School: An Charraig, Aonach Urmhumhan

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   “In the year 1914 he went to 'turn' a pit of potatoes covered with scraws and straw.”

   

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   Addres - P Ryan, Barbaha, Ballywilliam Nenagh
   Aois 70

   
   Mrs Pat Ryan Barbaha (uncle of writer) tells the following.

   In the year 1914 he went to "turn" a pit of potatoes covered with "scraws and straw. The dog Shep (a sheepdog) accompanied him to the field which adjoined the haggard. The intervening ditch had a row of ash trees of 20 years growth or so.

   When turning the potatoes he found a goose-egg among them. Knowing it was there for "no good purpose" he came to the house and told his sister Mary. He said he would bring it in and burn it and let off the ashes in the river as "Gregan had done with a loaf of bread that was cut in two with blood in the middle that he found in his potatoes". Mary, his sister told him not to bring the egg into the house but to burn it outside. He got a flagstone and some dry twigs and straw - the stone to hold the ashes and the others to burn the egg.
   It was a calm mild day in early Spring.
   Having set the fire he put a match to the straw. As it blazed a great gust of wind came around and as he says "he

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mr Pat Ryan

   Relation

   Relative (other than parent or grandparent)

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   70

   Address

   Barr Beathach, Co. Thiobraid Árann