School: Carrigeengeare (roll number 8672)

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1. The Care of Feet

   

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   According to accounts people in the district were often grown to manhood or woman hood, about thirty years ago, before they began to wear boots. Shoes (so-called) were not then in vogue.
   At present children attending this school often go barefoot during the summer months, from the end of April till the end of September or even later if the weather is mild.
   The writer has not been able to discover any customs or beliefs current locally connected with the water used for washing the feet, but in that connection has heard the following story from MR. Michael O' Donnell, Retired R.I.C. policeman, a native of the Spiddell locality, County Gatway.
   A belief in that locality is that no one should throw out such water without saying the words "hugat, hugat, uisge na gcos" as a warning to the fairies who are waiting to enter the house when the people of the house retire.
   On one occasion, three Spiddeal women sat up late to finish a piece of spinning and weaving. After five o' clock on a Saturday evening and after eleven o' clock on any other week night it is thought wrong to engage in the making of frieze.
   As these women were in a hurry to have the frieze finished they sat up to eleven o' clock on a

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. clothing and accessories (~2,403)
         1. shoes (~1,841)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   John Murray

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Teacher

   Address

   Carrigeengeare, Co. Leitrim

   Informant

   Mr Micheal O' Donnell

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   c. 60

   Address

   Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim