School: Gowna
- Location:
- Scrabby, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: Hugh Murray
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0986, Page 057
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“In the years following 1847 when the poor had to take up the bag and take to the roads of Ireland, they took with them and spread a lore all their own.”
In the years following 1847 when the poor had to take up the bag and take to the roads of Ireland they took with them and spread a Lore all their own. Travelling women seemed to have known everything about herbs and cures. Many common useful cures for ordinary ailments were got from travelling women.
In a house in the village (Gowna) there lived a family once and one girl in the family was very delicate and bloodless. She seemed to be wasting away - gone to a thread as they say. A travelling woman got shelter there one night and noticed this girl. Hearing the case she prescribed thus. "Get a large bottle of borter and into it put a handful of tiny pieces of iron from the forge. Cork the bottle and bury it for three weeks. Then give a spoonful of this to the patient after meals. " The father did as directed. He experienced great difficulty in making the girl like the medicine because it was very hard to take. However this girl soon became the amazon of the family.