School: Ráth an Tóiteáin (Burnfort), Malla (roll number 11249)

Location:
Burnfort, Co. Cork
Teacher:
Domhnall Mac Óda (Archdeacon)
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0389, Page 256

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0389, Page 256

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  1. XML School: Ráth an Tóiteáin (Burnfort), Malla
  2. XML Page 256
  3. XML “A Story About the Dar Daol - Big Black Beetle”

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  1. I often heard my grandmother R.I.P. say that every time you would see the Dar Daol crawling on ground you should kill it because it betrayed Our Lord to His Enemies long ago. This is the story she used to tell of this betrayal.
    Long ago when Our Lord was on this earth with his blessed Mother, He was hunted or sought after once by His enemies. It happened that one day, He with his Mother in fleeing from their enemies were passing through a field that was being sown with wheat. He went up to the sowers and told them that next day the crop they were just sowing would be ripe and ready to eat. He also said that on the morrow as they, the workers, would be busy reaping the crop, some men would come up and ask them whether they had seen him (Jesus) and His Mother lately and if so, when. Jesus told the workers to say to his pursuers that they had seen the man they sought on the very day that they were sowing the crop they were just reaping. Jesus told them to give no more information, and He and His Mother went away. Everything happened asa Jesus predicted. The crop was, sure enough, ripe on the next day, and the soldiers came up to the reapers and asked them whether they had seen Jesus lately. The workers told them so, "On the day of the sowing of the crop" they said. But just then a beetle betrayed Our Lord, and spoke, and said " Indé, Indé " which means "Yesterday, yesterday." Ever since, the beetle is cursed, and it is no sin to kill it.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. genre
      1. narratives (~478)
        1. religious tales (~1,085)
          1. the Holy Family (~429)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Donal Archdeacon
    Gender
    Male
    Occupation
    Teacher
    Informant
    Mrs Sarah Moynahan
    Relation
    Grandparent
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    84
    Address
    Drommahane, Co. Cork