School: Clonalvy
- Location:
- Clonalvy, Co. Meath
- Teacher: Máire, Bean Uí Mhurchadha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0685, Page 158
Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
See copyright details.
DownloadOpen data
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
- XML School: Clonalvy
- XML Page 158
- XML “Bird-Lore”
Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.
On this page
- (continued from previous page)eggs which she hatches for three weeks.
The robin builds a little nest with moss and leaves, and lines it inside with hair or feathers. In this she lays five or six eggs which she hatches for three weeks. You know it is a sin if boys rob the birds' nests. If you only out your hand into the nest and tip the eggs the bird will forsake it. When the crows go up high in the air and whirl about restlessly we are going to have a storm.
When the father blackbird flys out from the bushes he calls back to the hen blackbird "Sweet" sweet! sweet!"
When our Lord died on the cross a little robin flew up to Him and while he tried to pull a nail out of Jesus' Hand a drop of blood fell on his breast and ever since that time every robin has a red breast. When a hawk is hovering in the sky if a swallow sees him he will fly under his left wing and pierce his heart, and the big bird will fall dead to the ground. The swallow is a gentleman dressed in black coat, and white vest and looks very smart.(continues on next page)
