School: Clochar na Trócaire, An Caisleán Riabhach
- Location:
- Castlerea, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: An tSiúr M. Stiophán
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0246, Page 130
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- XML School: Clochar na Trócaire, An Caisleán Riabhach
- XML Page 130
- XML “Superstitions about Birds, Insects and Food”
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- There are many superstitions about magpies than about any other bird. When a person sees one magpie when starting a journey he believes that bad luck will follow, while two are said to be a sign of good luck, or the sign that a letter is coming to the person who sees them. If three fly straight over a person's head, that is considered a sign that the person will receive a cheque. Four magpies are said to foretell a birth and five a marriage.
Swallows flying low are said to be the sign of bad weather, while if they fly high it is the opposite. Hens are supposed to peck themselves if rain is coming. If a hen is heard crowing it is taken as a sign that some terrible misfortune is coming on the family to which she belongs, but if she is killed instantly when she is heard crowing it is supposed to stop the trouble. It is thought unlucky to hear a cock crowing at midnight.
Crickets are considered very lucky. It is a custom when people are changing into a new house to bring crickets from the former(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Nora Muldoon
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Tober, Co. Galway
- Informant
- Mrs B. Muldoon
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Tober, Co. Galway
