School: Killossery, Kilsallaghan
- Location:
- Killossery, Co. Dublin
- Teacher: B. Ó Corbhallagh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0789, Page 228
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- XML “Birds”
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- There are many different kinds of birds to be seen in this country. Some of them stay here all the year around, and some of them only come to this country for the Summer months, and go abroad for the remainder of the year. Swallows, blackbirds, robins, starlings mostly inhabit this district.
There are many superstitions attached to all those birds. If one kills a swallow the cow is supposed to milk (yield) blood instead of milk. If a swallow's nest is destroyed the swallow is supposed to wish bad luck to fall on the one who destroyed it. It often happens that the one who destroys a bird's nest is punished in some form.
If a plover hovers over the house for a long time the inhabitants are supposed to have one month's bad luck.
The robin is supposed to have his red breast from the time Our Lord was Crucified. When our Lord was hanging on the Cross the robin was supposed to come and wipe the blood from our Lord's wounds and in that way it is said he got his red breast. Another story is,(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Kathleen Howard
- Gender
- Female
- Occupation
- Pupil
- Address
- Lispopple, Co. Dublin
