School: Leamh-choill
- Location:
- Drumsillagh, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Cáit Ní Ghadhra
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0232, Page 108
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- (continued from previous page)Easter: The old people always arose before dawn on Easter Sunday morning as they believed that the sun dances every Easter Sunday. The people competed with each other and see who would eat the most eggs.
May Eve & May Day: May flowers are scattered outside every door to keep out the fairies. Milk is not given away on May Day. Girls washed their faces in the dew before sunrise to have a beautiful complexion.
St. John's Day: June 24th is the very first day that the "new" potatoes were dug to provide "caulcallon" for the dinner.
On the eve of St. John's Day the "bonfire" blazed and the young men and women danced and sung and made merry around the bonfire and little boys threw lighted "clods" at each other and the fun lasted until midnight.
Michaelmas: The feast of St. Michael Sept. 29th was also a "set" day. The people rejoiced and feasted on this day and thanked God and St. Michael for the fruits of the harvest. A dance was held that night and they decorated their houses with Michaelmas daisies.
Nov 1st. - Oct. 31st. The fairies change in May and November from one fort to another. It is said they can't fight in a battle without having a human person. Numbers of tricks are played on Halloween night.
St. Martin's Day: 11th Nov. Millers never let the mill wheel turn on St. Martin's Day in honor of St. Martin who was ground in a mill. A fowl or animal is always killed in every house and the blood spilled in honor of St. Martin. "St. Martin takes before, but not after". The story is that of a poor widow woman who sent her son out to search the ridge for potatoes. It being in the famine period, he got none, but the mother took the only food she had - an old goose - & killed it in honor of St Martin. People used to give presents on St. Martins Day.(continues on next page)
