School: Coill Mhór (roll number 16780)

Location:
Cuilmore, Co. Mayo
Teacher:
Liam Ua Claidhimh
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0123, Page 48

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0123, Page 48

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  1. XML School: Coill Mhór
  2. XML Page 48
  3. XML “May Day and May Eve”

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  1. If someone comes to your house for milk on May Day and if you begrudge it to them your cows will have no more milk or butter for that year but if you do not begrudge it you will have a lot of milk and butter for that year. On May Day if you milked your neighbours cow your cow would have the milk and butter of that cow for that year. The old people used to tie the May flowers round their cows horns so that their cows would have a lot of milk for that year. If you got up at six o'clock May morning and wash your face with the dew and dry it with the sun you would have good luck for that year. It is not right to let out any cow until after twelve o'clock on May Day because the fairies might steal them. If you put down a clutch of duck eggs in the middle of May Day you would have all ducks and if you put them down before the sun gets up or after it goes down you will have all drakes. If you cut your finger with a stone on May Day it will never get better. You will have bad luck for the year if you give away salt or a coal on May
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
        1. May (~639)
    Language
    English
    Informant
    Michael Durkan
    Relation
    Unknown
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    71
    Address
    Cloonaghboy, Co. Mayo