School: Crecora, Tobar Pádraig (roll number 9668)
- Location:
- Crecora, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Máire, Bean Uí Ainnín
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0526, Page 011
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- XML “May Eve”
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- May Eve
May-eve heralds the coming of summer and old time customs are still preserved.
Childen gather May flowers and strew them at the entrance of every shed and on the paths leading to their homes, to keep away Ill-luck and bring good fortunes.
May water is blessed and sprinkled on cattle to keep away the Puca, for it is said, that the Puca comes on everything on that night.
It is another unusual custom to wash one’s hands in dew under a hawthorn tree to enable them to open any knot in thread.
“The fair young maid, on the first of May,
Who goes to the fields at break of day,
And washes in dew by the hawthorn tree,
Will always gay and happy be”
