School: Ardagh (roll number 15035)

Location:
Ardagh, Co. Longford
Teacher:
L. Ó Maolghuala
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0768, Page 237

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0768, Page 237

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  1. XML School: Ardagh
  2. XML Page 237
  3. XML “Our Farm Animals”

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  1. The farm animals we have at home are: cows, cattle, horses and pigs. The cows have names. The names are :- "the big cow", "the red one", "Solomon", "Plunket", and the "Mooleen". When the cows are being driven in the words said are "Prug Prug". The words said when driving horses in are "Phosh Phosp." The words said when driving calves in are "Suck Suck". There is a door, an iron roof, mangers and stakes in the cow house. It is rectangular in shape and whitewashed inside. The cows are tied to the stakes by the neck with a chain. In some places the cows are tied to the stakes by the leg with a rope. Palm is hung in the cow house on Palm Sunday and crosses are hung in it on St. Brigid's day to bring luck on the cows. When the cows calved long ago it was a custom to tie a red ribbon on their tails to bring luck on them and to burn the hairs of their udder with a blessed candle. When people are finished milking they dip their finger in the froth and make the sign of the Cross over the cow's udder with it. Other people do this as soon as they get froth on the milk. When a person is milking a cow that kicks they say,"[?] Prug" and the cow stops kicking. When people go into a cow house and other people milking in it they say, "God bless the work".
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. economic activities
        1. agriculture (~2,659)
          1. animal husbandry (~2,587)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Brigid Kegan
    Gender
    Female
    Informant
    Mrs Michael Kegan
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    48
    Occupation
    Farmer
    Address
    Lissanisky, Co. Longford