School: Tobar Ruadh

Location:
Toberroe, Co. Galway
Teacher:
Séamus Ó Cinnéide
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0040, Page 0204

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0040, Page 0204

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  1. XML School: Tobar Ruadh
  2. XML Page 0204
  3. XML “May Day”

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  1. May day falls every year on the first of May. The month of May is kept in honour of the Blessed Virgin. Every-one should say the rosary every night during the month of May.
    There is a lot of stories told about May day. Long ago the people did not believe in giving away any milk on that day as they thought it was not right and they also thought it would take the butter from the cows. Some people now at the present time do not believe in giving away milk on May day.
    The people around this place make May-bushes on the first of May. They pull a bush and gather flowers and tie them on to the bush with strings and stick it on the ground and after that they say their prayers around it to honour our Blessed Mother and they make a little Altar and put flowers every day on it during May. The people long ago used to make May-bushes and they also used to make a little Altar.
    The people had another old custom on May day. They thought that the butter could be taken out of the churn before sunrise and that the third generation of a black-smith could tell who took it and why it was taken. It was is said that the third generation of a black-smith
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
        1. May (~639)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Mary Naughton
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Cloonlyon, Co. Galway
    Informant
    Michael Quinn
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    48
    Address
    Cloonlyon, Co. Galway