School: Clonmacnoise

Location:
Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly
Teacher:
P. Ó Maolmhuaidh
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0811, Page 176

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0811, Page 176

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  3. XML “The Foot Water”

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  1. The Foot Water
    Once upon a time there lived an old woman all alone in a house beside the churchyard where Deverys live now. This old woman could never sleep well at night because there was always some one from the churchyard knocking to get in to warm themselves. Well one night as usual before the old woman went to bed she raked the fire, and swept up the hearth. Then she put the besom outside the door and when she had her feet washed she threw out the foot water. After that she bolted the door with an iron bar for iron is blessed and nothing bad can cross it. Then she left the tongs across the hearth stone to keep the fire from coming out through the house during the night. After that she said her prayers and went to bed.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Language
    English
    Informant
    Ann Kilmartin
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    90
    Address
    Creevagh, Co. Offaly