School: An Ghráinseach, Cluain Meala (roll number 7982)
- Location:
- An Ghráinseach, Co. Thiobraid Árann
- Teacher: Séamus Ó Maolchathaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0571, Page 112
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- Only a few old people in this parish know a few words of Irish. There is a great dearth of old traditions which are so common in the Gaeltacht. I could find no traces of old stories like the Sceálta Fiannuideachta. Nothing of that sort exists except ghost stories. No old ballads in English are remembered. Only a very few in Parish can play any sort of musical instrument and very few can do anything in the way of step-dancing. Among the old generation - those who are now about 70 years there were some very good dancers and flute-players. The flute-playing was a relic of a rather good local fife and drum band in the Land League days.
The parish is an example of a district in which the old Gaelic Culture is dead and nothing has taken its place.
The land of the parish is practically all fertile. Many of the farms are large -from 70 to 120 acres. I believe districts of this type are not the best for sticking on to old customs etc.SÉAMUS O'MAOLCHATHAIGH
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There is a great dearth of oral tradition in this parish compared with the parish of Newcastle which bounds it in the south. It appears to me that all the old traditions in this parish went with the Irish language.There are hardly any bits of tradition about Cromwell or Father Sheehy for example, whereas I heard several stories about them among the Irish speakers in Newcastle parish. I believe these traditions are disappearing in Newcastle parish too among those who speak only English.The absence of anything in the shape of old Fairy stories etc. from this note book is not due to not looking for them. I simply could find none. I heard a great story from an old man about a supernatural hound. I thought I had a "find" until I found out he had read it in "Ireland's Own".
- Collector
- Séamus Ó Maolchathaigh
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Múinteoir
