School: Piltown (B.) (roll number 6189)

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1. A Plague on Birds (continued)

   

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   A plague on birds
   A great plague came on the birds in the year eighteen and forty nine. Nearly all the birds perished. The birds stopped singing at first. Then they were not able to eat anything. They were not able to fly. Everyone said that the birds wings were broken and that was the reason they were not able to fly. Then when they saw thousands of birds dead everywhere they said it was a plague that came on the birds. The country was very silent when the birds were dead. The people went around and gathered all the dead birds they could and buried them together. The birds that escaped were taken in by the people and fed and kept inside until they were as strong as ever again. Birds were very scarce then. All the blackbird and thrushes did not perish. The birds were silent for about six months after the plague. The birds which escaped showed respect to the dead birds. Where the dead birds were buried the birds that escaped sang around the grave of the dead birds every morning and evening. The people showed great respect to the graves of the dead birds. They cleaned it and put flowers on the grave.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   John Ryan

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Simon Tobin

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   78

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Tibberaghny, Co. Kilkenny