School: Clonlara

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1. Feasts of the Year (continued)

   

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   concerning May Eve and May day.

   Being the first of Summer there were green branches hung outside each door and bunches of wild flowers hanging on the knockers. This was supposed to keep fairies away.

   Superstitious people in the country did a lot of queer things on that night. By which means they took their neighbour's milk and butter. In some cases they managed to milk the neighbours' cows. Others were known to bury eggs in the boundary walls. Others tried to have the first bucket of spring water from the neighbour's well.

   I heard of a tub of butter being buried in a monastery garden. The brothers noticed the freshly dug spot and found the butter and set it on fir. This was supposed to have destroyed the charm which is believed to last while the butter was decaying.

   Where people were lucky with pigs the enemy buried slices of bacon in the garden to turn the luck to themselves. They even went so far by the power of the devil where there was a delicate boy in a family they twined the delicacy to the neighbour's son by burying articles of clothing belonging to their own son in the garden.

   May day being dedicated to our Blessed Lady

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Josie Moloney

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Cloonlara, Co. Clare

   Informant

   John Moloney

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   66

   Occupation

   Carpenter

   Address

   Cloonlara, Co. Clare