Local Forge

transcribed at

The Local Forge  [duchas:5006643]

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The Local Forge

There are  tow forges in Kilrush Parish
Mr. Somers owns one and Mr Kehoe is the owner of the other.  I do not know anything about Mr. Kehoe's except that the fire is blown by a fanners driven by a water wheel.
Mr. Somer's forge is a small thatched forge and it is situated on the side of the road near to Clohamon.
Part of the floor is covered with floor-ing boards and the rest of it is clay.  These boards save the horse's hoofs when the old shoes are removed and they also keep the horse's hoofs clean.
The fireplace is in the middle of the end wall and the bellows are beside it.  There is a long wooden shelf at one side of the forge on which the smith keeps his tools, but he keeps some of them near the fire especially the tools that are most often used and those are, a hammer, a pincers  a tongs, a sledge hammer and a wrench.  He does not make farm implements but he repairs

The Local Forge  [duchas:5006644]

222.

them.  He shoes a great many horses and asses.  Every time you go in some else is there before you.  He is a very good smith and that is the reason he does such a good trade.
I think he was a smith for about thirty years, and his father was a smith too, but he was not as good as the present Mr. Somers.
In former years Mr. Dempsey was
He had a forge about a quarter of a mile to the north-west of the school, opposite to Mr Anthony Ryans gate.  There is no trace of the forge there now.

Sonny Pierce
Ballyroebuck.
Information re. old forge recd. from Tom Kavanagh, Kilrush who has mother over 90 yrs of age alive

Tom Kavanagh about 50-Labourer.