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School: Cros Riabhach

Location:
Crossreagh, Co. Cavan
Teacher:
T. Ó Siordáin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1003, Page 351

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1003, Page 351

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  3. XML “Old Customs of this District”

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  1. Old Customs of this District

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    It is customary in this district, if there is no butter forming in the churn, to walk the cows into another county on the first day of May.
    When churning is going on in a house, any neighbour who happens to come in is always invited "to take a brash" and he takes the churn dash and works it a few times so that he "may leave the size of himself of butter on the churn".
    On Hallow Eve people never throw out water after night fall.
    The fire is never "naked" on a Hallow Even and the hearth is swept and tidied.
    If one meets a funeral as he goes to a fair he turns and walks a little way with the procession.
    If a tooth comes out, it is thrown over ones right shoulder in the direction of a cemetry.
    When one gets his hair cut, it is unlucky to burn the hair which is cut off.
    It is also unlucky to cut a baby's finger nails or the fairies might take him if you did, or swap him for a fairy.
    It is unlucky to kill a robin or interfere with a fort.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    History Edit
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Phil Smyth
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Crossbane, Co. Cavan