The Open Fire

The open fire in Irish cottages is a powerful symbol of traditional rural life in Ireland, reflecting the practical needs and cultural values of the people who lived in these homes. Even as technology has advanced, the hearth remains an enduring emblem of Irish heritage.

The fireplace was ‘Croi Lar an Teach’ (in the centre). The main bedroom was behind it to absorb the heat. The fireplace was recessed into the stone wall with a stone seat called a hob at each end and a mantlepiece overhead. There was a grate on the floor for the fire with an ash pit underneath. Hand won turf heated the house, dried the clothes, and cooked the food for the family and the animals. The fire was never allowed to extinguish. It was raked every night with ashes put over it to keep the embers alive till morning. The ashes were removed in the morning (hence putting out the ashes) the embers would come to life and new turf then added as the day went on. There was a tongs and poker for servicing the fire and a brush and shovel to sweep up the ashes.

The fire was the social hub of the house with family and guests seated around the fire, knitting, reading, and telling stories. To facilitate cooking the fireplace was fitted with a crane. The chimney crane was bolted to the wall and was hinged to swing easily. Pot and a kettles and other items were hung on the crane to simmer and cook over the flames.

The proverb ‘nil aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin’ (‘there’s no place like home,’) sums up the importance of the open fire in the humble homestead.

I was reared in a thatched cottage up to age seven, when we moved into a newly built bungalow in 1953. I can still invoke the smell of baked bread from the oven and the smell of burning turf. The open fire was retained in our new house before it was replaced by a Rayburn range in 1957.

With the advent of modern heating and cooking technologies, the use of open fires in cottages declined. By the 1970s most homes had transitioned to stoves or other heating methods.

Today I live in a house with no chimney or fireplace.