A heritage group have compiled a list of 'spakes' familiar to the Monaghan / Armagh border area.
The collection has been compiled by by the Derrynoose Banner Restoration Committee and the many of the spakes have come from ancient Gaelic words and terms. Gaelic was still being spoken in Crossbane and several townlands of Clontibret up until the early 1900s, which, has left us with well-worn terms like "gassun" for young boy and "Hait" which means something small as in "there isn't a hait to eat".
The compendium is set out in alphabetical order so now a bunty, clart, craitur, keeshin and skitter can easily look up what it is they're being called. A spokesperson for the Banner Restoration Committee said they believe their book of spakes is unique and they may have saved a bank of words from extinction.
