School: Carrowbeg (roll number 10754)
- Location:
- An Cheathrú Bheag, Co. Dhún na nGall
- Teacher: Rachel Nic an Ridire
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1118, Page 470
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- XML “Bread-Lore”
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- Bread was made from barley wheat and corn in olden times. The people grew their own barley and corn from which they ground the meal. No one that I know is quite sure whether the flour was made locally or not. The people bought only a very little flour at a time because it was very scarce and dear and very often they had to do without any. They had grindstones or querns as they were sometimes called with which they ground their own oats. No one that I know remembers the querns being used but there are still a few disused ones in the district. It is up to two hundred years since the querns went out of use. Knocking stones were in use before the querns but it is rare to see one of them nowadays. In olden times the people made three kinds of bread called Potato cake, Boxty, and Oaten meal.
When making potato bread, the potatos were boiled and then skinned and bruised with the bottom of a tin pan when cold. The bruised potatoes were mixed with a little flour if the person had it. No milk, water or soda was used but a little pinch of salt was added. The potatoes and flour were kneaded together and rolled out and cut into farls. The farls were hardened on a griddle hung over a bright fire. They were a brownish colour when baked and were fairly hard and tough.
In making Oaten bread, oaten-meal was put into a dish(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Constance Norris
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Bun an Phobail, Co. Dhún na nGall
- Collector
- Emma Hutchinson
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Ceathrú Meánach, Co. Dhún na nGall
- Informant
- James Elkin
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 72
- Address
- Bun an Phobail, Co. Dhún na nGall
- Informant
- John Norris
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 64
- Address
- Bun an Phobail, Co. Dhún na nGall
- Informant
- Robert Campbell
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 82
- Address
- Baile Mhic Fhearachaigh, Co. Dhún na nGall
