School: Moynalty (B.)

Location:
Moynalty, Co. Meath
Teacher:
Uillford Ó Maoilmhichil
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0705, Page 349

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0705, Page 349

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  1. XML School: Moynalty (B.)
  2. XML Page 349
  3. XML “Halloween”

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  1. Hallow Eve
    Long ago the old people regarded Hallow Eve as a great festival, because it is a great night for parties gathering in houses. The young folk used to have songs and dances, and they also played a lot of tricks. The old people believed, that the souls in Purgatory roamed about on that night. They also believed that the fairies changed their head-quarters, and that the witches rode about on broom-sticks. The old people would not go to the well for a bucket of water after dark, for fear the fairies would pull them in. One Hallow-Eve night a man went out with a ball of yarn and throw it in to a lime kiln. The superstition was who ever he was to be married to would pull the end of the yarn. Long ago some old people used to go out on Hallow-Eve night to catch fairies. If they happened to catch one they would spit on him, the way he would not escape from them. Then they would question him as to where he had crocks of gold hidden, and the
    (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. Halloween (~934)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Francis Mc Intyre
    Gender
    Male
    Informant
    Patrick Donnelly
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Newtown, Co. Meath