School: Skerdagh, Newport (roll number 3905)
- Location:
- Skerdagh Lower, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: James Deffely
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0086, Page 96
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- 96
Loc Marcan again
Another Version
When St Brigid and St Marian fell out because St Marcan would not wait for St Brigid to be in time for Mass, St Brigid prayed that his church should be covered with a lake and he prayed in turn that if it was it should have a cure for people. She prayed that the cure should not be for people but for animals and so it came about that it has a cure for cows. There is an old kesh (a path over a soft or wet piece of ground) near the lake and the people used to bring their ailing cattle to the lake an walk them across the mesh. if the beast could cross the kesh without tripping it would be cured but if it tripped its days were numbered. Spancels (things for cattle) and rolls of butter were thrown into the lake to ward off diseases to cattle. Sometimes on a clear evening the remains of the church and buildings attached thereto may be seen, it is said by the old people in the waters.
