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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. Rann

    CBÉS 0059

    Page 0409

    I got this song from my mother. She had it by heart. She used to hear the people saying it years and years ago. It was composed about sixty years ago by a man named John Broderick. He still lives in Derrybrien. He is now about eighty years of age. He composed many other songs both in English and in Irish but none of them was ever printed. He was able to compose songs since he was a schoolboy. There was a friend of his named John Walsh going to get married. Then he composed this song in order to advise him to go to Derrybrien for a wife. His nephew is now composing songs in English. His nephew's name is John Broderick also, and he lives in Derrybrien too.
    This is the Rann as I got it from my mother:-

    Sheáin a mhic mo chomharsan
    má tá tú ag dul a' phósadh,
    seo nár dubhairt mé fós leat

  2. The Derrybrien Church

    CBÉS 0034

    Page 0411

    of a priest and in danger of leading the people astray. To prevent this his Lordship took steps to have a priest sent there immediately and in this way the first church was erected in Derrybrien.

  3. (no title)

    “In the middle of Derrybrien graveyard there is a big rock and on it are two holes...”

    CBÉS 0050

    Page 0031

    In the middle of Derrybrien graveyard there is a big rock and on it are two holes which are the prints of Saint Patrick's two knees. One hole is bigger than the other because it is said one of Saint Patrick's knees was swollen when he knelt there. It is believed that people who do rounds and pray at this rock are cured of swollen feet.

  4. Old Houses

    CBÉS 0053

    Page 0069

    Old Houses
    The walls of the old houses were made from wattles and yellow clay. The walls were four feet wide. They used to have beds called hammocks. They were in the kitchen beside the fire. The top of the bed was stuck into the wall. In Derrybrien there was a house and the fire was at the side wall. In Derrybrien there was a house and the fire was at the side wall. There was a bucket on the chimney for a crock. There was no glass on the windows. They used to have a mat instead. Dan Whelan's house in Derrybeg was built on a hill and had no chimney.
    Long ago they used to make fires from timber, turf, scraws or cowdung. Instead of candles they used to have rushes dipped in tallow or chips of dale. They were made locally. The mould was like our modern bicycle pump.
    Long ago they wouldn't build a room to the west. They would say that there would be fairies in it. There was a man who built a room to the west and he couldn't

  5. (no title)

    “There was two men from Derrybrien going to the fair in Portumna one time.”

    CBÉS 0054

    Page 0241

    There was two men from Derrybrien going to the fair in Portumna one time. One called for the other in the morning and at the time his comrade was eating his breakfast. When the

  6. Customs with regard to Farm Animals

    CBÉS 0054

    Page 0119

    the woman there gave him a cup of milk and some bread to eat. From that day on the milk and butter was plentiful in Derybrien and none in Drumkeary. It was thought he took the butter from Drumkeary and left it in Derrybrien.
    Collector is Anna M. Rabbitte from Miss Anna M. Walsh Age 35.

  7. Customs with regard to Farm Animals

    CBÉS 0054

    Page 0118

    Customs with regard to of farm animals.
    Long ago the people used to tie a red rag on the cow's tail after she calfing. When St. Patrick was in Ireland he visited a house in Drumkeary not far from here. The woman of the house had "beastings" boiling in a pot. He asked her for a cup of what she had in the pot for he was hungry and she refused him. So he kept walking until he come to Derrybrien and he went into another house and

  8. Names of Fields

    CBÉS 0592E

    Page 01_036

    Barney's garden - in the land of Peter Clark Slieveanoir
    The Rye garden - in the land of Thos Leonard Slieveanoir
    Túruntach - in the land of Matthew Tully Derrybrien
    Turlassa - " " " " Matthew Tully Derrybrien
    gleann drae - " " " " John O Connors Slieveanoir
    Partnalocks - " " " " Paddy Kiely Slieveanoir
    Gorry fáda - " " " " Thos Thiely Slieveanoir
    Gorry na cabhlac "" " " James Counihan Reahnahamora
    Berry Garden " " " " Thos Malony Slieveanoir

  9. Cnoc Amhráin

    CBÉS 0049

    Page 0383

    but we are told that at the time, also old people were buried there. There is a holy well there which was once visited by St. Patrick. Often people come to it who have sore eyes, to perform around it and sleep there during the night. A few years ago a man named Michael Kelly Derrybrien did this and he was cured.
    A small stream flows from the well and some years ago the owner of the land around it attempted to widen it, but he soon fell ill and died. Near the well was a tree on which a leaf never grew it is still to be seen there.
    This

  10. Drownings in the Gort River

    CBÉS 0050

    Page 0011

    A remarkable river flows through Gort, which is called the river "Blackwater". It rises in the Derrybrien mountains, and drains Lough Cultra Lake. On its journey to Kinvara Bay, it passes through a deep ravine, and forms romantic pools - such as "The Ladle", "The Beggar Man's Hole", The "Punch Bowl" and The "Churn". The river disappears underground seven times before reaching the sea. It is very deep in parts; and large Pike are sometimes shot in it.
    Four persons have been drowned while bathing in it during the past few years.
    A child of two years was playing with his little brother and sister about a year ago, and he fell in, and was drowned. His name was Vincent Finnegan. His parents live about half a mile outside the town.

  11. The Local Roads

    CBÉS 0051

    Page 0140

    The local roads are known as the Wasteland road, the Derrybrien road and the Ballinakill road.
    The Wasteland road leads through Derrynamucka and Loughatorick and on into C. Clare. The Derrybrine and Ballakill road is the main road from Gort to Portumna which are twenty four miles apart. Parts of the road on by Derrybrine are very sheltry and some parts are very bleak without any shelter. There is a new plantation beside the Ballinakill road where all the old trees are cut down and new ones planted. My father does not know when the Wasteland road was made but he tells me my great grandfather worked during the famine period for twopence a day on the Wasteland road on

  12. Derrybrian and its Mountain

    CBÉS 0051

    Page 0249

    Derrybrien is a mountain village situated about five miles from Drim School in a western direction. It consists of seventy or eighty houses, and is situated on the road between Portumna and Gort.
    A river runs through the centre of this village whose Irish name is "Abhann de loibgeacha." Fegus Mac Ruidi was cupbearer to the King of Connaught and he married the lady Ectie, and, for a dowry, she brought a number of cows. Her husband wanted to see which side of the river was the better, and so, he put two cows, one each side of the river. One cow throve, and got fat, and gave plenty of milk, but the other cow pined away, and got thin. That is the reason why the river got its name "Abhann de loibgeacha." The Lady Ectie gave her name to the Slieve Aughty mountains or Slieve Ectie.

  13. (no title)

    “One night two men were going from Derrybrien to Torrmacnevin”

    CBÉS 0059

    Page 0545

    John Roche, Gortadrigan, Peterswell, Loughrea. 6/12/'37
    One night two men were going from Derrybrien to Toormacnevin. It was down across the mountain they came. Just about twelve o'clock they saw a hurling match a short distance in front of them. All the players were dressed in white and wore tall hats. They were shouting and talking. When the two men came as far as where they thought the people were hurling they could see not one at all. Then they walked home and did not see any more that night.

  14. Galway's Strength for Land and Liberty

    CBÉS 0060

    Page 0233

    I [?] was by far the greatest Landlord in Co. Galway. His domain consisted of the estates of Portumna, Meelick, Woodford, Killamore Croughwell and Derrybrien and Loughrea. all lying in the South-East of the County and bordering in Co. Clare the area of these vast district was stated to be 52,601 acres with a poor law valuation of £20,793 without the towns and villages.
    In united Ireland of Dec 15th 1888 appeared an article which says-
    "Lord Clanmcardl has never so much as looked at the vast estate since it became his own about seventeen years ago. He has wrung an income of over £30,000 a year out of the tenantry." There are two pretty considerable towns- Portumna and Loughrea in his estate. Every stone in the houses of these towns and every inch of the soil under them is owned by the most noble and they are perishing of dry rot under the curse of his ownership. Buidling or improvement is allowed only

  15. A Good Man

    CBÉS 0592E

    Page 11_007

    In Derrybrien there lived not long ago a man named Seán Barney. He was able to do alot of good actions and he was noted for his strength. He used go to Gort often with a creel of turf. One day as he was going into a certain shop he saw men trying to lift on their soldiers a twenty stone bag of flour.
    There were two bags in it. So he put one twenty stone bag under one arm and the other under the other arm. Then he walked out and fling the two of them into a car that was outside the door.he could also carry a sack of flower between his teeth. Another day he carried a

  16. An Drochshaol

    “Even in our own district there are many disastrous stories to be heard from the old people who heard them from people who lived during the famine . . .”

    CBÉS 0035

    Page 0280

    Even in our own district there are many disastrous stories to be heard from the old people who heard them from people who lived during the famine days.
    Many and many a hunger stricken body was carried several miles across the mountains to be interred in Derrybrien graveyard. The women were usually the chief mourners in those distressing periods they even had to dig the graves.
    The chief food of the people was oaten bread and "gruel" which consisted in oat meal boiled in water now called porridge but in a more solid form.
    A man who was on his way to Loughrea with a load of hay was found dead on the side of the Bailí boreen by a neighbour named Martin, this neighbour entombed him in Shiel's sandpit. It is said that his mouth was

  17. Ballinakill Parish Cemeteries

    CBÉS 0051

    Page 0286

    There are six old graveyards in the parish of Ballinakill. they are in the following districts. Ballinakill, Curra, Derrybrien, Drim, Lagoo and Marblehill.
    The three first mentioned, are used for burials presently, while the others are disused. About forty years ago, Fr. Larkin condemned the latter, saying that all children should and would in future be buried in consecrated ground. The farmers who own the fields in which these were buried, plans were never to meddle with them, or have tilled for crops.
    The graveyard of Ballinakill is situated on the slope of a sandy hill, facing southwards, about four hundred yards from the parochial church. Nearly all the headstones are of cement, and not one is known to bear any old date. Over the few infants or or bigger children, an iron or wooden cross is there to mark their memory. In this cemetery, the ruined wall of an old chapel is visible. Outside, and quite near the wall is an old tomb, which is rectangular in shape, and made of stone. It is commonly said that the Burke family, the descendants of the landlords of Marblehill are interred there. The corpses were carried to the tomb and the slab drawn out and the coffin was placed on a underground shelf. Then the big

  18. Ballinakill Parish Cemeteries

    CBÉS 0051

    Page 0287

    square slab was returned to its mouth, and fastened.
    The graveyard of Curra is situated in the Curra townland, near the road which leads from Woodford to Loughrea. Old people say, that long ago it was called "Cille Curra". A nice cement wall encircles it, but the headstones seem rather new, and do not possess any old dates. No tomb is visible, and the headstones are of cement.
    Derrybrien cemetery is quite near the parochial church, perhaps four or five hundred yards distant. It is quite small, and as well as the others has headstones of cement, wood and iron.
    The nearest of the disused graveyards is situated in the townland of Drim, ad it is is known as "Liosín Glas". This was utilised as a burial ground for infants and unbaptised children. Old people say that a few grown-up people have also been buried here, but it is over sixty years since it was used. As it is as long ago as that, no local person remembers to see a funeral there. The mounds of earth which mark the graves are at present scarcely visible, and the cemetery is circular in shape. A few elder trees grow in the place where the graveyard was, and the remainder of the field is cultivated, and it produces good crops for the farmer who owns it.

  19. (no title)

    “Many years ago money was very plentiful about.”

    CBÉS 0054

    Page 0028

    William Hynes noticed her hiding it. He said nothing about it for a long time.
    The old woman went to see was it there once a day. She said to herself, "Who will mind this when I am dead". She died the following night. William Hynes went to look for it on the following day. He set to work trying to lift up the flag. It was dusk when he retired and found no money after a day's searching.
    That night at ten o' clock William Hynes and his brother went to the same place again. When they were about to lift up the gold a big black cat rose and tore the two men to pieces. They went home in great trouble. They were all cut. From that night forth a big black cat would follow you if you happened to pass the way. One night a priest from Derrybrien named Father Fahy was passing the way. The cat came out and made an effort to tear him. The priest lifted his hand and the cat disappeared and was never seen again.

  20. A Story about a Man Named John Burns

    CBÉS 0059

    Page 0478

    478
    A Story about a man named John Burns.
    There was once a man who lived in Culnege near Derrybrien.about 17 years ago and his name was John Burns. He was a great man for running and jumping. He had a lot of land and cattle and he would not pay any of his rates. One day he was saving hay and three policemen and a Bailiff came to him and asked him which would he pay the rent or lose the cattle. Then the Bailiff and the policemen followed him and he jumped a road that was ten yards wide that went in and out of our village, and he got away from the others. Then the Bailiff and the 3 policemen went back to his land and took his cattle. About 2 hours later, John came back to his house and his cattle weer gone. The 3 policemen and the Bailiff were about 5 miles gone when Jack followed them. He ran as quickly as he could and in ten minutes he was up to the men who had taken his cattle. Then he turned home his cattle in spite of the other four. Then he was