School: Cluain Cátha (roll number 2243)
- Location:
- Cloncaw, Co. Monaghan
- Teacher: P. Ó Hanluain
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0961, Page 145
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- XML “A Halloween Custom - The Top Pickle”
- XML “A Cure for the Chincough (Whooping-Cough)”
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- It is customary on Halloweve for the young people to go out to a stack of oats in the haggard and pull one stalk from the stack. They must keep their eyes off the stalk until they return to the light of the kitchen. If anyone has managed to draw out a stalk with the top "pickle" (seed) remaining it is believed that that person will be married before another Halloweve comes round.
(A common custom in North Monaghan some years ago).
A variation of above was to count the number of pickles (seeds) on the stalk. Each seed was supposed to represent a year of waiting.
- Get the hallis of an ass, put it on the child and lead him three times round a spring well. (also lead him over running water).
Get a woman who is married to a man with the same surname to give the patient something to eat. This is said to be more efficacious if the woman presents the food voluntarily to the child
