School: Kilmore (roll number 16637)
- Location:
- Kilmore, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Máiréad, Bean Mhic Giolla Críost
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0254, Page 244
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- XML School: Kilmore
- XML Page 244
- XML “Cure to Get the Butter Back”
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- (continued from previous page)a certain person whom they believed was able to get back the butter.
They started to prepare the churning on May morning. On that day they cut some branches of a rowan tree or bole tree brush. These they made a hoop of and put them round the churn. They also put some of them over the dairy door or whenever they were churning.
Once the butter was taken away it could not be got back until this cure had been tired. The person who was supposed to have the cure was then sent for. In almost all cases it was a woman then this person would come to the house and take charge of the proceedings.
The doors and windows would then be tightly closed and a big fire put down. Then a harrowpin and coulter of a plough were put into the fire and the churning was commenced and some prayers said.
No one was allowed in or out. Sometimes they spent hours beating the milk. After long and weary beating the milk they would let a scream when they(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Maureen Beirne
- Gender
- Female
