In this episode, I discovered a forgotten tradition from rural Ireland—when butter wasn’t just food, but a way of life, a source of income, and a reason for women to gather and work together.

Between the 18th and 19th centuries, Irish women would collaborate to churn, salt, and sort butter in their kitchens. They called it being "joined in butter." It was backbreaking, skilled work—but it was also a form of community, friendship, and economic survival.

Historian Claudia Kinmonth shares the hidden history behind this practice, how it worked, why it mattered, and how it faded away with the rise of industrial creameries.

This story first aired on The History Show on RTÉ Radio 1.

Listen to learn about:

• How Irish farmhouse women worked together to make butter
• Why they pooled their butter to sell at the Cork Butter Exchange
• The grading system of butter (first, second, third class)
• The simple things they bought with the money they earned
• What this forgotten tradition tells us about community, collaboration, and survival

Links & Resources:

📖 Irish Food History: A Companion – Free PDF of Claudia Kinmonth’s chapter: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/irishfoodhist/1/

🧈 Visit the Butter Museum in Cork: https://thebuttermuseum.com/

🎙️ More from The History Show: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/the-history-show/

Credits:

Produced and presented by myself and Lorcan Clancy

Featuring: Claudia Kinmonth

Originally broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, The History Show on 30th March 2025

#IrishHistory #ButterMaking #WomenInHistory #FarmingHistory #RTÉ #TheHistoryShow #Podcast

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