School: Ballynarry
- Location:
- Ballynarry, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: E. Mac Gabhann
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0989, Page 024
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- XML School: Ballynarry
- XML Page 024
- XML “The Names of Weeds”
- XML “On the Holy Family”
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- The names of the weeds most common in our district are ÷ Bishop weed, Nettle weed, Docken weed; Thistle weed; Dandelion and Crowfoot. The bishop weed is the worst, because it smothers and sometimes kills the plants when it gets into the garden. There are cures in some of the weeds such as ÷ The roots of the nettle have a cure for the measles; The docken has a cure for a sting from the nettle; The dandelion is, according to the old fables, supposed to tell the time of day.
The sting of a nettle is very very painful. It causes white dots to appear on the infected part of the skin. The people of Ireland long ago, when would get stiong by a nettle, used to get a docken leaf and rub the infected part with the juice of the stem, saying while doing so, "Docken, docken, cure a nettle, take the sting away and throw it across the Red Sea. This they said three times and then fastened it to the infected part until the sting went.
- Collector
- Sheamus Smyth
- Gender
- Male
- The Holy Family are Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Jesus was born in a stable at Bethlehem. When he was born there came three wise men from the east to adore Him. The news spread rapidly through Jerusalem and it was carried to the ears of Herod the king. Herod was troubled on hearing this, so he called the High Priests together and asked them where Christ was born and they said "in Bethlehem in Juda." When Herod heard this he was determined to kill the new born king. With that intention he sent for the wise men and inquired all about the star. "Go" he said "and inquire after the Child and when you have found Him, bring me word that I may also and adore Him." When they left Jerusalem the star again appeared and it went before them until it came and stood where the Child lay,(continues on next page)
