Food in Olden Times

transcribed at

Food in Olden Times  [duchas:5006086]

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Food in Olden Times
Long ago three meals were taken during the day.  Breakfast, dinner and supper.  Breakfast was take about eight o'clock, dinner at mid-day and supper at dark.  People worked from daylight until dark.  They often used to stand on the headland and wait until day-light came to start picking the potatoes.  They used to get oaten stirabout for the breakfast.  They got potatoes and salt and buttermilk for their dinner.  Sometimes potatoes were eaten at every meal.  Most of the milk they drank was buttermilk.
When the workers came in the table was pulled out on the middle of the floor, but it was only for that meal that this was done.  It was then hung up on the wall.  In olden times there was no

Food in Olden Times  [duchas:5006087]

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special eating room. The meals were all taken in the kitchen.
The head of the family always sat at the top right hand side of the table.  The Servants sat at the lowest less honoured part of the table.

Lizzie Kehoe.