Scairbh
Na
gCaorach
EMYVALE
Ceili at the Turf Fire
Luke Ming Flanagan got himself elected as a TD for Roscommon and one of the items
in his agenda was the preservation of turf cutting on Irish Bogs. There is a ‘green
agenda’ to put a stop to the age old Irish tradition of cutting turf for heating
and cooking in the Irish home and Ming says that the tradition must not be stopped.
In Monaghan John Treanor and Joe McPhillips are doing their bit to preserve the tradition
and if the turf cutting is stopped then future generations will have a very accurate
record of the manner in which the work was done and a few more Irish rural traditions
thrown in for good measure. They have filmed the entire process and hope to release
a set of three DVDs on the subject. Local people were used as actors as who knows
better than they how to do it properly. The 1st DVD covers the actual cutting and
saving in the bog, DVD 2 will cover the taking home of the turf, and the final DVD
is entitled - Ceili at the Turf Fire - where the neighbours gathered in for a Ceili
round the cosy open hearth with the turf blazing and the bread being made. Stout
and fresh bread and home made butter is served up lavishly and eaten with obvious
pleasure and then the songs, stories, music and dance resume to extend well into
the night or early morning.
Recently footage for DVD 3 was recorded in John Treanor’s
specially preserved dwelling and we were there to take a few snippets from the filming.
When it goes on release we will certainly tell you about it and you will enjoy it.
Click on the Pictures below and you should hear the story etc
Ceilihouse 2 HERE