School: Knockbride (2)

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1. Witches

   

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   Witches often turned themselves into hares to steal the milk of cows. They were chased by dogs without a white hair. When the hare was injured an old woman was usually afterwards found dying in some hut in the locality. This was a common belief.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

2. Tarara Stories

   

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   Tarara the blacksmith, who lived at Dernakesh was famous for his witty remarks. His proper name was McCabe. He belonged to a family gifted as musicians and entertainers. Once when Tarara was going to Chapel, he found he would not get in without giving a halfpenny at the door. He then walked back to the chapel gates and stood there with his hat in his hands. A man came along and threw his halfpenny into Tarara's hat thinking that Tarara had been appointed to collect the halfpence. Tarara then went to the chapel door and handed in the halfpenny saying, "There you are now; a mouth from pulty gave me that and now I am inside and he is out". “A mouth from pulty” was a common saying in Knockbride parish up till recent times. “A mouth from pulty” = a “gawm” or simpleton.

   On another occasion there was a man carrying a heavy overcoat along the road one day when he fell in Tarara, who offered to carry the coat for him. Tarara got the coat and then began to tell a long story of the sufferings of his family from fever. When they parted Tarara got keeping the coat as the man was afraid to wear it.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   A. Lynch

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Teacher

   Collector

   Thomas J. Barron

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Teacher

   Informant

   Matt Carroll

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   70

   Address

   Glasdrumman, Co. Cavan