YOUR RESPONSES

Beth Phillips - Mar '07
This is a story I have been told - My grandfather's older brother was Mark Thompson (b.1864) and he was born at Killycloghy near Lisbellaw. At Killycloghy flax was one of the crops grown. Mark would plough the fields and his sister Mabel would lead the horse. When the flax was ready to harvest it was cut and put in a water hole where the outer covering rotted away. To ensure that all the flax was rotted evenly it was necessary to wade into the waterhole and tread on the rotting flax until it was `scrutched'. The remaining flax was then sent to the nearby mill before being returned home where it was woven on hand looms. In those days most homes in Ireland had a loom.

Rose Donohoe - May 2004
I remember a flax hole on the shore beside where I lived as a child. Dire punishment was threatened to anyone who dared to investigate this hole at close range. I enjoyed reading about the processing of the flax and know that my Uncle was a scutcher in his younger days, in Belturbet, County Cavan I think? The flaxhole I refer to was in Derryvore, so John will know where that is.