Candle-Making

transcribed at

Candle-Making  [duchas:5001204]

Candles were made in this district long ago.  Some were called dips and rushlights and others were made in a mould and buchaillans.

The dips were made of tallow and twine.  The tallow was melted and the twine dipped in it.  When the tallow dried on the twine it was again dipped in the tallow.  This was continued until it was as thick as a pencil.  When this was done the wicks were laid together and hung from the ceiling to dry.

Rush-lights were made by pulling off the outside of the rush leaving the inside part to serve as a wick.  This wick was dipped into tallow and allowed to harden before it was lighted.

Some candles were made in moulds which were made of tin.  The twine for the wick was put in the mould and tied in a knot at the bottom of the mould.  Molten grease was poured in around the twine and it was left to dry.  When the grease was hard the mould was put into boiling

Candle-Making  [duchas:5001205]

water and the candle came out.

Candles were also made in buachaillans.  Molten grease was poured into the hold in the buachaillan and a wire which was tied to a string was pulled up through the soft grease leaving the string to serve as a wick.