Day: October 19, 2021

 Dia is Mhuire  díobh go léir a Cáirde and welcome to my weekly Report.

Sometimes it’s good for us to be held back ,restrained for a while,it lets us appreciate what a wonderful thing freedom is ,and that when we have it, to put it to good use. Now that there is an easing of restrictions in the Covid situation ,the whole world seems to be rearing to go. At the moment the weather itself is playing it’s part .We have only to open our Millstreet Website and see accounts of the outdoor events which have been happening around us. Things for young and old to enjoy ,and people there to see that it happens.  Soft balmy days ,and nights which often give us heavy rain to keep our streams and wells supplied with the mysterious fluid which we cannot do without. In former years I can remember dry periods which left the farmer concerned about his crops . Local streams and wells would run dry and cattle could be heard for miles around , lowing for water. Some districts were more affected than others ,hilly fields would turn brown and the untarred roads would become dusty. In such times  the unwelcome task of drawing water to cattle and for other farmyard uses, became nessessary. Churns which were used only for milk, doubled  as tanks, loaded on the horse cart and taken to the nearest sourse of uische. If a person was lucky enough to have help, it made the job reasonably easy, using two buckets ,with one on board taking the full buckets and the other  drawing. But for one alone ,not so easy, because when trying to reach  up and get  the bucket emptied into the tank, it was hard not to get all wet from splashes and near misses. But it had to be done and  many trips a day made for as long as the dry weather continued. Where tillage fields were affected, those who were fortunate enough to have a stream which outlived the drought, they adopted the system of  irrigation.   Using the horse and plough they opened a rut or sod all along the top of the drills ,and turned the water into it ,and at several places along the way they made openings for the water to run downhill  along the drills, and  kept the precious crops of potatoes, or turnips or cabbage etc alive and flourishing  until  the Good Lord sent rain  again.   [read more …] “Eily’s Report 19th Oct. 2021”