School: St Peter's, Phibsboro

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   “Catherine McEneany had many peculiar sayings...”

   

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   Catherine McEneany had many peculiar sayings and observances that were not current in the district during her time. She was in this respect the sole medium of particular snippets of traditionary lore. Example:- Whenever a visitor chanced to arrive at her house at the moment when he was subject of conversation, or some reference was being made to him, she would say to the visitor:- "You'll live 'till the World's tired of you, as we were just talking about you when we heard your footsteps". Other sayings of hers were:- "If you were getting Ireland for a penny and had'nt the penny what good would it be to you". "You can't take breaches of a a Highlander" "You can't make a mahogany table out of a whin bush" New Year's Day Observance:- In December and January milk was usually scarce. The McEneanys always kept a large herd of milk cows, and were always generous in supplying milk and even butter to the neighbours during periods of scarcity. On no account however would Catherine give milk or buttr to anyone on New Year's Day. This was one of her rigid observances. I never came across similar observance elsewhere. A reference to Petie (Peter) McEneany and stories told by him are to be found in the opening pages of this book.

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   Topics

   1. genre
      1. verbal arts (~1,483)
   2. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Séamus Breathnach

   Gender

   Male