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The Schools’ Collection

This is a collection of folklore compiled by schoolchildren in Ireland in the 1930s. More information

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  1. A Story

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 02_044

    There was once a man living in Ballinderreen and every Sunday after his dinner he used go down to a place called Crosheen to see his sheep. This Sunday he went down to see his sheep and as he was going out over a high stile he looked down to see could he see his sheep. He saw in his field a crowd of boys kicking foot-ball. He ran down as quick as he could and he said in his own mind isn't far down the Ballinderreen team went kicking foot-

  2. Stories

    “About forty years ago a dog as big as a calf used to walk the roads of Aran, Mulrook and Ballindereen.”

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 07_035

    About forty years ago a dog as big as a calf used to walk the roads of Aran, Mulrook and Ballindereen.
    Several people met him but he did not interfere with them. If anyone would try to touch him he would sit on the road looking at him.
    There was a Flaherty man from Aran going down from Ballinderreen with a scythe. He said to some of his friends in Ballinderreen that if he met the dog he would cut the legs of it with his scythe. It was a bright night and he was only one

  3. Irish Place Names

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 08_006

    Tyrone woods named after one of the Tyrone ladys.

    5) Gró Dorca
    It is a very large wood in Tyrone, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway.

    6) Pollach
    It is a village in the parish of Ballinderreen; it is all holes and it is called after that - Ballinderreen, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway

    7) Múgánach
    It is the name of a rock where a battle was fought long long ago.

    8) Túirín
    It is the name of a village in the parish of Ballinderreen, Toureen, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway

    9) Poll Gorm
    It is the name of a lake - Aran, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway

  4. Fairy Stories

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 02_042

    at full speed up the Galway road and they heard him again turning at Kilcolgan and coming back towards Ballinderreen. The Pollough men kept walking walking on driving their cattle before them until the carriage came nearer to them. The carriage came driving faster than ever and as it was passing out the men the carriage knocked down one of the cows which the pollough men were bringing to the fair. One of the men put the stick in which he carried in his hand up by the face of the man in the carriage and

  5. (no title)

    “On Mr De Valeras first visit to Galway in the year 1913 the Sinn Féiners engaged all the sidecars in the parishes to go to the meeting.”

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 03_044

    On Mr De Valeras first visit to Galway in the year 1913 the Sinn Féiners engaged all the sidecars in the parishes to go to the meeting. The meeting was held on New Year Day and the Sinn Féiners painted Pat Smyth's horse because he did not go to Galway like the others. This song was composed by James O Connor Ballinderreen

  6. A Story

    “There was once a man living in Californa who had a great desire for money.”

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 04_038

    There was once a man living in California who had a great desire for money. He dreamt three nights that it was hidden in the rocks of Ballinderreen in a place called Cregbuidhe. He told a companion about it and they

  7. Stories Continued

    “There was once a man going to Ballinderreen and when he reached there he saw three women before him.”

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 05_027

    There was once a man going to Ballinderreen and when he reached there he saw three women before him. Then he went to Kinvara abd they were before him again. One of them was dressed in red, the second was dressed in white and the third was dressed in green. Wherever he went they were before him and from that day on he never had any luck.

  8. Stories Continued

    “About fifty years ago a horse-man used to pass the Ballindereen road towards Kilcolgan every night.”

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 05_028

    About fifty years ago a horse-man used to pass the Ballinderreen road towards Kilcolgan every night. A certain woman used to look out after it so she lost the sight of one of her eyes. My grandfather and a few companions were coming from a dance from James St Georges about two o' clock one night and as they were coming back at Glynn's they heard a galloping horseman coming towards them. They said it must be some man going to the Loughrea horse fair. So when the horseman was was within five

  9. Travelling in Olden Days

    CBÉS 0049

    Page 0358

    man. It was very hard to travel on the roads which were first made where they were full of holes. A coach which would be going a long distance would have to bring logs or ropes to tie the wheel of the coach or to fill the holes with the logs. The first time the roads were made along by rivers. Postal arrangements were different. In country towns it used to be delivered three times a week. In country places twice a week. As the years die out the knowledge of men becomes more powerful. They always start with a small thing and finish with a big one.
    Thomas O Connor
    Ballinderreen
    Mary A Hughes
    Ballinderreen

  10. Irish Place Names

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 03_014

    14 Pollach It is a village in Ballinderreen Kilcolgan
    15 Muganach It is in Clough Ballymore Kilcolgan

  11. Stories

    “About forty years ago a dog as big as a calf used to walk the roads of Aran, Mulrook and Ballindereen.”

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 07_036

    hundred yards away down the road from Ballinderreen when he met the dog. He took his scythe down from his shoulder in readiness to cut the dog's legs off. The dog walked so close to him that it rubbed against him. When it was gone a few yards behind the man it stood looking after him. When the man saw this he ran as fast as he could. As he was going down near the Mulbrook cross he met the same dog. It went as close to him as before, and it looked at him just as before. The man did not interfere with it but walked on home. He met the dog the third

  12. The Landlords

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 11_035

    There were several Landlords in Ireland long ago, such as St Georges, Blakes and several others. The Land lords were very bad to the people if they had not the rent paid. They used to evict the people from there houses and bring there cows and cattle. It was in Ballinderreen they used to collect the rent, long ago. They used to knock there houses and every thing they had thrown out by the roadside. The Landlords used not care whether the people would gather up what they had

  13. The Penal Days

    CBÉS 0049

    Page 0355

    There is an old mass rock about a mile from Ballinderreen. The remembrance of the image of Christ is still there to remind Catholic people of the hard times Ireland had during the Penal laws which the English put on the Irish. It also reminds them of the hard times their forefathers suffered to keep their faith. There is a wall around it with a step on it. This was for protection for the priest. It is said that there is a relic and a sacred chalice hidden under it. The altar is built with stones on a mound of earth. There is a cross carved from stone with the image of our Holy Saviour. There is also a flag left in front of the altar. This was for the

  14. Holy Wells

    CBÉS 0049

    Page 0365

    There are many holy wells in our district one known as Saint Colmans well between Kinvara and Ballinderreen. There is another well in Drum a Chú; it is called Saint Sorneys. Holy wells are supposed to have cures for different diseases. People visit Saint Colmans well for it is supposed to have cures for headache and for sore feet. Saint Sorneys well is supposed to have cures for blind people. One day a woman was blind and she wen to the well with her sister and stayed there all day and night; she prayed fervently and her sight was restored. In the morning her sister went for her to the well. On her way she met her blind

  15. Irish Place Names

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 11_013

    Baile Mhártain:-
    is a very level field in Pollagh, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway.

    Poll Ríach:-
    is a level field; there are some rocks in it, in Mulrook, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway.

    Rí Tháirne - in Aran, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway
    Poll Gorm - in Aran, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway
    Riongaláin - in Ballinderreen, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway
    Páirc Ruadh - in Mulrook, Kilcolgan
    Garrdhaí Árd - in Tarrea, Kinvara, Co. Galway
    Boithrín Finne - in Toureen, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway

    Locháin na Gabhair:-
    is a marshy place in Ballinderreen, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway

    Poll Mór - in Toureen, Kilcolgan
    Paírc na Rása - in Toureen

    Cloch Baile Mór:-
    is called after a big stone that was in Clough Bally Mór.

  16. Gold in Hiding

    CBÉS 0033

    Page 0380

    Once upon a time a man lived in the village of Carnan parish of Ballinderreen and Co of Galway and the evening he heard a fairy saying that there is a place over there and there is a bag of gold hidden in it and if you go over there while mass is going on you shall get the bag of gold.
    He said that when you go in you will see a line of horse soldiers and a cat and the fairy told him that he would get a sword inside the door and if he were inside the line of horse soldiers and knocked the head off the cat he could bring the gold with him.
    The man went the next morning and he got the sword inside the door and he saw the line of horse soldiers the cat and the gold inside them all. The man was frightened and he came home without the gold because he did not knock the head off the cat.

  17. Nicknames

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 02_036

    Cock. Martin Lane Mulrook. He was called "Cock" because his mother had her hair made in a cock on the top of her head and since then he is called "Maírtín Cock."
    Wattle. Thomas Moran, Cartron. He is called Wattle because he is a man of great statue and he is straight as a wattle.
    Hata Mór. Michael Flaherty, Ballinderreen He is called hata Mór because he wears a big hat and he is not a very tall man.
    Solomon Mike Kealy Aran. He is called Solomon because is very wise. He was called after Solomon who was a very wise man.

  18. Fairy Stories

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 02_041

    There was once a man living in the village of Ballinderreen and his name was Thomas O'Connor. He went to the fair one morning at four o'clock and he was followed by two more men from Pollough.
    Thomas O'Connor was about a half a mile ahead of the two Pollough men.
    At the same time there was a Barn living in the Kilcolgan Castle and he had a carriage with four horses under it. He used be out late at night driving.
    The Pullough men heard the carriage a horses coming

  19. Story

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 03_045

    My great grandfather was coming home from Tyrone late one night and he met a man going down at Lahardan. He spoke to the man but he got no answer. My great (great) grandfather swore at the man. He had the (curlse) curse hardly uttered when he heard a cow lowing in the direction of Aran Lodge and coming at a fast speed towards him
    When he came to the Ballyvullaun gate he saw that a white cow was close behind him. A stream of water runs (between) at the Ballinderreen gate and it is supposed that anything bad or in the nature of faries cannot cross where a stream runs

  20. Story

    CBÉS 0033B

    Page 03_053

    About ninty years ago a maternity nurse lived in the village of Ballinderreen. One night a man came on horse-back and asked her to attend a woman in her (confindmen) confinement. She agreed to go with him on condition that he would convey her home safely again.
    She sat behind him on the horse and he brought her to a cottage to a place she did not know.
    When she reached the house there was nobody there but the patient. An old man and an old woman were sitting beside the fire and they were crying