School: Glaise Buí, Malla
- Location:
- Glashaboy East, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Conchobhar Ó Drisceoil
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0364, Page 160
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- XML “<span class="exact">May</span> <span class="exact">Day</span>”
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- Long ago there were a lot of traditions about May Day but now all these are done away with. It was customary on May Day to have a crowd of girls go out on May morning and wash their faces with the dew. It was said that the first snail they would meet no matter what colour it would be their husband would be the same colour. It is said too that no horse should be harnessed or no butter made on May Day as people can take butter from their neighbours by means of charms on that particular day. One evening as a man was coming from the bog he found a piece of rope. It happened to be May evening so he brought it along with him thinking he was doing no harm. The next day he was churning and he was astonished to find twice as much butter as usual. This happened a few times and at last he sent for the priest. There was Mass in the house but it was all of no avail. The priest asked him had he anything from another man's stall. At last he thought of the rope which was up on the stall window. He showed it to the priest who burned it and from that out he had his right amount of butter.
- Informant
- Cornelius O' Callaghan
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Glandine, Co. Cork
