A Lime-Kiln

16th May 1938

About sixty-five years ago my grandfather named Patrick Reilly made a lime-kiln in his own field. He dug a round hole in the ground about five and a half feet deep. He built round the inside with stones and mortar which he got on his own land. He used to burn the full of the kiln of lime three times each year.

He quarried the limestones in Moate outside the Convent grounds and he brought them down to Prizon in a horse and cart. He broke the lime-stones very small at first, then he put the broken stones into the kiln with a scib. He used to put every second layer which they called braths, of lime-stones and turf.

He used to put a brath of lime-stones in the bottom and another line of lime-stones on the top.

He left a hole in the bottom when he was making the kiln and when he had it filled with lime-stones and turf he put a lit block of bog-deal into the hole and the kiln began to burn.

It used to keep burning two days and one night and he used to stay out at it that night and the two days putting in braths and taking out the burned lime after it would cool.

They used to put the lime out for topdressing on the land. They used to white-wash the house with the rest of the lime.

That kiln is yet to be seen in the corner of a field beside the road. We do not burn any lime now, and nettles are growing in the kiln.

“INFORMANT Patrick Reilly; male, Age; 87, Prison North, Co. Mayo”

— Dúchas.ie