School: Kilberry, Athy (roll number 13165)
- Location:
- Kilberry, Co. Kildare
- Teacher: Sara Rowan
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0781, Page 142
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- (continued from previous page)The magpie makes her nest in the top of a tall tree. She makes it of sticks and covers the nest over. She is looked on as a bird of ill-omen, when she is by herself as the old rhyme has it:
"one for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a wedding,
And four to die,
Five for riches,
Six for gold,
And seven for a wish that will soon be told."
The hedge-sparrow is very common in this district. She builds her nest in the roofs of sheds or in ivy bushes. She is a frequent visitor in the farm yards. The hedgesparrow is a very destructive bird, especially harmful to wheat. Sixty or seventy years ago, when much wheat was sown in this district, boys and girls too, were kept from school to watch the wheat crop and frighten away the sparrows. For this purpose each child had a wooden "clappers" which he or she clapped continuously.
- Informant
- Sara Rowan
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 50
- Occupation
- Múinteoir
