School: Gaduidhe Dubh (C.)
- Location:
- Gaddyduff, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Cáitlín Ní Mhiothagáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1121, Page 266
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- Long ago it is said that there were certain people who were able to blink. Blink means to wish you to loss anything such as to wish your horse, cow, donkey etc. to die.
If a person went out anywhere with his horse, to protect them from being blinked, he would put on a red band or bow on its head. Then the person would not be able to blink. The people say that red is in honour of the Sacred Heart and that is why they put on red bows or bands. They would tie this bow to the headstall of the horse. There is one district in Clonmany that believes in this still and practices it up to the present day.
It is always said that even when wishing you or your horse well they can bring bad luck if they have the intension of bad luck in their minds.
Long ago the people would come into your house and if you were churning they would blink the milk. To prevent this when people would go to churn they would put a horse-shoe in the fire because it was iron. Then the person would not be able to blink the milk. When the people would make the first churning after a cow calfing they get blessed salt and(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Hugh O Donnell
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Roosky, Co. Donegal
