School: Gort an Ghainimh (roll number 16127)
- Location:
- Gortaganny, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: M. Ó Cobhthaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0242, Page 123
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- (continued from previous page)side of the river (where the land was rich and the cows plentiful. Then she went down to the room. She came up with something rolled in a white cloth. It was a dead hand, and she gathered the butter with it. Five times the usual amount was produced, as a matter of fact, she could not stir the dash in the churn with the weight of the butter on the surface of the milk.
Then the husband and wife retired and when all was quiet the carpenter who feared that he might be given some of this butter for his breakfast, gathered up his tools before the household awoke and proceeded for home.
Even at the present day people put horse-shoes, a piece of a live coal etc under the churn. Are these not some of the 'pisreóga' of the olden times. They do not even like to give or lend anything while the churning is in operation fearing that they might give away the butter. It is customary for the visitor to strike a dash on the churn so as to show his willingness to help in the butter making.
