School: Ceathrú na hAille (Carnahallia) (roll number 7416)
- Location:
- Cahernahallia, Co. Tipperary
- Teacher: Máirtín Ó Madadhain
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0540, Page 364
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On this page
- 1. "When needs must, the devil drives" i.e. A man in a great fix, is often driven to criminal or illegal actions to extricate himself.
2. "Time enough to bid the devil good morrow when you meet him" i.e. Don't go out of your way to seek trouble.
3. "A quick light dressing like the old woman gave the cabbage" - as said referring to something done in a slovenly lazy manner.
4. "What's got over the devil's back, goes off under the devil's belly" i.e. Ill-got, ill-gone.
5. "Firm and ugly", as the devil said when he saved his breeches with gads".
This is how it happened. The devil was one day pursuing the soul of a sinner across country. In leaping over a rough thorn hedge, he tore his breeches badly, so that his tail stuck out; on which he gave up the chasse. As it was not decent to appear in public in that condition, he sat down and stitched up the rent with next to hand materials viz. slender tough salley-rods or "gads". When the job was done, he spread out the garment before him on his knees, and looking admiringly on his handiwork, uttered the above saying - "Firm and ugly".(continues on next page)
