FOOD OF THE IRISH PEASANT. 141 



bread. Dinner. Potatoes, milk, sometimes eggs if plentiful, 

 and dried salt fish, when procurable. Tea. Soda bread 

 (generally hot) and tea, potatoes. Supper. None (Sundays). 

 Breakfast. Tea, home-made bread, and eggs. Dinner. 

 Potatoes, American bacon, and cabbage. In sea-coast districts, 

 principally salt fish with a small quantity of bacon. Tea. 

 Tea, soda bread, with perhaps a little butter. Supper. None. 

 Another return says : WEEKDAYS Breakfast. Tea, home- 

 made bread and occasionally an egg. For the poorer classes, 

 potatoes and milk when procurable. Dinner. Potatoes and 

 cabbage with bacon or fish, and a little butter milk or tea. 

 Tea. None. Supper. Potatoes or porridge and milk. A cup 

 of tea, bread and butter. SUNDAYS. Same as on week days. 

 Notes. A correspondent in Galway states that it is from the 

 profit on the sale of pigs, fowls, and eggs that clothes are pro- 

 vided for the family, and the rent paid. A correspondent in 

 Mayo says : Flour, tea, sugar, bacon, and herrings are practic- 

 ally all they 'buy, they sell eggs, chickens, and a pig or two in 

 the year. Firing for the house costs nothing ; the children saw 

 the turfs. 



LEITRIM. 



WEEKDAYS Breakfast. Indian meal "stirabout," eggs, 

 tea, home-made bread (soda bread), and sometimes butter. 

 Dinner. American bacon, vegetables, and potatoes ; or eggs 

 and potatoes ; or potatoes and milk. Tea. Tea, home-made 

 bread and butter. Supper. Indian meal " stirabout," some- 

 times oatmeal, or potatoes and milk. SUNDAYS. No difference. 

 Note. During winter butter is frequently not used. Eggs are 

 never bought, and very few are used in winter. From the end 

 of July to December, potatoes take the place of " stirabout " 

 for supper, and jam is now beginning to be used as a substitute 

 for butter. Another return says : WEEKDAYS Breakfast. 

 Tea, bread, butter, when under 9d. per lb., potatoes, milk, and an 

 egg or two. Dinner. Potatoes, milk, and when cheap an egg 

 or two, herrings, cod, or ling fish. Tea. Bread and tea. 

 Supper. Indian meal " stirabout," or oatmeal porridge and 

 milk. SUNDAYS. Same as on weekdays. Note. Bakers' bread, 

 tea and sugar are now universally used for one or two meals a day 

 (generally for breakfast and supper), whereas formerly breakfast 

 consisted of oatmeal or Indian meal porridge and supper of 

 home-made bread, porridge and milk. 



ROSCOMMON. 



WEEKDAYS Breakfast. Home-made bread, butter, tea, 

 and in some cases oatmeal porridge. Dinner. Three days a 

 week bacon (American) and vegetables (cabbage or turnips) and 

 plenty of potatoes. The remaining three days, eggs, butter 

 milk, and potatoes, and on Fridays generally salt herrings. 

 Tea. Bread, jam or butter, and tea. Supper. Porridge and 

 milk (generally composed of equal quantities of Indian meal 

 and oatmeal). SUNDAYS Breakfast. Home-made bread, butter, 



