costum is in our district yet.
Long ago the people in our district used make baskets with sally rods. When they cut the rods they used put them up the chimney to season. When they were seasoning for a month they were taken down and weaven one over the other. They used also make candles of the fat of cattle. They would bury the fat in bogs and leave it there until it would be fit to melt. Then they put a sop of rushes for a wick

Herbs
The most harmful herbs and weeds growing in our farm at home are :- the thistle, the nettle, switch grass, garlic, geósadáns and The above named weeds are harmful because they increase rapidly and on that account impoverish the soil.
The “wood spurge” is a pale green plant and when its stem is broken it is found to contain a white juice just like milk. The juice of this makes ones fingers sticky and people should be careful not to put their fingers near their mouths while in this state for the juice is strong and unpleasant and is apt to sting their tongues. People with “warts” on their hands rub them with the juice of this plant and is said to eat them away.
Long ago the stems of the flower of the “potato” and the “bitter sweet” were dried and used as medicine which when first tasted was bitter but afterwards was rather sweet and hence the name “bitter sweet”.
The “cowslip plant” was known as the “palsywort” locally in olden times because it was thought to be a cure for “palsy” and wort being the old word for plant.
The “wood sorrel” was called the flower of Easter. For this reason it was called “hallelujah”. It was

Other authorities say that Killygordon is Coill ui Ghordúin or Gordon's Wood. We have still four or five families named Gordún in the neighbourhood.
Nettles are used to make "tea." This is drunk to "put out" the measles. Young turkeys are fed on nettles, mixed with hard-boiled eggs. This form of food is continued for the first month only.
Rose Noble is gathered for pigs. They eat it raw. In other parts of the Country Rose Noble is called by its Irish name Clórán.. (I heard it so called in Co Clare).
Wood-Sorrel is always called Súlac here. Many persons eat it in very warm weather. The acid is said to quench thirst.
The Dead Nettle
Everyone in this vicinity calls this plant the Day Nettle. It many be due to the almost universal habit

is then mixed with barley sugar and liqueurs ball it is very good for whooping cough.
Camomile is very good for a sprain. The leaves are gathered, and chopped fine. Then they are put on a pan on the fire and mixed with a little butter to make them moist. When roasting hot they are rolled in a fine cloth which is put on the sprained part. They should be kept on for at least 24 hours. The seventh son in a family is supposed to be able to cure evil by a rubbing of the hands.
Whittle can be cured by applying a roasted poultice of fox-glove leaves and wood sorrel mixed with alum, sulphur and butter.
If bluebell roots and liver wood which may be gathered off stones in the river and crow's foot are boiled together and then mixed with goat's butter and applied as a cold poultice round the body of a child suffering from rickets it will get better.
A Mrs. Mac. Feely of Ballymagarathy who is dead about 20 years ago used to say charms for warts.

Long ago, the people of Rockchapel dyed the wool with a plant called the
Yellow Root.
They pulled the Yellow Root, washed and boiled it. The garment was steeped for four days in the Yellow dye and it came out a dark brown. This dye was generally used for woollen garments.
Log-wood
The people dyed cloth with the juice of plants. Log-wood was used to dye the cloth black.
Copperas
was used to dye the cloth black.
Sorrel
was boiled with blackberries to dye the cloth black.
The sorrrel was boiled the red flower of the fuschia, to dye cloth red.
Sorrel is a plant that grows on the brow of potato ridges.

(3)
"There are many kinds of herb growing in this district called the dock leaf, chicken weed the groundsel, the thistle, the bloodweed the rag weed, the bog asphodel, the wood-sorrel and the yarrow. Long ago some of these herbs were used as cures for the sick. The

This is a marshy place and a lot of marsh marigolds, robin-run-the-hedge, felstrums, ragged robin and lady's smock grow here. The weeds that give most trouble are rag-wort, docks and scutch grass. Pigwort, milk work, stitchwort and the wood sorrel grow on the good land on the hill. Thistles may be seen everywhere. They say here that no land is sweet if it does not grow thistles. Scutch grass gives much trouble to the farmer. It is a sign of good land but it takes an amount of labour to rid the young turnips and potatoes of it as it twines itself round the tubers and it is difficult to remove it without uprooting the young plants.

Some of the weeds that I know are "praiseac", spear-mint, dockleaf, duck-weed, comforee, ceana bán, bursting -grass, nettle, spunk, groundsel, wood-sorrel, stinking rodger, flagers, brook-lime, Dandelion shepherd's purst, ríthóg, marsh mallows, wild elder, water-cress, crow-foot, blackhead, thistle, clover, bucallán, fúarán, cuckoo sorrel, and apple mint.
Bursting grass cures sore fingers. Spear mint hunts fleas.

It is to be found in this district and it is good for cattle. It has a strong root like wh[?] and it is of a black colour. There is another herb called Fairy Cap. It is sometimes called Throatwort. It got that name because it was believed to be a cure for sore throat. There is another herb called cowslip and it is of a yellow colour and it is said to be a cure for palsy. There was an herb called wood sorrel and it is said that there is a tradition connected with it. It was a sacred plant of the Druid before Saint Patrick came to Ireland. It is now called shamrock as Saint Patrick picked it at Tara and held it up as a symbol of the three Divine Persons. There is also an herb called Shepherds purse it got that name because its seeds are in a kind of purse. Long ago the shepherds tied bundles of these herbs around the necks of their sheep. It was believed that the wolves would not be able to see the sheep when they had these herbs round their necks. There is also an herb called "Cro Padhraig leaf" and it is found where there is gravel in the soil. It is found growing in the road sides. It cures sores.

Dyeing. I never saw it done. They used to make a dye out of sorrel and logwood and the bark of oak. Logwood was got in the shop. I was a powder.Bleaching. Some of the "bandel cloth" (linen) was bleached with wood ash. Furze was burned and the ashes was gathered, put with water and fat in a large pot. In this the linen was boiled. I saw it done. The mens shirts had a "front" of bleached linen. This was starched with potato starch.Making starch. Potatoes were peeled and grated. A grater was made by punching a number of holes in a piece of tin with an awl. The grated stuff was then mixed with water and boiled.

Chick-weed used to cure swellings
Cobwebs were applied to cuts are were supposed to stop bleeding.
The Inner bark of the elder was used for burns
Worm-wood was used as a cure for worms in children.
Sheep's milk was used to cure measles
Eggs laid on Good Friday were preserved and used as cures. They were applied as poultices or rubbed to the wounds.
Dandelion roots and leaves were used for jaundice and liver trouble
Ivy grown on a bridge over a stream was used as a cure for swellings
Mac-an-Dá-Abha cured and ripened boils and ulcers.
Nettles eaten in May were supposed to cure diseases of the skin
Wood-sorrel applied with poultice was supposed to draw pus from sores. It should be picked by the mother of the person suffering from the sore
Lime-water given to children when fasting was supposed to be a cure for worms

Long ago they used to dye their clothes with a plant called the wood-sorrel. This is the way it is done. The plant would be boiled first in a pot, and the leaves would be taken out. Then the garment would be boiled in the juice of the plant.
The people used to make ropes out of hay called sugans. This custom is in our district yet.
Long ago the people in our district used to make baskets with sally rods. When they cut the rods they used put them up the chimney to season. When they were seasoning for about a month they were taken down and they were woven one over another until the basket is made.