School: Athgarvan, Curragh (roll number 13350)
- Location:
- Athgarvan, Co. Kildare
- Teacher: Bean Mhic Niocaill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0776, Page 231
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Superstitions
“In Kilmaley Friday was regarded as a lucky day to begin work.”
(1)In Kilmaley Friday was regarded as a lucky day to begin work. Farmers always began to sow the potatoes and to cut the hay on Friday. If they had not got all their ploughing done and were not quite ready to sow the potatoes on a Friday they sowed at least a half a drill "to make a start" on the lucky day. Similarly those who were not quite ready to begin saving hay on a Friday cut a few rows (Raitíní) on the lucky day.On the other hand Thursday was unlucky. One Thursday in the year was "Diardaoin Dearg" and if any new work was begun on that day the man of the house was sure to die. Nobody knew which Thursday of the 52 Thursdays in the year was Deardaoin Dearg so the only thing left to do was not to start new work of any description on a Thursday.Sometimes rather amusing domestic quarrels resulted from a woman's unthinkingly beginning to knit a sock on a Thursday. The man invariably assumed that she wanted to get rid of him when this happened.The day on which the Feast of the Holy Innocents (28th Dec) fell was called the "Cross Day" for the succeeding year. Nobody got married on that day as it was believed that couples married on the "Cross day" would quarrel. Nobody got married on(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Bríghid Bean Mhic Niocaill
- Gender
- Female