School: Ráth gCaola (B.) (roll number 1282)
- Location:
- Rathkeale, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Seán Ó Coindealbháin
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- XML “May Eve Customs”
- XML “May Eve Customs”
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- On May Eve people used to decorate their houses with slanders. The children used to fight with slanders. it was said that if you were not hit with a slander on May Eve the fairies would take you. It is also said that if you picked flowers on May Eve that the fairies would take you.
Another custom is spreading Holy water on the farm so that the fairies would not take the grass.- Collector
- Brian Connellan
- Gender
- Male
- Farmers always sprinkle Holy Water (May water) on their cattle on this evening to protect them against the evil spirits. if this is not done the milk the following morning has always been found useless for churing, that day.
- Collector
- Dick Hayes
- Gender
- Male