School: Drumlease (roll number 15382)
- Location:
- Drumlease, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Thomas Dillon
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0200, Page 219
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- XML “Story of an Overlucked Cow”
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- When I was young about seventy years ago I remember a strange case of one of our best cows being "overlucked" by a man of evil repute. A number of labouring men were employed on a work convenient to my father's home where he kept ten cows. One of the best of the cows had caved. According to the custom of that time a big pot full of the beastings was put on the fire to boil. Just as the beastings was boiling two of the work men, O'Reilly and McGovern, came into the kitchen for boiling water to make tea for their lunch. "Maybe," said my mother, "you would take a drink of beastings which I have just boiling." It was considered unlucky not to give the first person who called to the house a drink of the beastings. "Indeed we will mam," said the men, "and in that case we won't need the boiling water." Each man was supplied with a big mug of the beastings, which was regarded as a fine treat. On going out of the house back to their work the two men had to pass the byre door through which they could see the hind part of the newly caved cow.
In a few hours time afterwards a drink was(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Mary Johnston
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Dromahair, Co. Leitrim
- Informant
- Mrs Ferguson
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Dromahair, Co. Leitrim
