'Preparations would be going on for days as the house had to be cleaned and major cooking had to be done to make sure all the helpers were fed'

'Preparations would be going on for days as the house had to be cleaned and major cooking had to be done to make sure all the helpers were fed'

Margaret remembers the special days on her grandfather's farm, such as the day of threshing and the day a pig was slaughtered.

Margaret McLoughlin

Trinity College Dublin

1945

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Margaret McLoughlin

Childhood and Early Life

Life Story

Dromahair, Co. Sligo

1930s

The day of the Threshing was a great day as from early morning in Granda's house the place became alive with people coming and going. Preparations would be going on for days as the house had to be cleaned and major cooking had to be done to make sure all the helpers were fed. The cakes would be huge currant cakes, ginger cakes , apple cakes and carrow seed bread. I think the neighbours wives helped. It certainly was a Meitheal. The day of the threshing the big machine would arrive early in the morning and five or six farmers would arrive with it. Then the work would start maybe they would stop for tea or a drink of buttermilk but the main meal would not be served until all the work was done some time in the evening. To us it was a great occasion. Hay making was another important day. First it was cut with a big cutting machine which was led by two horses. As the machine cut it the men with scythes would cut the edges where the machine cutting get at and the raked up the new cutting to let them dry. When it was sufficiently dry it was put into laps which were little mounds. When it was completely dry it was made into cocks and tied with a hay rope. I often watched my grandfather winding the ropes out of the hay with a big hook. . When a pig was killed the big hunks of bacon were hung from the ceiling some pale and some smoked. I didn't care much for the bacon because it was very salty. The same went for the country butter and it was also very salty. For years after my grandfather died my mother still bought country butter from Mrs Mc Gowan who lived down the school road and came into the village once a week to sell her eggs and butter.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)