DOI Artikel:
Bell, Jonathan: Wooden Ploughs from the mountains of Mourne, Ireland
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49001#0049
THE MOURNE PLOUGH
47
Fig. 1. Wooden swing plough in use. (A detail from plate 1 of a series by W. Hincks 1783, see Gailey).
Holzener Schwingpflug in Gebrauch. (Detail von Tafel 1 einer Serie, von W. Hincks 1783, siehe
Gailey).
These ‘common’ ploughs were probably
similar to that illustrated on a print made in
1783 of flax growing near Scarva in the
northern part of County Down (fig. 1). This
shows a ‘wooden, four-sided plough having a
markedly curved beam and a coulter set
close to the plough share’ (Gailey 3).
Ploughs of this kind were used in other parts
of Ireland as well (Tighe 293). The surviving
illustrations do not allow close comparisons
to be made between these ploughs and the
Old Scotch plough, but the flat wooden
mould boards and upturned beams do sug-
gest close similarities. The existence of the
Old Scotch plough in Ireland has recently
been dramatically confirmed, however, with
the discovery of one at Moira in County
Down (fig. 2). This plough is closely related
in design to the Chilcarroch plough de-
scribed by A. Fenton (Fenton 1968). The
discovery also confirms a local tradition in
Mourne - ‘The first plough that ever came
into the country come from Scotland. I
think an ould wooden plough’ (U.F.T.M.
Tape C. 78.53).
The share and coulter of the Moira plough
are missing, but the measurements of other
parts show remarkable similarities to those
taken by Fenton from the Chilcarroch
plough. Such differences as there are may
largely be explained by recent restoration
(fig. 3). The original sole piece of the Moira
plough for instance is in fragments and a new
one was constructed using these as a
guideline. The craftsman involved probably
made the plough head rounder that it had
originally been, and therefore shorter. This
could explain why the measurement given
by Fenton for the length of the sole on the
Chilcarroch plough (83.82 cms) (Fenton
47
Fig. 1. Wooden swing plough in use. (A detail from plate 1 of a series by W. Hincks 1783, see Gailey).
Holzener Schwingpflug in Gebrauch. (Detail von Tafel 1 einer Serie, von W. Hincks 1783, siehe
Gailey).
These ‘common’ ploughs were probably
similar to that illustrated on a print made in
1783 of flax growing near Scarva in the
northern part of County Down (fig. 1). This
shows a ‘wooden, four-sided plough having a
markedly curved beam and a coulter set
close to the plough share’ (Gailey 3).
Ploughs of this kind were used in other parts
of Ireland as well (Tighe 293). The surviving
illustrations do not allow close comparisons
to be made between these ploughs and the
Old Scotch plough, but the flat wooden
mould boards and upturned beams do sug-
gest close similarities. The existence of the
Old Scotch plough in Ireland has recently
been dramatically confirmed, however, with
the discovery of one at Moira in County
Down (fig. 2). This plough is closely related
in design to the Chilcarroch plough de-
scribed by A. Fenton (Fenton 1968). The
discovery also confirms a local tradition in
Mourne - ‘The first plough that ever came
into the country come from Scotland. I
think an ould wooden plough’ (U.F.T.M.
Tape C. 78.53).
The share and coulter of the Moira plough
are missing, but the measurements of other
parts show remarkable similarities to those
taken by Fenton from the Chilcarroch
plough. Such differences as there are may
largely be explained by recent restoration
(fig. 3). The original sole piece of the Moira
plough for instance is in fragments and a new
one was constructed using these as a
guideline. The craftsman involved probably
made the plough head rounder that it had
originally been, and therefore shorter. This
could explain why the measurement given
by Fenton for the length of the sole on the
Chilcarroch plough (83.82 cms) (Fenton