School: Dromlogach Mainistir na Féile (roll number 10908)

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   “In the bad times when food was very scarce there lived in Meankilla, Abbeyfeale a woman whose name was Máire Ní Connaill.”

   

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   In the bad times when food was very scarce there lived in Meankilla, Abbeyfeale a woman whose name was Máire Ní Connaill. She was an exceedingly generous woman and gave freely to the poor and the destitute. Women used to come at that time from Iveragh - they always came in pairs and often stayed the day and even the night as this Máire Ní Connaill spoke Irish fluently. One day in the Harvest time she had some meal (or oatmeal) in the 'bin' and the poor were coming as usual. Her husband had gone out to the oatfield to see if the oats were ready to cut. She was in the meantime giving away what she had left to the poor + hungry. Her husband returned at 4 o'clock and said that he would have seven men on the following day to cut down the oats. It then dawned on Máire Ní Connaill that she had given away all the food and she had nothing left to feed the men on the following day. This fact she wanted to keep from her husband and she was very worried about it. She began to pray and continued to do so until late that night. When she arose the following morning she noticed the lid of the "bin" was raised three or four inches and when she raised it to examine the cause of it

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Pádraig Ó Connaill

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Pádraig Ó Connaill

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Dromtrasna, Co. Limerick