School: Ballydurrow
- Location:
- Ballaghdorragh, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: S. Ó Hadarnáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0998, Page 350
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- XML “Superstitions”
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- Superstitions
There was much superstitions long ago in the district. On the first of May before the sun rose the women of the house got up and went to the well. The woman that got the first pail of water from the well had the most yield of butter on her churn the whole year round. On last day of April the people used to tie a red rag and a branch of a roundberry tree in their cows tail to keep them from being overlooked.
When a person was going out at night he or she brought a piece of bread in his pocket to keep away the Féar Jores. The latter was a clump of grass and if a person happened to pass it he became dead hungry and the cure was to eat something. In some fields there was a "Stray" by which persons lost their way and could not return home. It was thought they walking on a spot where an unbaptised child was buried. One cure for this was to turn your coat inside out. Then say some prayers. One Halloween night the people would sweep the heartstone clean; tidy the house and leave some food on the table for the "good people" to eat as the latter were supposed to be abroad that night.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Líam Hetherton
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Ballaghdorragh, Co. Cavan
- Informant
- Brian Masterson
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Rahard, Co. Meath
