On St John's eve a bone-fire is lit on every hill. Some say it is in honour of St John. Others say that a while before the battle of Clontarf the Danes were scattered and they fled to neighbouring houses for safety. Brian sent out a secret message to tell all the people to kill the Dane and to light a bone-fire on a high-hill as a warning to him when the Dane was killed This the people did and in memory of this it is said people light bone fires.

Next morning he went to the husband's house. When he went in he met the husband and said "Good morning, I have queer news for you". "Is it about Julia?" cried the husband. "I was coming home from Castletownshend late last night" said John. "As I was coming along I stopped to light my pipe for company. I heard a sound of galloping horses behind me. I could not get my pipe to draw, until they were after passing. The last horse stopped, and on it was a pale, sad, forlorn woman and that woman was Julia, your wife. She told me to ask you to claim her before Hallow Eve, for it would be no good trying after" Then the man of the house said "Sure it wasn't Julia at all. She would not sit on an old cart and horse without falling off". "It was Julia" said John "didn't I see the salt tears streaming down her cheeks?". Then John was going away, and he turned back to the husband and said "May the Lord forget you, if you forget Julia". Then John went on his way home.
Hallow Eve came and there was the husband sitting at home by the fire, and crying for his Julia in the Strange country. At that same time Julia was riding in through the Fairies Gap, and when she did not see her husband there she fell in a weakness. The good people lifted her, and placed her on a silver bed in the mansion. Then she started to cry once more. The fairy woman asked her what she was crying for and Julia said that she was lonesome for her husband. "Why should you weep for that good for nothing fellow?" said the fairy woman

north-east of Shanagolden there is another holy well. It is situtated a few hundred yards from the main road, between Limerick and Foynes, and beside the ruins of an old castle called Dysert castle. The well is dedicated to St. John (Eoin), and some old people say that the name Borrigone is derived from the name of the saint, i.e. Barraigh Eoin or the rough lands of St. John.On the 15th August each year a 'pattern' is held at the well. People come there on that day from this and the surrounding parishes, and perform a 'rounds' or pilgrimage there. Formerly a much bigger crowd gathered for the 'pattern', than there does of recent times. Up to thirty years ago a great number of people flocked to this well on the eve of the Assumption. They remained there all night and throughout the following day. Bonfires were kept lighting and open air dances were held near the well. People also visited Borrigone well to make rounds, on the Saturday before May day, and on the eve of St. John's day.The 'rounds' performed are as follows. A person walks slowly round the well

to work by. On New Year's eve a "sweet cake ", currant cake, is flung at the door, to keep out the hunger for the coming year. The cake breaks of course and the children of the house each pick up a piece - the largest piece possible, enjoying the scramble for the big bits.
On St Brigid's night crosses are made of rushes, called St. Brigid's cross, and put into the thatch of the roof.On St. John's night bonfires are light in honour of St. John. Some farmers take a burning branch from the St. John's fire and walking amongst the cows, drop a little ash from the branch on each cow, or tip each cow with the branch. This ensures that the cows will not miss having calves that year. When the cow calves the "cleaning" should be thrown on a hawthorn bush and left there to wither.November eve is a great night for finding out the person to whom you will be married. By "burning" a pair together with beans you can find whether they will stay together, or part, by peeling an apple completely in one piece without breaking the peel from the time you start until you finish, then throwing the peel over your shoulder and watching the letter it

St.John's Eve is still the greatest festival outdoor in rural Irish life. Bonfires have always been a sign of rejoicing, it was natural to expect that the birth of John the Baptist was an occasion of great rejoicing among God's chosen people. The fires are lit on some eminence and it is a pleasing sight on a calm summer evening to watch them blazing from hill to hill. Cattle were driven with hazel switches through the smoke of the bonfires as a preventative against disease. The switches were afterwards consigned to the flames.

Bonfires lit on St. John's Eve. - in honour of saint. Visits to St. John's well in Cratloe to make rounds were common 60 years ago. Some do so yet.

St. John's Well is situated on the grounds of Warrenstown College formally owned by the Johnsons. There were pilgrimages to it since the faith was planted in Meath and it is the most remarkable holy well in county. According to tradition about three hundred and fifty years ago Mass was celebrated at the well on St. John's Eve and for several days after. This went on year after year until some harm was done by the people camping there. The bishop then gave orders not to have Mass said any more but the pilgrims will continued to come on St. John's Eve.
In 1708 the Irish Parliament prohibited pilgrimages to the well because they thought the pilgrims assembled there for other purposes besides religion.
Some say that those afflicted with blindness or deafness were cured at the well.
Tradition has it that one of the Johnsons who was journeying in the Holy Land dropped his stick into the Jordan and it came out at St. John's Well. It is a blackthorn and

A man named John Moore from Ballyteague North had a ghost in his house Every night the fire was thrown about the house He had a cock of hay and one night it was set on fire by the ghost under the eve of the thatched house and the house was not set on fire at all The priest advised him to give a load of turf to someone far away for nothing He gave it to people in Boston Co Kildare named Sextons. That night Sextons house was burned The ghost never appeared again in John Moore’s house

Saint John's feast is always observed by lighting bonfires on some elevated place where it can be seen for a long distance. In this part of the country is not observed at all.but in Offaly and other parts the sky is lit up by bonfires on Saint John's Eve.

St. John
John's Well is about four miles from Kilkenny city, and it is called after St. John. It has the honor of having one of the most famous holy Wells in Kilkenny.
In olden days, it was frequented by pilgrims on St. John's Eve and Festival and on to the 24th of June.
John Keagan in one of his poems gives a touching description of a Wexford girl who accompanied by her mother, came to St. John's Well on St. John's Eve, 1832 seeking to be cured of blindness. There is a famous Church near the well in honor of him, and there are also many people in the district named after him.

St John's well called St John the Baptist well has been for centuries the most famous holy well in the Diocese. In former times it was frequented by people on St John's Eve for devotional purpose on 20th of June and a pattern was held. Abuses crept in and in 1761 the pattern was stopped but still the pilgrimage continued.

Christmas Eve
The old people used to leave their doors open on Christmas Eve's night so, that if anybody came they could get lodging in any house. They used put a light in every room in the house.Sain Martin's Eve
On Saint Martin's Eve the people kill some fowl, and sprinkles the blood on the door-posts of their houses.Saint John's Eve
On Saint John Eve the people light a bon-fire in honour of Saint John. Each main bought a penny with him to the bon-fire. One of them went to the nearness town for a loaf of bread. Then they milk a cow, and

with it. One is "May Fire". Children get sticks, coal or turf on May Eve and May Day light a fire and go from door to door with some in a can asking for a penny for the "May Fire".Some people say you should not go into a field on May Eve as the fairies would take you. They also believe that you should bring a branch of green (such as a branch of a white thorn) into the house for luck on May Eve and May Day. On the other hand some people say that it is unlucky to bring anything green into the house during May. Some people in Ennis believe in the first and others in the second.Long ago people did not like others to take water from their well on May morning as they were afraid they might take away the butter of their cows. Nobody would come into anothers house for a coal on that day for the same reason. People used to put out quick beam on the crops to protect them from the fairies. The more usual practice now is to sprinkle them with Holy Water.
On ST JOHN'S EVE and ST JOHN'S DAY bonfires used be lighted in every town land. They are still lighted in some places especially at St John's Well in Newhall a few miles outside Ennis.
The 24th OF JUNE is the FAIR OF SPANCILHILL a very

to be a kind of wicked day. It is said that the water runs mad three times on that day. Any person or animal born on Whit Sunday is supposed to be sore.
St John's Eve.
On St John's eve all the boys in this village of Prizon, parish of Balla, barony of Carra, Co. Mayo get a horse and cart and a lot of bags and go to everybody's bog and bring a bag of turf out of it. They also get a few big blocks and they bring them to the crossroads. There

St. John's EveIt was a local custom some years ago, for the young people of this neighbourhood to collect a quantity of turf and wood and light a huge bonfire on a high hill, on St. John's Eve. They passed the night in singing and dancing round the fire, and cheering their loudest. When leaving for home, they always carried away with them a lighted sod which they threw into a corner of the nearest field to avert sickness from cattle during the year.

St John's EveIn this district fires are lit in the potato fields on St John's Eve. Withered bushes are gathered together, and they are so placed that when lit, the wind blows the smoke over the crop.The people say that the lighting of these fires brings a blessing on the crops.
This custom has been carried out in this district as long as the people can remember.

In front of the Parish church in Drimoleague is a Tomb or grave in which the following Parish Priests are laid to rest.Revd. Father Ryan P.P.
Revd. Father Creedon P.P.
Revd. Father Forrest P.P. 1897-1922 From time immemorial on Saint John's Eve people from various parts of the parish visit this Tomb to make a "Rounds". The vault is under-ground, but over-ground there is an iron railing and at each corner of this railing the people recite a decade of the Rosary I have seen people make this Rounds who rarely come to Mass.
On one occasion the Parish Priest at the time Rev. Father John Coakley, tried to put a stop to it. He said why not go into the Church and pray there But the people seemed to take no notice of the Pastor's advice for on next Saint John's Eve they were seen again making their customary "Rounds".

and St. Brigid blesses it and it will cure any ailment.
All the people wear Shamrock on St. Patrick's Day and there are many songs about it.
On Chalk Sunday the people put a cross of chalk on the backs of the old bachelors.
On May Day the people wash their faces in the dew to make themselves good looking.
They also wash their hands in the dew and they could undo any knot. People visit a well called The City to pay rounds for cattle on the 1st of May. The City is at the foot of The Paps. On May Eve people work "piseógs".
People make bonfires on St. John's Eve. On St. John's Day people pay rounds at St. John's Well which is on the top of Mushera Mountain. They

1. It is customary to put branches of a tree called Quick-beam or Mountain Ash on all growing crops on May Eve - as on jambs of Doors and windows in all houses in Co. Clare so as to have good luck for the ensuing year.2. On the Eve of St. John's Day 23th June it is customary to make large bonfires in open spaces in villages and cross roads - when the neighbours assemble for a couple of hours and when departing each person takes a sod or sods of the fire to his or her home in memory of St. John.3. There is a belief in Clare that certain person are possessed of what are called "Bad Eyes" and those persons are supposed to have the power of causing death to Animals that come under their observation. I myself was witness to one case that happened to our family. The belief is that those persons so affected were neglected by the priest when being baptized. Many a time I was directed to remove animals out of sight of a certain

old bachelors with chalk. On May eve there are many old customs practiced The many master of the house sprinkles holy water on the cattle and crops to keep away the Evel One. On May eve the woman of the house would not give away milk without shaking a pince of salt in it
St John's eve is held on the twenty third of June bon-fires are lighted in honour of St John.
Corrections
kept kept Evil Evil