School: Rahugh (roll number 12905)

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1. Farm Animals (continued)

   

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   names of the cows are the Polly, the Nied Cow, and the Heifer. When we are driving the cows we say. "Plug, Plug," and when we are driving cattle we say a branch of palm in the cow-shed for luck. We always hang a badge of the Sacred Heart at the back of the cow-shed door.
   It is said if anybody robs a swallow's nest that the cows will give red milk. This is said of the swallow because she builds in the cow-shed. Long ago people used to believe that if they hung up a horse-shoe in the cow-shed that it would bring good luck.
   Before milking the cows we rub down the cow's elder. Then we wet out hands with milk. Sometimes we milk the foremilk into one vessel, and the strippings into another vessel. When we are milking we have to milk fast or the cow will not give all the milk. When we are finished milking we dip our finger into the milk and make the sign of the Cross on the side of the cow, and say "God bless you."
   The chains that the cows are tied with are called, "tines" The chain is brought around the cow's neck and fastened at the back. In the

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. agriculture (~2,659)
            1. animal husbandry (~2,587)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Ann Josephine Geoghegan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Pallas, Co. Westmeath

   Informant

   James Geoghegan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Pallas, Co. Westmeath