Féile
Chultúir Chiarraí 2010 took
place in Muckross Traditional Farms from Monday
17th to Friday May 21st.
Click here
to view the newly opened Farm Petting Area.
As usual, the festival consisted of a series of ‘Hands-on’ workshops
for Primary School children, from third to sixth class. Assembly was at 9.45am each
morning. The workshops commenced at 10am sharp and concluded at 2pm.
Muckross Research Library worked closely with Muckross Traditional Farms
in the running of this event.
The workshops included:
• An introduction to Traditional Irish Music, presented by the well-known singer/songwriter
Mr Jimmy Crowley.
• An introduction to the Traditional Irish Dwelling and its Furnishings.
• The role of the Journeyman Carpenter.
• Traditional Bread-making.
• Traditional Butter-making.
The Sandford Award for Heritage Education
In 2003 Muckross Traditional Farms was awarded the Sandford Award for Heritage
Education, for Féile Chultúir Chiarraí, by the UK based
Heritage Education Trust. It was the first time this award, which is valid for
five years, was made outside of the UK.
The Heritage Education Trust aims to encourage and promote good practice in education
with regard to the historic environment. The Muckross Traditional Farms’ Sandford
Award will be reviewed during the course of Féile Chultúir Chiarraí 2008.
A judge from the Heritage Education Trust will shadow the groups attending the
Féile on Friday 16 May. It is important to stress that it is the site
that will be assessed on this day, not the individual visiting groups.
Please click here on the subject you require:
•
May Day – Bealtaine
•
Butter-making – Ag Deanamh Ime
•
Breadmaking – Ag Deanamh Arán
• The Dwelling – An Teach/An Tigh
•
Traditional Songs
May
Day – Bealtaine
Lá Bealtaine (May Day) is traditionally one of the most important days
in the Irish calendar. The month of May is, therefore, an appropriate month in
which we can celebrate the folklife and culture of Co. Kerry, with ceol agus
craic.
May Day marked the first day of summer (samhradh) and on the farm it also marked
the beginning of the new season of grass (féar). The farmer now turned
the cattle out into the fields having sheltered and fed them indoors during the
colder months of the year. The tilling of the soil to produce crops was generally
completed by May Day. At this time also the farmer turned his attention to the
bog (portach) and started cutting turf for the long winter months ahead.
May alter in Kissane's farmhouse
On May Eve it was the custom for young children to pick posies of fresh flowers.
These were used to decorate the dwelling or were placed at the foot of a holy
statue or May altar. The May flowers (Bláthanna Bealtaine) in bloom at
this time include:
Primrose – Sabhaircín.
Gorse – Aiteann.
Cowslip - Bó Bleachtán.
Marsh Marigold – Riaschbláth.
Meadow buttercup – Fearbán féir.
Back to subjects
Butter-making – Ag
Deanamh Ime
There are many May Day customs and beliefs (crediúintí) associated
with Butter and its production. This reflects the important role butter once
played in the household economy. Almost anything taken from the dwelling, or
from any part of the farm, at dawn on May Day could be used ‘to steal the
butter’ (ime a ghoid). This meant that the victim’s churn would not
produce any butter, while the evildoer would be left with an increased quantity
of it.
Butter making in Quille's kitchen
No fire was allowed to leave the house on May morning. A man who lit his pipe
at the fire had to smoke it before leaving the house. Otherwise it was believed
that the luck of the house would be lost and this could affect the butter. No
milk utensil was allowed to leave the house either. The farmer might guard his
well, the fire might not be lit, and often the cows remained locked in the byre,
until the danger had passed.
Some people avoided churning on May Day. Others did churn but added a pinch of
salt (salann) or a drop of holy water to protect the butter.
During the churning anybody, young or old (óg nó cnóna),
who entered the kitchen or dairy had to take a turn at the churn. Some people
said this was to lessen the labour of churning. Others believed that it helped
to protect the butter. If, while churning, butter did not appear within a reasonable
amount of time, then it was suspected that an evil spell had been placed on the
butter. One way to counteract the spell was to heat an iron tongs in the fire
and to plunge it red hot into the churn.
Back to subjects
Breadmaking – Ag Deanamh Arán
In some parts of Europe bread was baked occasionally, in large
quantities, and stored until required. However, in Ireland, bread
was baked fresh every day. In Irish folk belief it was considered
unlucky to waste bread or to treat it with anything other than
respect.
Soda bread (Arán bán) was traditionally baked in
a pot oven over a turf fire and is recognised as one of the finest
bread types in the world. The leavening agent in soda bread is
bicarbonate of soda, usually helped by sour milk (báinne
gear). However bread soda, as a leavening agent did not come
into use until the first half of the 19th century. Fresh thick
buttermilk (bláthach) was also always used in the baking.
Bread making
The pot oven (oighean) was an excellent baking utensil. The deep
flat-bottomed pot had a closely fitted lid on which glowing pieces
of turf, in order that the gentle heat was distributed evenly.
The lid of the oven could not be lifted until the baking process
was complete.
At Bealtaine (May Day) special cakes were at one time baked and
offered to the dead or given to beggars in the name of the dead.
On the eve of All Souls’ Night (1st November) it was the
custom to leave bread (arán) and water (uisce) on the
kitchen table at midnight for the return of the dead.
Recipe for Soda Bread
• 5 cups of plain Flour
• Teaspoon of Bread Soda
• Teaspoon of Salt
• One pint of Sour Milk or Buttermilk.
Method:
Put all the ingredients into a basin and make a ‘well’ in
the centre of the mixture. Pour in the milk and mix with your
hands until the mixture forms a soft dough. Knead well and form
into a round shape. Cut a cross in the centre of the dough and
place it in a warm oven or bastable. Hang the oven over the fire
and place red embers from the fire on the lid. Bake for approximately
45 minutes.
Back to subjects
The Dwelling – An
Teach/An Tigh
The traditional Irish dwelling is rectangular in plan and only
one storey in height. The roof (díon) is supported by
the solid walls, which are built of stone or tempered earth.
The roof is normally steeply pitched. In the past this allowed
for the rapid run-of of rainwater as most dwellings had a thatched
roof (díon tuí/ceann tuí). Doors and windows
(doirse agus fuinneóga) are normally located in the long
sidewalls. The windows are small in size and splay inwards. From
the late 19th century onwards the walls were usually white-washed
(aolta), mainly for hygienic purposes.
Foley's farmhouse
Beneath the thatch there was usually a layer of sods or scraws,
which had been skimmed off a good thick bog, to form the underthatch.
These scraws were normally tied to the roof timbers with straw
ropes (súgáin). The thatch was pinned to the underthatch
with scallops (scolb) or spars made from bog-deal, hazel or sallys.
Because ceilings were generally inserted into dwellings only
in relatively recent times, the underthatch was usually visible
directly overhead. You can see the underthatch in place when
you visit Kissane’s and Foley’s dwellings on Muckross
Traditional Farms.
Internally the traditional dwelling contained a number of interconnecting
rooms without a central hallway or passage. Each room (seomra)
normally occupied the full width of the dwelling. In Irish folk
tradition the kitchen hearth (tinteán) was the social
centre of the house. A visitor (cuairteoir) to the house was
usually invited to take a fireside seat. The fire was never allowed
completely die out (Bhí an tine lasta an t-am ar fad).
Not only was it an important source of warmth, it was also the
only means of cooking food, drying the clothes and boiling water.
Back to subjects
Songs
Perhaps you might like to learn the words of the following songs,
so you can sing along with Jimmy when you visit Muckross Traditional
Farms.
Jimmy Crowley singing in Quille's kitchen
THUGAMAR FÉIN AN SAMHRADH LINN
Bábóg na Bealtaine maighdean an tSamhraidh,
Suas gach cnoc is síos gach gleann.
Cailíní maiseacha bán-gheala gléasta,
Thugamar féin an Samhradh linn.
Curfá
Samhradh, samhradh bainne na ngamhna,
Thugamar féin an Samhradh linn.
Samhradh buí na neóinín gléigheal
Thugamar féin an Samhradh linn.
Thugamar linn é ón gcoill chraobhaigh
Thugamar féin an Samhradh linn.
Samhradh buí ó luí na gréine,
Thugamar féin an Samhradh linn.
Tá'n fhuiseóg ag seinim 'sag luascadh 'sna
spéarthaibh
Beacha 's cuileóga is blátha ar na crainn
Tá an chuach is na héanlaith ag seimin le pléisiúr
Thugamar féin an Samhradh linn.
Curfá arís
Samhradh, samhradh bainne na ngamhna,
Thugamar féin an Samhradh linn.
Samhradh buí na neóinín gléigheal
Thugamar féin an Samhradh linn.
Curfá arís
------------------------------------------
FUNGI THE DOLPHIN
In a salty cave beneath the wave,
King Neptune made his plan.
He felt so bad as things were bad
For children on dry land,
He called his dolphins around his throne
Awash in the briney sea;
He picked out one with his old pring-pong,
You'll do nicely, said he.
Chorus
They call him Fungi, Fungi,
The darling of the deep
And if you go to Dingle town
You'll see him too.
He's awful funny, funny
The way he turns his tummy
With eyes beguiling bright for me and you.
King Neptune shed a salty tear;
My heart is sad, said he,
For boys and girls around the world
Watch far too much TV,
They never laugh or smile no more
The way they used to do,
So, Fungi, téir go Poll a' Dáimh,
Is cur gliondar ar an slua!
Chorus
Ar maidin álainn, ghrianmhar,
Do shroich sé béal a' chuain,
Bhí bád fen' am ag teach i dtír,
Ba dheas é crut na huaine,
'Sea dúirt an captaen ós ard,
Go dteastaigh uaidh gal:
Mo léir ! Nár ghoid an delphín dubh
An duidín as a bhéal!
Chorus
So, every day on Dingle Bay
The boats to see him go,
Lán de pháistí aeracha
Fé dhraíocht na mara móire,
He sees the children from afar
And winks his eyes with glee;
Ní fada anois go ndéanfar "swish",
Suas leat san aer, Fungi!
