Farming Ideal
An idealised picture of Irish rural life from 'Dublin Opinion' in 1949. In reality it was not as rosy as this, as there was much poverty, emigration and employment.
Kerry County LibraryFarming Ideal
Kerry County Library
Kerry County Library
Farming Ideal
An idealised picture of Irish rural life from 'Dublin Opinion' in 1949. In reality it was not as rosy as this, as there was much poverty, emigration and employment.
Kerry County LibraryTaking the rough with the smooth
Our first image paints a rosy picture of life on the farm.
However, as well as fresh air and sunshine, a farmer must contend with lashing winds, rain and rough terrain.
Sometimes especially in mountain areas of Kerry it is not so easy. The land is rocky and there are few green fields for pasture.
Study the photographs here and see now hard it can be.
Meitheál
'Meitheál' is a term which was used to describe the co-operative labor system in rural Ireland before the intervention of technology around the middle of the 20th Century did away with it. The term is recorded in 22 of the 32 counties including Kerry. In all cases meitheál means a team of more than three workers.
The term 'meitheál' was used in Kerry to describe a group of neighbouring farmers who would go from farm to farm to help each other save the harvest.
This photograph is of these Meitheál teams in action in the early 1920s.
Threshing Meitheal in Kilcummin, Co. Kerry
This striking photo was taken of a meitheal where neighbouring farmers help each other out. In the photo they all take a break from their work to pose for the photo
Kilcummin Rural DevelopmentThreshing Meitheal in Kilcummin, Co. Kerry
Kilcummin Rural Development
Kilcummin Rural Development
Threshing Meitheal in Kilcummin, Co. Kerry
This striking photo was taken of a meitheal where neighbouring farmers help each other out. In the photo they all take a break from their work to pose for the photo
Kilcummin Rural DevelopmentSee how they are all taking a break from the work to pose for the camera.
By the 1960s, tractors had arrived. These powerful machines slashed the workload and allowed a single farmer to tend to his harvest with only a fraction of the help he needed before.