School: Killyfargy

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1. Pistrogues, Freets and Superstitions Formerly, or Still Practised in this District

   

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   1. When a heifer would calve for the first time, a hot coal would be taken out in an old porringer or such vessel and the first dregs from each teat milked down on it. The coal would then be thrown or buried in the "groups" behind the cows.
   2. When a cow calves she is miked on money the first three times, i.e. money is placed in the milking pail.
   3. If a person came in a put a live coal on his pipe to light it and took out the coal or went out with the lighted coal on his pipe, a turf was thrown on the fire.
   4. Your milk would be easily churned if you are first to draw water out of a spring well on May morn.
   5. If you are leaving a house and no one but a child in a cradle left behind the tongs is placed across the cradle to keep the fairies from stealing the child.
   6. Do not be the first to raise a smoke, i.e. light a fire, on May morn.
   7. On a springing cow's tail i.e. tail of a cow in calf, a horse shoe nail in a red rag was sewn.
   8. As a protection against being sunburned bathe the face in the dew on May morn.
   9. A cure for the "chincough" i.e. whooping cough, get three articles from a woman who never changed her name i.e. one married to a man of the same surname.
   10. Water or ashes would not be thrown out on New Year's Day.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   John Mc Cabe

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Scotshouse, Co. Monaghan