Women's Roles

Anna's Story

There were no cookers, water or electricity, we cooked and baked the bread on a metal pan on the hearth fire. We had to carry the water from the spring well nearest to us. Our light was from a paraffin lamp. We cut out turf on the mountain with a turf spade, now there is a machine for cutting turf. The turf were cut and spread out and when they were nearly dry they were win-rowed, which means separating them, two on the ground and two on top going the opposite way (8 turf in all). After that you stood them up in about two weeks time and that leaves them ready for taking home.

Caroline's Story

More women work nowadays which means men have to take a more active role in rearing the children, like changing nappies, etc. Now both men and women go out for a night together. Women do not respect men as much as our Mothers did. There is now more of a joint effort. There was no contraception years ago and women had babies at home with help from a 'handy' woman or a midwife. Nowadays there is contraception, and children are born in hospital. Instead of getting married more people are living together today. There is more pressure on women today to pay bills and mortgages. I don't think women should be domineered by men.

Annie, Sheila and Kathleen

Women helped with milking and farmyard jobs, and also in the fields and in the bog. Men didn't do housework. The women stayed in the background and attended the men. Women sacrificed their own food to feed the men and children. They also made all the decisions regarding the rearing of children. The men held the purse and took charge of the finances and paid all the bills. The women made jam, sold eggs and butter, sewed and knit for their own pocket money and for little extras. Children were seen and not heard, they had no voice.

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