School: Com Liath (Scoil Brighde) (roll number 8924)
- Location:
- Coomleagh West, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Muircheartach Ó Cróinín
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0282, Page 478
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- On May morning it was the custom to bring into the house some green sprigs of the elder tree Evil-minded people preferred to bring them off a neighbour's farm, and on this morning too they liked to get water from a neighbour's well with which they washed their milking vessels.
This morning too is connected with the Carrying of butter. The ideal place for setting the charm seems to be where four farms met at a river.
A story is told of a priest going on a sick call on a May morning. As he was going along he saw a woman standing in the centre of a river He drew near unnoticed by her and heard some of the words she said "Half the butter of the house of the smoke" agus leath eile cugham-sa arsa an sagart. When he got back home he asked his servant if she had kept the correct account of the previous years butter. She said, yes. He then told her to do the same for the coming year. Before many weeks had passed the people of "The house of the smoke" sought his assistance saying that they were unable to make any butter. He could only advise them to be patient and put their trust in God.
At the end of the year his servant reported to him that she had made a considerable amount of butter in excess of the previous year. He went(continues on next page)
