Old Houses

transcribed at

Old Houses  [duchas:4646896]

In olden times the houses in Ireland were very different from what they are to-day.
The oldest houses were circular in shape and thatched with rushes with a hole in the centre of the roof through which the smoke escaped. There were no windows but an open space was left through which the occupants entered.
The house was surrounded by a mound of earth and a deep ditch, full of water to protect it from wild animals and from enemies of the family.
In later years houses were built of stone and roofed

Old Houses  [duchas:4646897]

with timber on thatched with rushes on straw. Those had wooden doors and openings which let in the light. The usual dwelling in country places were houses built of stone on mud walls containing two apartments.
One of those apartments was used as a kitchen in the daytime and as a bedroom at night. They were lighted with small windows into which panes of glass were fitted, and were thatched with rushes straw or heather.
At night they were lighted with rush candles, that is peeled rushes dipped in fat. This means of lighting continued until Paraffin oil came into use. Cooking and heating was carried out by means of wood.