School: Carraig Áluinn (roll number 16.474)
- Location:
- Carrigallen, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Pádhraic Mag Uidhir
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0228, Page 023a
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- XML School: Carraig Áluinn
- XML Page 023a
- XML “Story - Loss of Butter”
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- In [?] 1860[?] in the Co. Longford there lived a man named Farrell with his wife and three children.
They had four milch cows but no matter how they churned, or for how long, no butter came. Nothing but froth was on the milk in the churn, even after several hours' work.
As well as being a farmer, he was a cooper by trade. He had several neighbours accused of "taking the butter" but not the right one. There was a neighbouring man called McGurk. This man was called the "witchman" and was supposed to possess the charm for restoring the butter.
He told them to prepare a churning for the following Tuesday morning at eight o'clock. He gave the following instructions which they were to follow carefully. "Have three red hoops around the churn and twelve harrow pins in the fire. Have the windows blinded, the keyhole stuffed and let in no light." They did all these things, and then started to churn. They were about 10 minutes at the work when a knock came to the door and a voice cried, "Let someone run for the Doctor my mother is dying." They stopped churning and one went for the doctor whilst others went to see the sick woman. The woman got well and they returned to resume the churning but no butter came.(continues on next page)
- Informant
- James Cunnion
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 84
- Address
- Cornaferst, Co. Leitrim
