School: Churchtown (Baile an Teampoill) (roll number 1132)

Location:
Churchtown, Co. Cork
Teacher:
Liam Ó Briain
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0395, Page 033

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0395, Page 033

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  1. XML School: Churchtown (Baile an Teampoill)
  2. XML Page 033
  3. XML “Festivals - May Day”

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  1. It is said that it is on May Eve that the witches work the pishogues to take the milk and butter from the cows. The people keep the cows inside that night to prevent the witches from working the pishogues.
    The people also get holy-water and shake it on all the fields of the farm and on all the beasts.
    If you washed your face in the dew on May morning you would not get any skin diseases for the year.
    If you ate three meals of nettles during the month of May you would not contract any disease during the year.
    On May Sunday girls get a bough and put flowers on it. Then they dress one girl as a queen and they go from house to house singing the May song. They get money in each house. This is part of the song they sing.
    Bring flowers of the fairest
    Bring blossoms the rarest
    From garden and woodland
    From hillside and dell.
    Most of the people go to a Glenbower on May Sunday. They have many amusements
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
        1. May (~639)
    Language
    English