The Gallaghers of Ballinrobe

with the slean and take up a brick of turf. He would then
throw it to another person standing close by. That man
would catch the turf and place it gently on the ground. At
this stage, the turf would be very moist and could easily
break in your hands. The bricks were allowed to dry on both
sides, until a crust was formed. They were then footed, with
four or more in an upright position, to continue drying. It
was very important the stack got a strong breeze and
sunshine. This procedure would continue for days or weeks,
until it was decided enough turf was cut for the winter.
Finally, the dried turf was brought home by sack or donkey
and cart. Each farm was given a plot of bog, so the
Gallaghers would have had their own section, possibly in
Derryfad near Claremorris.
THE FOOD
A typical diet in 19th century Ballinrobe would
have consisted mostly of potatoes, eggs, oat bread,
buttermilk, maybe some Indian meal and bacon. Other
meats were generally reserved for special occasions such as
Easter and Christmas.
In the first half of the 1800s, the ballooning
population of County Mayo had become dangerously reliant
on the potato crop. When the crop failed, starting in 1845, it
led to the utter devastation of The Great Famine. After the
loss of so many people to starvation, disease and
emigration, the food situation slowly improved. Farms, in
general, became larger, and different food became more
available.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, according to the
website Dochara.com, the development of processed food
industries, the expansion of retail outlets into even small
towns and villages, and more efficient distribution via
railway and roads, brought a significant shift to “shop
bought” goods. This sort of food was looked on as superior
and the ability to buy it as a measure of affluence. Bread,
potatoes and porridge still formed the staple diet of the
poor, but there was greatly increased consumption of dairy
products and meats. More affluent people took to having
bacon and eggs at breakfast. The main meal was taken in
the middle of the day.
During our grandparents’ time, farmers in rural
Ireland would have had what today might be called an allorganic
diet – almost exclusively the result of their own
labor. They would have sown potatoes, cabbage, turnips,
kale and rhubarb. One thing people would buy was Indian
meal, which was readily available and could be used in
“stir-about,” a type of porridge. Indian meal is similar to
oatmeal, but a little less refined. Made from corn and
Turf cut from the bog was the source of heat in Irish
homes. The drying process included footing (stacking)
bricks of the damp sod. The stacks can still be found in
the bogs outside Ballinrobe today.
'The Sheaf' sculpture by Jackie McKenna stands in the
Cornmarket, a central focus for Ballinrobe where
markets and fairs were once held. In the past it was
known as 'The Fair Place' or 'The Common.'
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