School: Kildavin, Ferns

Location:
Kildavin, Co. Carlow
Teacher:
Tadhg de Brí
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0911, Page 253

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0911, Page 253

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  1. XML School: Kildavin, Ferns
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  3. XML “St Brigid's Day”

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  1. The second of February is kept in honour of St. Brigid. The customs were: to make a cross on the eve of that day in honour of St. Brigid. The reason why a cross was made is because St. Brigid used to make a cross on the first of February. Another custom is to visit a blessed well in Kilbranish. The well is beside the Clody. There is an ash - tree growing in the shape of a fork and the well is in the fork of the tree. It is visited every year by the people of that district. There was a little story told about St. Brigid and the king of Leinster. This is the story:
    Once upon a time there was a king in Leinster and he always wore long hair because he had long ears like an ass and he heard of a holy nun that was in Kildare and he sent a message for her to come to him and shorten his ears for him. So when the holy nun came to his palace she put the king sitting on a chair and told him to put his head on her lap and when he did so she rubbed his ears and the moment she laid her hands on the long ears they immediately became short ones. This was St. Brigid. It is said she blessed Cranavaun, a holy well in this district.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
        1. Feast of St Brigid (~366)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    James Lyons
    Gender
    Male
    Informant
    Mrs Kelly
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    73
    Occupation
    Farmer's wife
    Address
    Drumderry, Co. Wexford