School: Murher (B.) (roll number 13540)
- Location:
- Murher, Co. Kerry
- Teacher: Tomás Ó Conaill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0404, Page 397
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“In times of old, it is said a troop of fairies used to play about the borders of an Irish lake.”
In times of old, it is said a troop of faries used to play about the borders of an Irish lake. Each fairy used to drive before her a white cow, whose coat shone silver.
One day a cow strayed from a fairy herd, and was caught by an old farmer. He found her among his own cows, and liked her colour very much, which was new to him. In those early times we are told, that the colour of all Irish cows was a mixture of red and white ; only fairy cows were pure white. There was not a black cow to be seen in Ireland. The white cow's milk made silly people clever.
But the old man was not very clever. He said that he would kill her for her meat.
The butcher arrived with his axe. They tied the cow with ropes. But before the butcher could strike a blow, a voice wass heard on the hill - slope close by, "Arise and come home", she cried, and the white cow(continues on next page)
- Collector
- John Stack
- Gender
- Male
- Informant
- Mrs James Stack
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 40
- Address
- Newtownsandes, Co. Kerry