School: Gort an Ghainimh (roll number 16127)
- Location:
- Gortaganny, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: M. Ó Cobhthaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0242, Page 236
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- XML “Our Farm Animals”
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- Cows, calves, sheep, horses, asses, goats and pigs are the animals reared in the district. Some cows have got names such as:- polly, horny, Pooky, and Bawney. When driving the cows we say 'how, how', and in driving the calves or calling them:- suck, suck. Another way for calling the cows is by using the word "prigeen". This seems to be a more affectionate way for it is the word used by the people when milking a cow, especially if she is inclined to kick. The word prigeen seems to calm her. The word "herse" is also used.
In olden times, when the people had the cows milked they dipped their finger in the froth of the milk and made the sign of the cross on the cow's hip. This custom has limgered on to the present day.
The cow house is an oblong shaped building containing one or two doors and a window. There is a flag or wooden partition between each cow's place and it is amusing to watch the cow coming in at evening, each cow goes to her own place without any trouble. Thre are tied by a rope placed around the neck to a plank of wood fixed securely in the wall. Some use chains instead of ropes as the cows often ate the rope and(continues on next page)
