School: Baile Dubh, (C.) (roll number 15541)

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1. The Care of the Feet

   

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   In olden times children were often up to fifteen years of age before they wore boots. There were two men and a woman in this district who never wore boots and each of them was over seventy years at the time of death. Children of the present day do not go without boots.
   Up to quite recently when children's feet had been bathed in a tub of water, a red coal from the fire was taken and put into this water and then the water was thrown out. It was believed that there was, as they called it, a 'draoidheacht' in the water and that the burning coals or turf destroyed this, but even then, the water would not be kept inside because it would be the cause of misfortune to some member of the household.
   An old story of an event that occurred here confirmed their beliefs - A stranger came to one of the houses and asked for a nights lodging. He got it. When he thought all in the house were asleep, he got up and lit a candle which he himself had in his possession. The candle was made of the fat or lard of a dead man. All who were asleep at the time the candle was lit could not awaken until the candle was extinguished again. Now, on this night, one of the boys of the family had not gone to sleep and he heard the lodger getting up, going out of the house

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. clothing and accessories (~2,403)
         1. shoes (~1,841)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   B. Prior

   Gender

   Unknown

   Occupation

   Principal

   Address

   Ballyduff, Co. Waterford

   Informant

   Walshe Family

   Address

   Coolishal, Co. Waterford