School: Bánóg (roll number 7222)
- Location:
- Banoge, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Pádraig Ó Riordáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0506, Page 219
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- One day, early in 1938, a sweep had a caravan in the locality. Not being the possessor of a cow or a goat, he went to a farmer's house to get some milk. He first of course, asked if any chimneys needed cleaning , and, in being answered in the negative, requested the milk. He produced his bottle to the farmer's wife. She filled it for him and handed the bottle, full of the milk, to him. He then inquired if she had put any salt in the milk. The woman had not put any salt in and asked him his reason for such. His reply was: 'In some parts of the country, and I do a good deal of travelling, I would not get a drop of milk without a grain of salt being put into it. It seems if I got the milk without the salt, I would take the luck away from the house. They believe it in many places because I very often saw the salt being put into the milk". The sweep thanked the donor graciously and was about to take his departure, when she asked him if he was(?) saw any other custom practiced throughout the country. "In some places" he said " the people insist that I should go out the same door of the house as I came in, while, in other places, if I entered by the front door, I should leave by the back door. The belief in going through the house is that if there were any germs or any disease going through the house, the stranger coming in would carry the said germs with him.
