School: Doire na Creiche
- Location:
- Derrycreigh, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Criostóir Ó Drioscóil
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0281, Page 007
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- Long ago there lived in Ros na Gréine a very poor and industrious woman. She had only three cows. Although she was poor she helped any neighbours that were poorer than herself.
One day she was herding her cows on the slope of Barley Lake. She was not long there when she saw three cows coming running out of Barley Lake. She was scared at first but they began to feed with her own cows. When she drove home her cows she noticed that the three black cows followed hers. She milked them with her own. The three strangers had more milk than her own cows. The cows had calves like hers. She sold alot of them to her neighbours and the district was full of their calves. She kept them for several years.
One evening when she had the spancel put on the cow and when she was milking her, the knot loosened and she kicked the pail and spilled all the milk.
The woman began to beat the cow and immediately the three cows ran out of the stall bellowing towards Barley Lake and it is said that over a hundred cows were seen going into Barley Lake and they were never seen again.
The lesson we learn from this is that we should always take a gift when we get it and we should never find any fault with it.
- Informant
- Mrs Galvin
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 45
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Derrycreigh, Co. Cork
