School: Dubhais (roll number 16323)

On this page

1. Belief in Fairies

   

   Share Share Post

   5. On the Barnes Road, not far from the shop owned by James Doherty there lives alone a man called Willie Adams. His father was John Adams, and he took great pride in his house and place. One time he took a notion to root a certain holly bush which grew "on a wee cairn down beside Burn-garnett." The bush in question like most holly bushes had the name of being "gentle" and the neighbours all told him to leave it alone. He paid no attention, but rooted the bush and took it up and planted it at the gate leading in from the road. He had a nice hedge planted here and considered that the holly bush would "finish it nicely." He planted it but it wouldn't grow, began at once to wither away. At the same time some mysterious disease attacked his sow in the byre close by and as no remedies had any effect his neighbours told him that it would be best to take the bush and plant it back again where he got it. Very much against his will he pulled it up and then instead of replanting it he threw it down to rot at the place where it had one time being growing. He was kind of half convinced

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Bernard Doherty

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Dooish, Co. Donegal