School: Gortnacart (roll number 15554)
- Location:
- Gortnacart Glebe, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: León Ó hÚallaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1042, Page 57
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- (continued from previous page)full moon and there is going to be a witche's dance on the hill and they will give you whatever you want. When they arrived at the place the moon was rising and was shining on the Doohill lough. Annetta sat below her stepmother on a little rock. Soon the sky darkened and the dance begun. A sharp breeze passed them and seemed to ask Annetta what did she want. She said dresses and a bridal veil and diamonds and it was not long until she got what she wanted.
Then she said to her stepmother, stepmother I am dying with cold but the stepmother did not answer as she was changed into a rock. The poor girl did not know what to do. So she ran away and when she would cry she would hear herself bleating as she was changed into a sheep. When Nesio counted his sheep the next day he found one hundred and one sheep so he called this sheep Annetta on account of the cruel girl who refused to marry him.
Soon the time of the blessing of the animals came and a strange thing happened. When the priest was going to bless the animals this sheep was transformed again into a girl.
Every one said it was Annetta as she and her(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Annie Shovlin
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 86
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Doochill North, Co. Donegal
