School: Cromadh (B.)
- Location:
- Croom, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Dáithí Ó Ceanntabhail
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0507, Page 108
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- XML School: Cromadh (B.)
- XML Page 108
- XML “May Eve Customs”
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- May Eve Customs.I have been reminded to make an effort to glean some knowledge about the May eve customs by the radio "talk" from Dr. Eoin Mac Neill on the subject.A clutch of eggs of any kind was never "set" on May eve. (Mrs. Culhane, Croom 45).It was not right to collect flowers on May eve. On no account should daffodils (the local name for cowslips up to forty years ago. Doc) be brought into a house on May eve if a goose were hatching there. (Note. my informant added, the geese always hatched in the "coop", which was part of the "clevy".
The dresser and the settle-bed were two other almost universal items of the kitchen furniture. Dick Butler).It was a universal practice, and is still rather widely observed, to put the sign of the cross + on each egg, whether hen, duck, goose or turkey. When the clutch was being set. According to one informant - Dick Butler - the mark was made with the charred end of a sally rod, but according to Mrs. Culhane, it was with the charred end of a piece of elder, the mark was made. She says, "My mother would send us a mile for the piece of elder". I saw the sign of the Cross being made on the geese eggs at home.(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Dick Butler
- Gender
- Male
- Informant
- Mrs Culhane
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 45
- Address
- Croom, Co. Limerick
