School: Uachtar Árd (roll number 4786)
- Location:
- Oughterard, Co. Galway
- Teacher: An tSr M. S. Iognáid
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0065, Page 233
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- XML School: Uachtar Árd
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- XML “May Day”
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- On May Day the people put May Pole up over the door and over the windows. May Pole is a sort of tree it is sometimes called Mountain Ash. It is put up to keep fairies away from the house.
The people also say that it is not right to leave their cows out on the mountains on May day, they say that fairies. The also so tie a red rag around the cows tail to keep the fairies from taking the milk.
Another custom is when the people are making a churn is to put three coals under the churn to keep the fairies from taking the butter. They used also put a dead hand under the churn to make good butter. Another custom is to get up early on May Morning and wash your face with the dew of the grass you will have a lovely complexion for the year.
- Collector
- Mary Heffernan
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Oughterard, Co. Galway
