School: Droighneach (C.), Dún Mánmhaí (roll number 8878)
- Location:
- Drinagh, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Séamus Ó Niatháin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0303, Page 435
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- (continued from previous page)speak a little Irish and understand a great deal. It was looked upon as a sort of accomplishment not as a sign of inferiority, and we who knew little of the language used to ask the boys to entertain us with Irish prayers and the like. These boys too provided "curmelees."
f) We called playing truant from school "Slengh-ing". The priest often took fast running boys to found up "Slenghers" by sunny fences where they basked in the summer sun fortified by "whorts" or blackberries or ears of corn from the ripening corn fields. Some remarkable chases often took place across miles of country.
g) I remember seeing an old woman picking up a sheep's dropping to be used as a cure for measles. There were some children in our house sick at the time but someone whispered about the kind of stuff that was to be employed int he cure, and the old lady's offer was turned down indignantly.
h) I also knew a local trapper who kept ferrets and he was being constantly troubled by requests for the ferrets milk leavings as a cure for whooping cough. Wild sage boiled was used as a cure for "hurts" and the like also celery for rheumatism.
i) An older man than myself tells me that they called the curmelee the curmel; and also used to bring to school another succulent root which was called the "ploorickeen".
