School: Emly (B.) (roll number 16059)
- Location:
- Imleach, Co. Thiobraid Árann
- Teacher: Tomás Ó Lachtnáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0580, Page 069
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- XML School: Emly (B.)
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- XML “May Eve Customs”
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- Pishogues are made in this district on May Eve. The most common form of pishogues is to place eggs in gardens, hay, meadows, or grazing fields. They are supposed to bring bad luck and to destroy the crop or live stock on the farm. There can be little doubt but that they have a bad effect on the crops or on the cattle.
Sometimes also they kill a hen and bury her under a sod on a neighbour's land. This is supposed to produce the death of some live stock.
Also when a cow slings her calf they throw the sling calf into their neighbour's land. This is supposed to put the misfortune on their neighbours and take it off themselves.
In former years there were many other forms such as sipping water in a well with shears etc; but these things are not done now.
On May Eve every farmer sprinkles holy water on his cattle, crops, and land to stop the power of pishogues which may be made.
If pishogues are worked on a man he gets mass said in the house. If he finds eggs he burns them and is thus supposed to put the curse back on him who made the pishogues.
- Collector
- John Houlihan
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Imleach, Co. Thiobraid Árann
