School: Bouleenshere (C.) (roll number 12865)
- Location:
- Booleenshare, Co. Kerry
- Teacher: Mary A. Walsh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0417, Page 419
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- XML “Omens and Signs”
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- The people in olden times believed in omens and signs more than the people nowadays. They believed in them partly through ignorance, some people may have experienced these omens and signs to come true and partly through habit of mind.
It was commonly believed that if a person spilled salt or broke a mirror he would have bad luck. A person never looked into a mirror at night, because he thought he would see the reflection of a ghost. There was an old proverb related concerning magpies, " one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a wedding and four for to die."
It was considered that the meeting of a red haired person, setting out on a journey was a sign that a person would not succeed in his travels. If a bird flapped his wings against the window it was a sign of death. It was considered unlucky to to hear the cuckoo in the left ear and also a person never looked at the new moon over his left shoulder.(continues on next page)
- Informant
- John Casey
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 73
- Address
- Ballylongane, Co. Kerry
