School: Cruach (roll number 15931)

Location:
Croagh, Co. Donegal
Teacher:
Séamus Mac Duibhir
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1038, Page 83

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1038, Page 83

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  1. Hallow Eve Customs and Traditions in this area
    (a) Burning nuts
    Place two nuts in a shovel placed on the coals naming a young man and a girl. If the nuts burn side by side the couple will get married, but if they fly apart there will be no marriage.
    (b) Drawing a stalk out of a corn stalk.
    Go round the stalk three times and on the third time draw out a stalk. The number of grains on that head will indicate the number of years till you get married.
    (c) Ball of wool thrown into a lime kiln
    Hold the end of the wool and throw the ball into the lime kiln. Ask who is there? Your intended should appear. Another version - Throw in the ball of wool in the name of the devil, and ask who holds that end. Your intended will appear.
    (d) The three bowls
    One filled with clean water, one with dirty water and the third with milky water. If a blindfolded person puts his finger into the bowl of clean water his intended will be young. If he puts it into the milky water his intended will be a widow (widower). If he puts his finger into the dirty water he will be married to an old person.
    (e) A boy washing his shirt
    If he washes it where three waters meet, takes it home and puts it to dry on the back of a chair in front of the fire , then his intended clmes in and turns the shirt.
    (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. Halloween (~934)
    Language
    English