Eating Outside

Martin Monahan 21^st July 2017 Deerpark Social Services Centre, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway

Eating Outside

Interviewer: Clare Doyle (CD)

Interviewee: Martin Monahan (MM)

CD: Did you ever save the hay or do anything like that?

MM: Yes! I saved the hay alright

CD: You’d have something to eat during the day?

MM: A bottle of tea. We…they used to make the bottle of tea at home and then bring it out into the fields and drink the tea then out of the bottle.

CD: And would the tea be warm?

MM: It would. It would be warm because it would be warm when they put it into the bottle and they’d put in a spoon to stop the bottle from cracking

CD: It would be very hot so?

MM: It would. And mix it all at home first and then put it into the bottle and bring it up to the fields then and have it there then…

CD: The working men would have it there then with bread?

MM: Bread, sandwiches.

CD: Right. And the women would have to bring it up, would they?

MM: They would

CD: And the same with the bog?

MM: The same way in the bog, it would. That’s right.

CD: You’d spend the day in the bog and you’d have your bottle of tea

MM: We used to light a fire above in it

CD: Oh, very nice, and would you cook anything on the fire?

MM: Maybe eggs.

CD: Oh, very nice

MM: And we used have cheese too as well, with the bread

CD: And that would be your break from turning the turf?

MM: That’s right