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Season of the Corn
A complete recording of the year-long project is now available on video as a permanent record of how things were done in days gone by. This is how our forefathers tilled the soil and reaped the crops in an Ireland now long gone. The two-hour videotape has been very successful in Ireland and now the organizing committee is making the tape available worldwide, so that I people everywhere can enjoy this remarkable re-enactment of a way of life that is part of our Irish heritage. To order, send Cheque or Money Order to: Prices (including Postage & Handling): For further information, please send an email to: Seamus O'Donnell NOTE: Herself has been in contact with the video-production company and has been assured that tapes sent from Ireland to other parts of the world will be properly formatted so that they can be played on any VCR. She also wants to make sure the reader understands that Irish Culture and Customs receives no commission for any sales generated by this article. However, she does encourage readers to consider purchasing copies for gifts. This is a unique way to keep our heritage and history alive, so that we can pass it on to our children and grandchildren. Resources:The paragraph on Threshing was adapted from The Festive Food of Ireland by Darina Allen. All other text and images are published with permission from The Step Back In Time Project |
 The Galway Hooker
This unique vessel, with its distinctive curved lines and bright red sails, originated in the village of Claddagh. During the 19th century, hookers supported a significant fishing industry and also carried goods, livestock and fuel. Seán Rainey is remembered for building the last of the original boats, the Truelight, for Martin Oliver who was to become the last king of the Claddagh; as king, he was entitled to white sails on his boat. Since the mid seventies, many of the old sailing craft which were on the verge of extinction have been lovingly restored and new ones have been built. During the summer months they can be seen at festivals such a Cruinniú na mBád - the Gathering of the Boats - in Kinvara.
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While we were surfing the net, we came across a fascinating story about a group of Donegal farmers who stepped back in time and used the old ways to raise and harvest the crops. Here, in the first two paragraphs, they describe what they do. At the end, there is information on how to order a videotape.
"Using only horses and traditional farm implements, we ploughed a field, prepared the ground and sowed the seed to produce a field of oats.
Doesn't that sound delightful - sitting in a cozy, thatched-roof cottage, relishing a delicious fresh-baked scone in front of an open turf fire? In the old days, it was back-breaking labor to get to that kind of sweet reward. Back then, when the harvesting was done with a binder and threshing machine, first on the agenda was the cutting of the crop. The reaper and binder would rumble into the fields, cut the barley, wheats or oats, bind the stooks and split them so they could be built into conrstacks. A few weeks later, when the stacks were dried out, they were brought into the haggard and built into huge ricks. There, they waited until it was the farmer's turn to have the threshing machine and elevator. On that morning, a group of men on foot or bicycle would arrive from neighboring farms to put in long hours, piking sheaves, clearing chaff and filling the sacks.
It was dry, thirsty work, and one of the great attractions was a barrel of beer or porter set up nearby so the men could refresh themselves. In the meantime, the womenfolk were busy baking and cooking a grand dinner for the men who were fed in relays. Wives competed with each other to provide the season's best "feed." Larger establishments had roasts of beef or lamb with roast potatoes, gravy and vegetables. The more humble farms served bacon and cabbage, or perhaps a pig's head - but always with lots of potatoes and mugs of milk. A sweet treat of apple or rhubarb tart and mugs of hot tea rounded off one of the most satisfying meals in an Irish year. There was a profound contentment in knowing the family and livestock would have food for the long winter ahead.