School: Urbal (roll number 13170)
- Location:
- Urbal, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Eamonn de Faoite
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1038, Page 360
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- XML “Diribs”
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- Diribs are clocks that live in bog holes. They are about 1/2 inch long, shining in colour, and move side long, not straight through the water. In summer when cattle are grazed on the bogs they often drink water from the bog holes. Sometimes a "dirib" is sucked up with the water. The cow gets sick and appears as if she were listening to dirib, her head turning to her side. A man named Cassidy is sent for. He washes his hands in some clean water and this is then given to the cow to drink. This water kills the "dirib" and the cow mends.
Why Cassidy has the cure is told on the following story.
One day, long ago, about 4 generations back, a man named Wm. Cassidy of Tullintain had a cow sck. They gave her different cures but none of them took effect.
At sun down an old woman came into the house and asked Mrs Cassidy for some butter. Having never seen the woman before she said that she had no butter. The old woman told her not to deny her as there were three miskins and a firkin in the room. Mrs Cassidy got frightened when the old woman told her about the butter as this was really on the table in the room. She then said that she would give the woman as much as she wanted. The old woman asked her if they(continues on next page)
