School: Drumconrath (C.) (roll number 16144)
- Location:
- Drumcondra, Co. Meath
- Teacher: Úna Ní Chongbhaile
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0712, Page 076
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- XML School: Drumconrath (C.)
- XML Page 076
- XML “Bird-Lore”
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- Some of the birds that stay with us all the year round are as follows: the robin, the sparrow, the thrush, the blackbird , the gold -finch and the wren. The migrating birds are the cuckoo, the corn-crake and the swallow.
The story is told about how the robin got the red breast. When Our Lord was being crucified, there was a crown of thorns put on His Head and He was bleeding and the robin tried to pull the thorns out of His Head, some of the blood got on his breast, ever since the robin has a red breast.
The robin builds her nest in a mossy bank usually near a farmyard, she lays five speckled eggs and she sits on the eggs for three weeks.The story is told that once when St. Kevin stood to pray at the beginning of Lent, a blackbird went to build its nest in his outstretched hand, but the Saint did not move, the bird layed her eggs and brought out her young ones. not until the small birds could fly did the Saint leave down the nest.The cuckoo is one of the migrating birds,she comes to Ireland in the end of Spring. The cuckoo(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Mrs P. Byrne
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 45
- Address
- Greenan, Co. Meath
