School: St Columba's, Cloonagh, Granard (roll number 12813)

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1. Taking the Butter

   

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   I heard this story from Mrs Brigid Farrell who died a few years ago at the age of 87.
   Mrs Farrell's father kept six cows and they made six firkins of butter each year from April to the end of September.
   One year after May day there came a great change on their milk - they had the same six cows and the milk got the same treatment as it got any other time but when they churned the milk turned into froth and there was an unpleasant smell from the churn. Her people knew that there was such a thing as taking the butter but their neighbours were all respectible people and apparently good Catholics and they would not accuse any of them of doing such a thing.
   They set up with their loss for a couple of months hoping that their luck would change but still it continued and no matter what they did with the milk, there was no butter.
   Her mother went to the priest and told him the story and he said some of her neighbours must have interfered with her cows and if she could get some milk from their cows she would get her own back - even a drop and put it into her own milk. Her mother did not like the idea of being caught milking her neighbours cows because she and her family would be shamed for ever.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mrs Bridget Farrell

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   87