School: Cluain (C.) (roll number 15443)

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1. Churning (continued)

   

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   churning, that is if he takes the dash and churns for a few minutes, the charm is broken and there is no danger of losing the butter. There is another superstition about churning in this area, the old people would never allow ashes or cinder to be removed from the kitchen whole churning was in progress. If ashes were removed they would make the "bean a tighe" go out and bring back the same ashes, otherwise they would say, that the churning might be continued all day and there would be no "return" only foam instead of butter. Some families believe faithfully in this practice and continue it to the present day.
   They also believe that if a "pinch" of salt is omitted from the churning at the start, no butter will be obtained no matter how long the churning may be continued. There is a story told in this district that a woman made a churning without this "pinch" of salt, which is supposed to prevent any evil power from taking the butter. It appears that ashes were removed from the kitchen while the churning was in progress, and after long hours of hard churning

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. agriculture (~2,659)
            1. butter and churns (~3,280)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Annie Josephine Mitchell

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Killyfea, Co. Leitrim

   Informant

   Mrs Mitchell

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   60

   Address

   Killyfea, Co. Leitrim