School: Listowel (B.) (roll number 1797)
- Location:
- Lios Tuathail, Co. Chiarraí
- Teacher: Brian Mac Mathúna
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0405, Page 414
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- Long ago, in the country, people used to make their own candles. When a farmer would kill a sheep he would save up all the fat for candle-making. When making candles they would melt the fat over the fire and keep it at a certain heat. Then they would get two or three sticks about two feet long. Next they would attach the wick on to the stick having each wick about three inches apart and eight inches long. Then they would dip the wicks into fat and then lift them up to cool and when cooled dip them again. Keeping on dipping until they had the necessary substance. They were called dip candles on account of the dipping up and down.
- When a farmer killed a sheep he would melt down the fat and then get a mould. This mould is the shape of a candle. He then got the thread to make the wick and pulled it down through the mould and then poured in the fat. He would tie the wick on to a nail and then put the mould on a sod of turf and leave it there till the fat hardened. Then it would be a candle.
- Collector
- David Barry
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Lios Tuathail, Co. Chiarraí
- Informant
- Pat Corbett
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Lios Tuathail, Co. Chiarraí
