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School: Achadh Mhaoláin (roll number 9254)

Location:
Aghawillin, Co. Leitrim
Teacher:
Mrs Prior
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0226, Page 303

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0226, Page 303

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  3. XML “Losing the Butter”

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  1. Losing the Butter (continued)

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    (continued from previous page)
    his cows' milk. One morning he saw the hare running from his cow house and he set two hounds on her trail. They followed her for about two miles and then one of them took a bite out of her leg as she was going through a window of a house. It was known that an old woman who lived in that house wasn't able to sit down for a long time afterwards.
    The worst agent of all was the person or persons who went round with the "Rope" on May day and collected all the butter in that district for the whole year. They way to counteract this was to not let any ashes out of the house from 30th April until 2nd May.
    There was one man specially distinguished for taking the butter with the "Rope" on May day. It was his usual time for interfering with the butter though he used sometimes take it apart from May day. This man could perform almost anything as well as taking away one's butter, when he dressed in a red cloak.
    On one occassion while this magician was on a visit to Bundoran a woman who was boarding in the same house as himself expressed a wish while at breakfast with him one morning that she had her own butter from home with her, as the butter that was served was bad and tasted worse. He immediately asked her permission to present her with her own butter. Having got her permission he went into another room and just took his red cloak and a bottle of water with him. In a few minutes the woman's own butter was placed on the breakfast table before her.
    When the woman went home her people told her that they had "lost" while she was in Bundoran.
    This magician's power was compared with the power
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    History Edit
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. economic activities
        1. agriculture (~2,659)
    2. agents (~1)
      1. supernatural and legendary beings (~14,864)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Bridie Kelly
    Gender
    Female
    Informant
    Francis Kelly
    Age
    c. 60
    Address
    Drumingna, Co. Leitrim