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The Schools’ Collection

This is a collection of folklore compiled by schoolchildren in Ireland in the 1930s. More information

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  1. The Potato Crop

    CBÉS 0975

    Page 302

    When a man is digging his potatoes men come, and help him to dig them. These men are called a meitheal.

  2. The Potato Crop

    CBÉS 0207

    Page 448

    448
    As few farmers in our locality have two farm-horses, it is usual to work in "co" when ploughing. This means that you borrow a horse to get your ploughing done, then lend your horse to the neighbour who obliged you with his. Many farmers also co-operate with their neighbours when digging with the loy. A large number working for the same person, without payment, is called a "meitheal."
    Every member of this "meitheal" will have all the others to work for him on the day choses for his own "meitheal," until there have been as many meitheals as members.
    When the young stalks are just about to burst up, the crop has to be moulded or "finished." This is done by digging the furrows to a depth of two or three inches and shovelling the mould on to the top of the ridge.
    The next work is spraying. This needs to be done at least twice, and, in a wet Summer, three times. The first spraying should be done when the stalks are about nine inches tall.
    The second spraying should be done about a fortnight or three week later. A spraying machine is

  3. The Famine Times

    CBÉS 0413

    Page 248

    ence as when the O'Sullivans dug their potatoes in the harvest they did not leave as much as a criochán after them.
    One day at the beginning of the famine a widow-woman had a Meitheal. The poor woman was scarce of potatoes so she gave the men bread made of Indian meal. Only one of the meitheal - named Simon - ate the bread and somebody remarked "D'íosfadh Simon aiteann brúidhte". Very soon after they all ate the "Aiteann Brúidhte". This was a saying among the old people in reference to people who were not very choice with regard to food.

  4. Bia na Seanaimsire

    CBÉS 0420

    Page 439

    Bíodh trí béile bídh aca sa sean-aimsir fadó. Sara mbíodh breacfasta ithte ag na daoine fadó do bhíodh obair laé déanta aca roimis. Sí an tam a bhíodh bíadh na maidne aca idir a hocht is a naoí a chlog.
    Ní bhíodh aon bhíadh ach prátaí agus bainne géar. Nuair a bhíodh meitheal ag aon duine bíodh leanacht aca lé tabhairt don meitheal. Nuair a bhíodh na prátaí ullamh chun iad a chaitheamh amach ar an mbórd do churthaí an bórd ó'n dtaobh clé don dtig. Ní bhíodh ach dhá chathaoir i mórán tighthe an úair sin agus caithtí chlár na coirce a thabhairt isteach chun é chur treasna an dá chathaoir chun slíghe a dhéanamh don líon-tíghe. Bíodh cuid aca suidhte ar an gcorán.
    Do bhíodh muca

  5. The Potato Crop

    CBÉS 0500

    Page 080

    The day of the planting a meitheal gather together to plant the potatoes. The potatoes are planted in the open drills and artificial manure is shaken on them and then the drills are closed with the plough. After six wees the potatoes are banked with the plough.
    The potatoes are left growing for about 5 months and then they are dug. The day of the digging a meitheal gathers again to pick the potatoes. A digger is used to dig the potatoes and they are picked into "skees" There are small pits made in the garden the day of

  6. Scéal

    CBÉS 0620

    Page 515

    Do bhí meitheal ag feirmeóir uair, ag baint prátaí, agus nuair a bhíodar go léir suidhte síos chun dinnéir, cé bhuailfeadh isteach cuca ach sagart an pharóisde. Bhí dhá fhear deag aca ann agus iad go léir san ithtad. Bhí duine aca 'na shuidhe ag bun an bhúird agus a chasóg de, brollach a léine oscailte siar, a muinncillí árdaithe suas aige. "Muise a Thaidhg" ars' an sagairt, lem duine ar bun an bhúird, "ní fhaca mé go dtí indhiu tú, agus do chasóg díot. Tá deallramh na h-oibre o[r]t anois ar aon chuma". Gháir gach aoinne aca, mar thuigeadar cad a bhí an sagart ag tagairt ar. Bheil a athair an bhfuil fhios agat, ná bhfuil aoinne des na fearaibh seo, sa meitheal indhiu, na fuigheann sé coimeád suas leis an romhar. Lem' chasóg orm, ach dá bhrígh na scéine seo bheith im' láimh agam" arsa Taidhg. "Ní bhfuil aon Criostaidhe dhíobh seo na buadhfadh glan orm san obair seo atá idir lámha anois againn, gur faobhar a chur orm féin cuige." "Sin e an chúis a athair an deallramh neamh-coittianta a chíonn tú orm". D'fhág sin maolchluasach go leór iad idir sagairt agus fearaibh.

  7. (no title)

    “Lá eile bhí sé ar lorg caorach sa chnoc agus tháinig sé trasna san áit a rabh meitheal ag bainnt mhónadh. Thoisigh na fir ag magadh faoi agus ag iarraidh air cleas a dhéanamh.”

    CBÉS 1047

    Page 254

    II
    Lá eile bhí sé ar lorg caorach sa chnoc agus tháinig sé trasna san áit a rabh meitheál ag bainnt mhónadh. Thoisgh na fir ag magadh faoi agus ag iarraidh air cleas a dhéanaimh. Cá dtuig sé áird ar bith ortha agus d'imthigh sé leis fá na ghnoithe. Nuair a bhí sé giota ar shiubhal uatha thoisigh na fir ag troid eatorra fhéin leis na spadaí agus na sleántaí ionas gur shaoil an fear a bhí an meitheál aige nach bhfuighfidhe a'n duine aca gan marbhadh.
    Sa deireadh b'eigeán do'n fhear imtheacht in a dhiaidh agus ar a

  8. Riddle

    CBÉS 0016

    Page 136

    Myself and a neighbouring farmer once had a meitheal each cutting oats and when we had finished in the evening we said we would send for drink for the workers. Eight gallons of porter was brought and it had to be divided between the two of us. We had only a five gallon measure and a three gallon measure. How did we divide it between the two of us?

  9. The Discontented Man

    CBÉS 0110

    Page 238

    Once upon a time there was a man who had a wife who had not the reputation of being a very up to-date house keeper. One day he had a meitheal digging potatoes. When they came into their dinner she had a large dish potatoes set in the centre of the table and a mug of milk for each man. When they all sat down the man of the house, who was at the head of the table saw a large mouse drowned in his mug and looking at his

  10. Meitheals

    CBÉS 0163

    Page 116

    Long ago when people were digging potatoes, threshing oats, wheat and barley, or doing any other thing they would gather a crowd of people called a meitheal and in this way it would never take very long to do their work. If there was a blacksmith or a tailor or any other tradesman in the place they go and work for him and he would pay them back some other way. They would go every year to the priest and work for him for nothing. They would never be late for fear the other people would be

  11. Jack Taafe the Famous Landlord of The Mountain

    CBÉS 0171

    Page 221

    In our neighbouring townland known as Mountaafe there once lived a landlord called Taafe. He was a very peculiar man. One year he went to England before he had saved the turf. His wife gathered a "meitheal" to stack the turf. When Taafe came home he scattered out the turf and took it back to the bog. The next day he made all the men stack it again.

  12. Liosanna

    CBÉS 0279

    Page 273

    Tá mórán liosanna sa pharóiste seo. Tá ceann i gCillcáisgéan. Bliadhanta ó shin bhí meitheal ag rómhar sa pháirt in aice na leasa agus thárlaig go raibh an dínéir déanach agus bhí iongadh ortha cad a bhí ag cinéal muintear an tighe. Sa deire dúbhairt duine des na búacailí ag magadh "A bhean istig túbhair cúighinn amach ár ndínéir." Ní túisge a bhí na fochaill ráidhte aige ná bhí bórd olamh i dtaobh amuich don lios le biadh agus deoch. Táinig scannradh ortha

  13. The Potato Crop

    CBÉS 0408

    Page 015

    sown in drills are dug by a potato digger and those that are sown in ridges are dug with ploughs or with a spade. When the farmer is digging the potatoes he gets help from the neighbours who are called a "meitheal" and they pick the potatoes.

  14. Scéal

    CBÉS 0611

    Page 320

    Do bhí meitheal ag feirmeóir uair ag baint prátaí agus nuair a bhíodar go léir suidhte sios cun dinnéir cé bhuailfeadh isteach chúcha acht an sagart pharóiste. Bhí dhá fear dheag ann agus iad go léír san ittadh.(?) Bhí duine aca na shuidhe ag bun an bhúird agus a chasóg dhe, brollach a léine oscailte siar, a mhuincillí árdaithe suas aige. "Mhuise a Thadhg," arsa an shagart leis an nduine ar bhun an bhuird "ní fhacha mé go dtí

  15. Turf

    CBÉS 0767

    Page 034

    are spread. The girls come with the dinner to the bog to the people who are working there. Sometimes the people have a Méitheal in the bog.

  16. Ag Toghadh Mná

    CBÉS 1035

    Page 69

    A leag sí amach go mbéadh meitheal sníomachain aca sa teach. Bhéad cáiliní óga an bhaile uilig ann agus bfurasch rogha agus thógadh a fhágail san iomlán. Bhí sin aca, meitheal mór ó dhoras go teinadh. (Fá dheireadh ma hoidhce.) Bhí an tseanbhean ar a coimheadh rith an ama agus fá deireadh na hoidhce thuit a crann ar trúir [dea?] ach ní thiocfadh léithe deanamh amach ua aca seo a bhfhóirstinighé mar bean-chéile d’a mac.
    Chuaidh sí agus thug sí léithe curta snáithe a bhí na ghréasán, bhí sé comh aimhréidhtigh sin. Thug sí do dhuine don trúir é lé é tothardadh in a ceirtlín ach ní rabh dul aici dadaidh a dheanamh de agus chaith sí uaithe é.
    Níor éirigh leis an darna cáilín dadaidh níos fearr. Ach choinnigh an tríomhadh bean leis go foigdheach gur réidtig sí é de réir a cheile agus go dtearn sí ceirtlín deas cúirealtá de.
    Nuair a bhí an teach réidhtigh agus futha féin an oidhche sin. “Sin dó bhean anois” ars an mháthair, “An cailín a réidtigh an cutá snáith agus má gnid tú dó leas dheánfaidh thú cleamhnas leithé” agus rinne agus cruthuigh sí gó maith.

  17. Caint na nDaoine insan gCeantar Seo - Focail Ghaeilge i gCaint na nDaoine san Cheantar

    CBÉS 0350

    Page 013

    (84) Bacán
    "I must get a BACÁN made at the forge for the half-door"

    (85) Meitheal
    "It is easy for them have their hay saved sure there is a MEITHEAL of them there"
    Meitheal = a lán daoine ag obair le chéile

    (86) Sluagh
    I never saw such a SLUAGH of people as were there.
    Sluagh = a lán daoine bailighthe le chéile

    (87) Lód
    "I am going to town for a LÓD of meal"
    lód = ualach

    (88) Taoscán
    "I gave a TAOSCÁN of a bucket of milk to the pigs"
    "How much water will I put in the pot?" "About a TAOSCÁN"
    "I'm afraid I will be short of hay maybe I'd send to you for a TAOSCÁN

    (89) Sugán
    We will go making SÚGÁNS with the castóir

    (90) Castóir
    A Castóir is a cipin used for twisting the súgán. Sometimes it is made from the handle of a White Enamel Bucket
    e.g:- (illustration)

  18. Kidnapping of Girl in the Beginning of the 19th Century

    CBÉS 0582

    Page 212

    Wherever there was a girl of any beauty & having the name of money, it was the custom of the time that her admirer would collect a ' meitheal ' of horsemen and go and forcibly take the girl from the parents. A pillion was in readiness in the back of his (the bridegroom to be) saddle for the accomodation of the girl to be snatched away.
    In such a manner was Johanna Casey (my great grand Aunt) of Ballyglasheen (near Thomastown) taken by Paddy Hickey of Ballinard & his friends.
    On arriving in Ballyglasheen they found the door locked them. They broke it open & entered the bedroom where Johanna Casey & her mother (Judy Walsh) were. Paddy Hickey rushed out with somebody in his arms but soon found it to be the girls mother! The mistake was soon rectified & the party proceeded homeward to Ballinard bearing with them the frightened girl.
    On the following morning the girl's friends went in turn, on horseback to Ballinard & found her seated to breakfast in the midst of the jubilant Hickey ' Meitheal '
    She was taken with an injured leg, but two years afterwards she married Hickey

  19. (no title)

    “Bhí rí in Éirinn fadó ó shin agus bhí aon mhac amháin aige.”

    CBÉS 0015

    Page 308

    agus tiomháin sé leís a gcuidh bhá abaile. Bhí sé beaghan níos deanaighe ná é. bhí sé an ceadh oidhce agus meitheal a maighistir é le faithciós gúr bhain an ceó dó. Níor baín an ceó dómh acth bhí an dructh agu tuithimh agus bhí leisge orm iadh dó corrughadh tiomháin siadh leobhtha ná bhá istheach cuigh a' teach. Reidéad suipeár an maighisthir ar an mbhuacaill agus suidh siadh sios. Bóil anois ar an maighisthir tá sgéal eile anocth agamh lé n-innseacth duith. Bhí truír fatháigh ins an aith seó agus leigh fidh glaoidh a closfidh ins an domhan tóir. Nuair cualaidh aréir acth dá glaodh agus níor cualaidh mé anocth acth aón ghláoidh amháin ar seiseán ' Muire beidhir arsa mach righ nEireánn gurabh é a gcoladh arsa.

  20. Ciste Óir i bhFolach

    CBÉS 0017

    Page 103

    Fadó chuad fear o lisín-na heilte isteac ar chuairc sa teac seo agus nuair a chuaidh sé isteach bhí meitheal mná ag singilt ann. Ní raibh an fear seo fhad istig nó go thosuig na mná ag ithe agus do cuireadh an fear ag ithe leobhtha agus níor fhág siad blas aige agus nuair a chuaidh an fear in a codhladh dubhairt sé an rann seo.
    Néal ní fhágann in mo chabhán seidear. Tá meideachas ar néal bhólchú. Tháirigh na mná sa gcoimhlint mé agus is námaid i ceird gan i fhogluimh.