School: An Tulach Mór (roll number 6293)

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   “In old times it was a custom of the people to tie the thumbs and big toes of a person together when they would be dead.”

   

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   Andy McHugh age 65 years who lives in Kentucky, Ardara told this story to Patrick McHugh, Kentucky. Andy heard it from his father who lived in Maghera, Ardara, Co. Donegal.

   In old times it was a custom of the people to tie the thumbs and big toes of a person together when they would be dead. One time about a hundred years ago a man named John Maguire of Ballinnagrath was walking along the road late at night. He had a donkey with him and he had two creels on the donkey's back. One of the pins of the chruch broke and one of the creels fell off. He tried to put the creel on but he could not. Then a man came jumping along the road with his toes and thumbs tied up. He told him to cut the cords with which his toes and thumbs were tied up, and he would help him on with the creel. The man who was bound said to John to not let his young son out late after sheep as he was in the habit of doing. He told John that he would now get to heaven because the cords were cut. Then he disappeared.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Patrick Mc Hugh

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   11

   Address

   An Machaire, Co. Donegal

   Informant

   Andy Mc Hugh

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   65

   Address

   An Machaire, Co. Donegal