School: Mountbellew (roll number 12352)
- Location:
- Mountbellew, Co. Galway
- Teacher: William Hans
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0046, Page 0319
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- (continued from previous page)May Day.
Old Customs.
The old people think that it is unlucky to throw dust out on May day. If you go out before sunrise on May morning and wash yourself in the dew you will not get sun-burnt. Long ago the people went out on May morning and blessed the cow with a lighting candle.
It is unlucky to get married on May day because it is one of the odd or unlucky days of the year. It was the custom long ago if you did that the bride would have to walk from the altar with a white sheet on her head.
Another custom long ago was to eat rotten potatoes on May day. The people never borrowed or gave away milk on May day because they thought the cows would lose their milk before the year was out.
The people used to strew the threshold on May morning with flaggers to keep out the fairies. If the people(continues on next page)
- Collector
- William Hans
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Teacher
- Address
- Mountbellew, Co. Galway
- Informant
- Patrick Lally
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 40
- Occupations
- Farmer
- Shopkeeper
- Address
- Rahins, Co. Galway
