School: Ballinlough (roll number 9238)
- Location:
- Ballinlough Big, Co. Meath
- Teacher: P. Mac Domhnaill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0704, Page 040
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- The 'Crath crodhe' otherwise the "Heart Ache' is a common disease around here for which doctors can do nothing.
A woman named Mrs Gilsenan who lives in the townland of Lough Bawn beside Skerry crossroads has the cure of it. The cure which has been handed down for generations was given to her by her mother. When a person suffers from "Crath croidhe" they or their friends can bring three eggs to this woman on a Thursday. She brings the eggs up to a room and whatever she does; if the person has the disease the eggs sweat, and by the amount of sweat or absence of it she is able to tell whither the person has the disease or not: how long she has it; whither bad or not etc. If the person is bad, eggs will have to be brought three or four times and the patient must eat the eggs either cooked or raw. If not able to eat all the eggs the remainder together with the shells must be carefully collected and burned.
Mrs Gilsenam particularly emphasizes this point.
- Collector
- Sean Keogh
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 14
- Address
- Ballinlough Big, Co. Meath
