School: Castlemaine (B.) (roll number 5169)

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1. Folklore

   

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   Long ago in the bad times when all the potatoes failed in Ireland there lived back near Inch a poor widow woman with five young children. She was one evening without a scrap of food for them and she did not know what to do. They were all crying and asking for something to eat. In order to pacify them she went out and brought some white stones like potatoes and put them in a pot over the fire to boil. She then put the children to bed telling them that when the potatoes would be boiled she would call them up thinking they would go to sleep, but they still continued crying and asking for food.
   Just as night was falling there came to the cabin a poor travelling woman looking for lodging. She asked the mother what was wrong with the children and the mother told her that she had no food for them. She also asked what was in the pot over the fire. When she told her she took great pity on her. The old woman then told her to take up the pot and clean it and to search in a certain corner of the house where

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Willie O Brien

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   Over 10

   Address

   Ardcanaght, Co. Kerry

   Informant

   Mr Timothy O Brien

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   51

   Address

   Ardcanaght, Co. Kerry