Local Forges

transcribed at

Local Forges  [duchas:4855786]

There is a forge at Derrybawn, Nenagh owned by John Boland. It is worked by this family for over three generations.
It is a stone building about 25 feet long and 16 feet wide. The roof is slated with a hole for the smoke to go through. There is a big window nearly in the middle of the front wall facing the road. The door is near the end of the front wall facing the road. The door is near the end of the front wall. There is no glass in the window

Local Forges  [duchas:4855787]

and door is not much bigger than an ordainery house door. In most forges the door is much bigger to allow machinery in for repairs but he repairs machines outside. He also shoes car wheels outside. He shoes horses, ponies and assess inside.
The tools he uses shoeing are a hammer, pincers, knife and rasp. There is one fireplace and the fire is kept going by a very large bellows which is made in Dublin. There is a water trough for cooling iron and it is reputed to be a cure for warts to dip your hands in this water. He has a big anvil for beating out shoes and other iron, this stands in a block of timber near the middle of the floor.