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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. (no title)

    “There was a priest one day and he was in the hunt.”

    CBÉS 0507

    Page 061

    There was a Priest one day and he was in the hunt. He fell going over a jump, and his horse fell on him. The horse was killed. There were men looking on, and they ran to him to help him. The Priest was raging that his horse was killed, and he was bawling, and saying "What will I do without my fine horse?".
    There was a woman in Clare called Biddy Early, and the Priest sent his boy to her. When she saw the Priest's boy, she knew who he was, and she said to him, "Pull three nibs out of the horse's tail, and tie them to his nose". The boy came back and did so, and the horse stood up alive. The Priest wouldn't go on the horse any more for "he's Biddy Early's horse", now said he. The boy took the horse to the fair and sold him. He went and gave B. Early some of the money.
    (Mrs. John Ryan, The Lane, Croom)

  2. Biddy Early

    CBÉS 0534

    Page 310

    Biddy Early
    There was a woman once named Biddy Early who lived in the County Clare about sixty years ago and she was able to cure people of every disease.
    Once upon a time a man lived in Nenagh and his wife got a fall and became an invalid. As he had a horse and car his neighbours suggested that he should take her to Biddy Early.

  3. Biddy Early

    CBÉS 0589

    Page 197

    197
    Biddy Early
    There once lived a woman near Feakle.She was called Biddy Early because sh used to be up very early in the morning.She was a very good woman for curing people.She had a son and he was bliind.He got the cures from wise men.
    People came from Tipperary,Limerick, Ennis and from all places in C. Clare to be cured .One day a woman came from Limerick and asked Biddy for a bottle .She got it and was told to put it into a press for a night.The woman went home and did as she was bid .During the night she heard a strange noise she got up and looked ini the press and saw the bottle jumping

  4. Biddy Early

    CBÉS 0592E

    Page 15_002

    2#
    Biddy Early 12.1.37
    Biddy early lived in Clareshe used to sleep the day and be out in the night .Mr Mahony who lived in Derry Brine went to Biddy Early for a cure for his wife who was sick .before he left he looked for some butter and eggs to bring to her.His wife told him not to bring but a small share.So he went to Biddy and asked her would she be able to cure his wife .She told him she would but if she did it was in complement to him how he looked for the eggs and butter before he left and that his

  5. (no title)

    “Fifty years ago a man living in west clare was acually dying as he got a sudden pain when clearing some trees in a fort”

    CBÉS 0593

    Page 435

    435
    Fifty years ago a man living in west clare was actually dying as he got a sudden pain when clearing some trees in a fort,an old woman at once decided to get someone to go to Biddy Early and as the usual custom was took a bottle of whiskey to Biddy.They started out for Biddy Early's and arrived there at twelve oclock and gave Biddy a glass out of the bottle of whiskey .She told them she knew what was wrong that a man was dying.She gave them the contents of the bottle to take home and to be very careful passing a bridge at Newgrove.,she told them the horse would actually go mad. They started in their return journey home and came to the bridge where Biddy told them to be very careful and the horse went on all directions ,but the man put his hands around the horses neck and finally he crossed over the bridge and arrived home safely and gave some of the contents of the bottle to the dying man and all at once he sat up and was cured and he gave three cheers for Biddy Early the famous clare witch.

  6. Biddy Early

    CBÉS 0610

    Page 059

    a dagger and killed her.
    8. Any red-headed person passing Biddy Early's house would be killed. She had two soldiers up on the walls. There was a red-headed man who got into Biddy's house and dreaded he would be caught. He put a soldier's suit on him. One day when Biddy Early was passing he jumped on her and killed her.
    9. Biddy Early had two cats and one of them was black and the other was brown. When anyone would go into Biddy Earley's house one of the cats was sure to walk up and if the black cat walked up it was for luck and if the brown cat walked up it was for bad luck.

  7. Biddy Early

    CBÉS 0613

    Page 227

    Once upon a time there was a farmer who had a son about seventeen years old. This boy was very much admired and very handsome. He got very sick and the doctor could not tell what was wrong with him. The boy's father went to Biddy Earley and asked what was wrong him. Biddy Early Early looked into her bottle. She said she saw him in bed in a little room where the window was raised a little bit. She said to the man, "This is not your son who is there, for your son has been taken by the good people . But, if you can get home before he has time to escape through the opening of the window for if he gets across the river he will never get well." The man had a long journey to go and before he reached home the boy had escaped and gone to the river where he was captured by some neighbours and taken home where he died shortly afterwards.
    One time a priest threatened to horse-whip Biddy Early on account of her practising charms. So she came in front of him on the road one day and caused his horse to drop as if dead. The priest again threatened her and when she spoke again his horse raised again.

  8. Biddy Early

    CBÉS 0517

    Page 148

    Biddy Early
    There once lived in woman in the West of Clare named Biddy Early. She lived in a very small thatched whitewashed house with a green half door. She was able to work charms by shaking a little bottle she had. People went to her for information regarding lost or stolen property. When she would see a person coming towards her she know him, and could tell by him his private business.
    There was a man in Ballybrican named Ned – whose butter was taken, and he went to Biddy Early. When she saw him coming, she knew his business. She went into the room for a bottle and she shook it and told him where the butter was hidden. She is dead now. She died about fifty years ago.
    A certain woman in this locality had a son who suffered from a pain in his. In the end he got lame and could not walk at all. His mother went for Biddy Early and brought her up to the house. At night Biddy stopped up till twelve o’clock. She told the of the house to hide all the forks and knives for they could cut.
    When twelve o’clock came a dead woman and child came in. Biddy and

  9. Local Cures

    CBÉS 0593

    Page 040

    the Cross made while doing so the ringworm will disappear.
    A posthumous child is supposed to have a cure for boils.
    The rough side of a cabbage leaf when applied to a boil draws out the matter, and after if the smooth side is applied it heals the sore.
    An old woman named Biddy Early, who was credited to have magical power resided in Feakle about fifty years ago.
    If anyone was sick they sent a messenger to Biddy Early, and though many people were strangers in Feakle, Biddy Early could tell them their name and addresses by looking into a magical bottle. They would give her poteen or brandy and she would give them a bottle and would direct them not to go the same road as they came, otherwise the bottle would burst or lose its power.
    Sometimes a house would be haunted, and Biddy Early would tell the owners to build up a door of a room or put a pane of glass in a window and the house would be all right.
    One night she gave a bottle to a man who had come for a cure for his brother, who was ill, but contrary to her warnings he went

  10. (no title)

    “Biddy Early was in the fairies.”

    CBÉS 0050

    Page 0156

    Biddy Early was in the fairies. She lived in a mud cabin on the road side between Feakle and Limerick. She was able to cure sick people. The priest of her parish said he would curse any person that he would curse any persons that would speak to her. She was married, and one evening her husband was coming u from a public house. There was a big cliff near the house and he jumped down our the top of the cliff and was not injured. They say it was Biddy Early that saved him.

  11. A True Story - Biddy Early

    CBÉS 0058

    Page 0044

    Friends advised her to take her to Biddy early a noted witch. Biddy gave her a bottle of medicine and told her to come back to her that day seven years. The girl went home and grew up a fine strong young woman. All the neighbors wondered very much at the remarkable recovery. My grandmother was a great friend of the girl's mother. One evening when returning from Woodford she called in to see her. They spoke about the wonderful change in the daughter's health and remarked what a fine woman she grew to be. Then the mother of the young woman recalled that the following day was the date[?] by Biddy Early for the return visit of the young woman. She however said they would not bother going. They laughed at the thought of the return visit. Next morning both mother and daughter were found dead. There was a question of poison or [?] [?].

  12. A Tradition

    “Biddy Early was a woman who was well known here a long time ago.”

    CBÉS 0480

    Page 033

    Biddy Early was a woman who was well known here a long time ago. she used to visit every farmer's house in the parish.
    One day, while in one of the houses, a neighbour came in. He asked for a "coal of fire". He did this three times. The third time Biddy Early took a coal in her hand, threw it into a butter-barrel; the cream turned into butter. Biddy saved the farmer's butter.

  13. Biddy Early

    CBÉS 0527

    Page 078

    Biddy Early.
    There was a man in Newtown, one time called Pat Garvey, and he couldn't make butter of his milk. Someone told him to go to Clare to Biddy Early, and that she'd tell him who was taking the butter. He hadn't time to go himself, so he sent his

  14. Biddy Early

    CBÉS 0591

    Page 272

    172
    Biddy Early
    Biddy Early was an old witch who lived in Kilbarron about sixty years ago.She was married three times first to Butler ,next to Flannery and then to Early..It is not certain how she got her magic it but it is said that her son Shawn was returning from his cúaird when he met a crowd of fairies who were hurling .The were one man missing they asked him to hurl and he did so and his side won.As a reward they gave him a magic bottle to give to his mother.With this she could cure all diseases.People from far and near to be cured .Before dying Fr, Dore consecrated her and broke the bottle outside her own house.
    The material for these manuscripts was supplied by my mother.

  15. (no title)

    “Biddy Early was a famous Clare witch that lived during the early half of the last century”

    CBÉS 0599

    Page 243

    243
    Biddy Early was a famous Clare witch that lived during the early half of the last century.She resided near Feakle and the ruins of her house can still be seen It was a mud cabin.A man from Newmarket-on-Fergus went to Biddy about a horse that was in him.Biddy gave him a bottle and told him to shake some of the contents on the horse ,and it would be cured but to be careful not to let anyone take the bottle from him.When he was coming home he was met at Fenloe Cross by three men who did their best to wrestle the bottle and did as he was told and the horse got better.

  16. Biddy Early's Bottle

    CBÉS 0599

    Page 260

    260
    tells this story.
    Teresa O Leary heard this story from her father about Biddy Early's bottle.
    When Biddy Early was living a priest heard about the bottle she had. The priest lived near Biddy and went to her and asked for the bottle, but she would not give him the bottle. He tried to take if off her, but he could not.
    When Biddy died her cousin wanted to get the bottle, but the priest took the bottle and threw it into a lake near by Biddy Early's house.

  17. (no title)

    “Long ago there was a poor man and he only had one cow”

    CBÉS 0599

    Page 287

    Long ago there was a poor man and he only had one cow.One the cow fell and broke her leg.
    The man asked people to know could they cure her but they could not.One man told him to go to Biddy Early for a cure .The man went and Biddy Early gave him a bandage and told him to put the bandage around the cows leg and to leave it on for four hours

  18. Cailleach - Biddy Early

    CBÉS 0601

    Page 069

    69
    Cailleach - Biddy Early.
    Once upon a time there lived a woman named Biddy Early.She was a very skillful woman .She was able to make up a bottle,that would cure man and beast.Once a man came to her ,as she gave him a bottle to cure a girl that was ill.She warned him for his life not to let the bottle drop to the ground .he took all the care he could of the bottle ,and all at once the bottle dropped to the ground and was smashed to pieces.He went back to Biddy and told his story
    to her and she gave him another bottle.The same thing occurred and back again he went the third time and got another one.This time he succeeded in getting safely back and when the people saw that he had brought the bottle safely they were overjoyed.The girl became well when she had taken the first drop from the bottle.That ends my story about Biddy Early.

  19. Ráthanna agus Liosanna - Cill an Dísirt

    CBÉS 0604

    Page 244

    ( 6. Bean Uí Deaghaigh a h-ántín, an bhean a chuaidh go Biddy Early)

  20. Biddy Early

    CBÉS 0608

    Page 401

    Biddy Early.
    People in Kilmaley who were in consumption (decline) used to go to Biddy Early a witch who lived in Tulla.She could tell them what was wrong with them by looking through a black bottle she had.i heard of several people who went to her and I am informed she always told them what was wrong with them