School: Askill (roll number 5294)
- Location:
- Askill, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Padraig Ó Treabhair
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0190, Page 308
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- XML School: Askill
- XML Page 308
- XML “Rats”
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- The billeting of rats was known and practised in this neighborhood about one hundred and five years ago. Rats were billeted from Connelly Gallagher's mill in Mullenleck near Kinlough Co Leitrim to Hughey Ward's barn in Laureen Kinlough Co Leitrim in or about the year 1831.Very few people had the power or knew the ceremony to be gone through in rat billeting. This power was handed down from father to son or to some blood relation. The billeting was written down on a slip of paper in Latin. What this message was is not known but the address of the former to whom the rats were sent was always written in English on the other side of the paper billet. The billet was put into the mouth of the biggest rat; how this was done is not to known. The place to where the rats had to be sent had to have plenty of food for them to eat or they would return to their former place of abode. The narrator heard his father say he met a great number of rats in Laureen bog led by a big rat with a piece of paper in its mouth(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Thomas M. Travers
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Derryherk, Co. Leitrim
- Informant
- William Doogan
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Derryherk, Co. Leitrim
