School: Abbeytown Convent N.S. (roll number 15043)

Location:
Boyle, Co. Roscommon
Teacher:
Sr. M. Columbanus
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0235, Page 235

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0235, Page 235

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  1. XML School: Abbeytown Convent N.S.
  2. XML Page 235
  3. XML “May Day Customs”
  4. XML “May Day Customs”

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    butter would not be taken away by any old hag. It was said that the first person who put down the fire on May morn would be unlucky during the year, and the person who brought the first can of water from the well was supposed to have good luck through-out the year.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
  2. May Day Customs

    There is a lot of customs connected with May-day.

    There is a lot of customs connected with May-day. The first and most important of those old Irish customs, was the scattering of May-flowers on the threshold. Long, long ago before the Light of Christianity brightened this once-pagan land of ours our forefathers believed, that in each woodland flower, there lived a tiny fairy who could throw a spell of enchantment on any person who held it. The May-flowers were supposed to be the tiny golden mansions of Good Luck. The reason then for scattering the flowers on each doorstep is that the inhabitants of the fairy mansions may shower an abundance of good-luck on the entire household.
    Another reason was to save them from the witchcraft of the "cailleachs" or the old hags who were supposed to go from house to house on May-morning stealing butter and milk from the churns.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
        1. May (~639)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Nan Rutledge
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Boyle, Co. Roscommon
    Informant
    Mr Carney
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Boyle, Co. Roscommon