Farm Machinery

All work on Muckross Traditional Farms is carried out in the old, time honoured way, using horse-drawn machinery. A small selection of the most commonly used pieces is depicted here.

Butter Churn

The cream was poured into a Churn and agitated until the butter was made. Churns came in various shapes and sizes. The tall Dash Churn was worked by plunging the dash up and down, while a handle at the side worked the table-top Barrel Churn. Small glass churns were also available.

Visitors who called to the house while butter was being made were expected to take a turn at churning. There were many piseógs (Irish : charms and spells) associated with butter-making. It was widely believed that the butter could be stolen by a local ‘hag’ using magic, especially during the month of May.

Harrow

The harrow cultivated and broke up the soil in order to produce a suitable seed bed for setting the crops.

Hay Car

The hay car was used to bring in the hay from the fields. The wynds of hay were winched on board using ropes and a ratchet system.

Hay Rake

The hay rake collected or raked up the hay in order to make ‘hay cocks’ or ‘wynds’ in the fields.

Potato Digger

Puller by two horses, the board-share of the potato digger ran beneath the potatoes, which were then lifted and spun free of the soil.

Reaper Binder

Prior to the advent of the reaper-binder a gang of workmen, known in Irish as a meitheal, were required to cut the corn and to bind it. The reaper-binder allowed the corn to be both cut and bound quickly and efficiently.

Root Cutter (Pulper)

This was used to chop up root crops, such as turnips, mangels or fodder beet, for easier consumption by the livestock.

Separator

From around 1900, hand-turned Separators were available to separate cream from milk. When spun, the heavy milk was pulled towards the edges of the Separator bowl and the lighter cream collected in the middle. The cream and the milk then flowed from two different spouts.

Swath Turner

After mowing, the hay was left lying in lines or swaths in the field which, after a day or two, were turned over by the swath turner in order to expose the underside to the sun and wind.

Threshing Machine

The threshing machine threshed the grain from the straw and winnowed away the chaff. The arrival of the threshing machine in the farmyard, accompanied by a host of workers, was seen as an important social occasion.

Turnip and Mangel Seeder

This machine was a precision seeder, which was used to set turnips and mangels in rows or drills.

Two Horse Mower

The mowing machine was pulled by two horses and was used to cut the hay meadows, usually in May or June. This machine could also be used to cut corn.

Two Horse Plough

One or two horses could be used for ploughing. While working, a man and his horse might walk up to eight or nine miles a day, at an average speed of 2 mph.