School: Aill
- Location:
- An Aill, Co. Thiobraid Árann
- Teacher: Tadhg Ó Donnabháin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0578, Page 131
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- XML “Food in Olden Times”
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- Three meals a day were usual in olden times.
These often consisted of potatoes and buttermilk of "Skidder" (thick milk). Other times "Boxty Bread and milk were taken.
"Boxty Bread" was made from grated raw potatoes and flour. Potato cakes were often made also.
People in those days worked two or three hours before breakfast.
When a spalpeen came the way he was tested on Monday morning as to his fitness for work. If "broke" before his breakfast he had to take the road without even getting his breakfast.
The expression "Potatoes and Point" for dinner still lives in this locality. A certain family always kept a small piece of meat hanging on the chimney. It was more for ornament than use and a proof against poverty. Potatoes and milk or potatoes and salt were the usual dinner fair, but before eating them, the potatoes were always pointed at the piece of meat; hence "Potatoes and Point" for dinner
