School: Bearnas Mór

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1. Ancient Dwellings

   

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   Long ago most of the houses were thatched. Some of them were thatched with rushes, others with heather and some of them with straw. They got the rushes and heather in the old bogs and grew the straw on their own farms.

   In every house long ago there was a bed. The place in which the bed was kept was called the “outshot.” It was usual for the old people of the house to sleep in it.

   Long ago there were no chimneys in the houses. The fireplace was in the corner with a hole in the roof in order to let the smoke out. Some of the fireplaces were made of stones and some of them were made of sticks plastered with mortar. I have been unable to find of any old person who ever saw a fire in the middle of the kitchen. Long ago there were only one door on the house. It was framed like a gate and fastened with straw ropes.

   The floors long ago were made of earth or of blue clay. There was a half door on every house, the use of this door was that when the upper part of the door was opened and the under part was closed there would be light in the kitchen. The fire was made of turf. Long ago the people lited [sic] a fire once per year. They never let the fire go out. When they were going to bed they buried the lited coals in the ashes, so that they would have the coals to light the next (mour) morning fire.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. earraí
      1. struchtúir de dhéantús an duine
         1. foirgnimh
            1. an teach cónaithe (~2,723)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Bridget A. Hone

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Finnadoos, Co. Dhún na nGall

   Informant

   Mr Hone

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Finnadoos, Co. Dhún na nGall