School: Gortnacart (roll number 15554)

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1. The Animal Overlooked Cure (continued)

   

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   get a piece of the man's wearing apparel, and burn it under the cow's head so that she can sniff the smoke and she will soon be alright. That I can easily do said the woman because I go practically every night to this man's house to work at embroidery and I can easily get a piece of his coat. One night she cut a piece of the man's coat and did as she had been instructed.
   No sooner had she done so than the cow stood up and began to eat the hay that she had not touched for three days before, and in a short space of time she was well and healthy and repeated her milking qualities. Now to the present day this is considered a cure in the parish of Ardara by the old people - to burn a piece of the person's clothing by whom the animal has been overlooked under the animal's head and allow her to sniff the fumes. It is considered a certain cure but then the cause of the complaint must be known. Burning the palms is another cure for a disease called "The Shot". The Shot means that the animal had been shot by the fairies as a result of which she swelled and would die if the cure were not applied. The palms are palms used on Palm Sunday, and kept and burned under the animal's head in the same way.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mary Shovlin

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   86

   Address

   Doochill North, Co. Donegal