School: Achadh Dúin, An Sciobairín (roll number 16149)
- Location:
- Aghadown, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Máiréad Sweetnam
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0296, Page 047
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- XML “Bird-Lore”
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- A great many birds live here in this district such as robins, black- birds, thrushes, seagulls, linits, yellow hammers, hawks, pheasants, wood-cocks, magpies, rooks, wrens, ravens, pidgeons, swans. The swallows, corncrakes and cuckoos come from Africa in April.
The robin is supposed to get his red breast as he mocked our Saviour on the cross. It was really in the spring time that Jesus was crucified, and that is why the robins breast is redder at that time. The thrush is supposed to get his speckled breast from some seeds that were thrown at him by a woman as he passed the door of her house.
The blackbirds build their nests in a bush and lays about four eggs. The seagulls build their nests in a low rock near the sea. The hawk builds on the top of a very high tree. The little lark builds in a low marshy place.
The cuckoo is a very lazy bird for she does not build any nest. She lays her egg in some other birds next. The magpie is too clever for her, he throws her egg out whenever he sees it in his nest. There is a rhyme made up about the magpie."One for sorrow, Two for luck, Three for marriage,
Four for death, Five for silver, Six for gold,
Seven for a story that will never be told.
