School: An Chill, Dúngarbhán (roll number 630 or 16748)
- Location:
- Kill, Co. Waterford
- Teacher: Tomás Breathnach
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0650, Page 149C
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- St Martin's night falls on the 10th of November. It is ten nights from amlais night. There are a great many old ceremonies carried on in some houses on that night. Next Thursday night will be Saint Martin's night. Many people kill a lamb and offer it to Saint Martin and on the door they make a cross with its blood. Other if they have a delicate cow cut the top off its ear on Saint Martin's night. When cutting it off they say that they cannot offer it up to the saint on that night. They promise that they will never sell it. but will offer it to the saint next Saint Martin's night. The beast is called a 'martin' and they deem it unlucky to sell it.
My father told me he knew a man who took a 'martin' to the fair to sell. He was about to put the cow into the wagon of the train after selling her when she burst past the men who were putting her on the train. She fell on the railway line and broke her leg. The buyer said he would not then take her. The farmer took her home and(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Thomas Mc Grath
- Gender
- Male
