The Schools’ Collection

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

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  1. Mass Rocks

    CBÉS 0972

    Page 341

    There is a mass rock in Uragh beside Mr O'Reilly's.
  2. The Local Roads

    CBÉS 0189

    Page 405

    The names given to the local roads are - the Uragh Road leading from Kinlough to the bogs. The Barr Road leading from the Uragh Road to the Bundoran Road. The mill Road leading from Kinlough to the mills.
    The old Road leading from the Uragh Road to the manorhamilton Road. The Dartry Road leading from Kinlough to Dartry and Lough Melvin. The Moy Road leading from the Bundoran Road to Ballyshannon.
    Some of the roads are very old, and it is not known when they were made.
    Before bridges were made people crossed rivers by fords. Fords were made with stones and planks. There are paths and passes to leading to the mountains.
  3. Mass Rocks

    CBÉS 0972

    Page 347

    There is a Mass Rock at Mr Reilly's house at Uragh. There is supposed to be a hidden Mass Rock in Bunn Hill.
  4. My Home District

    CBÉS 0189

    Page 360

    feed on the hill where the mullaghmore races are now held. she also used to lie on a hill on our land.
    Most of the land is hilly and boggy. There are some small plantings growing there. Mullinagran is a name for one little planting. There is one small lake in the townland called the Uragh Lake.
    Yew trees were supposed to be plentiful in the district in times past, and that is the reason the district is called Uragh or Lubrac.
  5. The Magic Cow

    CBÉS 0190

    Page 022

    This country was at one time fortunate enough to possess a magic cow. The wonderful animal would fill any vessel that would be placed under her by the milker be the vessel be ever so large and that as often as anyone went to milk her. As might be expected she was no ordinary cow contented to eat the grass of one particular field or farm wherever she happened to be and to pass the winter in her owner's byre.
    This valuable animal would graze only in Crumpawn, drink only in Loughmarron and lie down to rest only in Uragh. She evidently had good taste in her choice though it entailed some walking on her part. Crumpawn, her grazing ground is situated at the south end of Glenade. As the name implies is a townland that appears to be hollowed out of the mountain and enclosed on three sides throw up the most succulent grass in this part of the country. Loughmarron is famed for its spring water. And the hills of Uragh are namely for how dry they are.
  6. Swanlinbar

    CBÉS 0969

    Page 005

    took a great interest in the district and owing to his efforts an iron spa was re-opened and cleaned. It is situated in the townland of Corameen in a field owned by Mr James Breen. There is one containing magnesia in the townland of Uragh in a field the property of Joseph Leonard Uragh Swanlinbar. A large hotel was at one time built close to it. The owner told me that the last of the stones of which it was built were removed 12 years ago. There was a large gravelled drive around the large field and even at present the outlines of this are visible. In one spot are the remains of an arch of trees. His grandfather told him that the trees supported a platform that could be raised by pulleys to their tops. This was used by the hotel guests for cardplaying, chess etc and the foliage of the trees provided the necessary shelter. Along the drive most of the trees had iron rings attached and to these the horses of daily callers
    were . This old man
  7. My Home District

    CBÉS 0189

    Page 361

    the houses in Uragh are low thatched houses with two rooms and a kitchen.
    There are only a few people over seventy in the district.There names are Mr. Feely, and Mrs. Claney and Mrs. Gallagher, and Mr. Mc Garrigle. Some of them can tell stories in English.
    Houses were more numerous in olden times than they are now. There are many old houses in ruins in my district. Some of the people of these house emigrated to America years ago.
    The land of Uragh is mostly all bog. There are a few small woods and a little lake. The lack is said to be enchanted as no fish live in it.
    The district was well wooded and it is believed that yew trees were very plentiful and on that account the
  8. Nicknames

    CBÉS 0971

    Page 145

    As there are many families named Fitzpatrick and O'Reilly in this district some of them have nicknames such as "Bawns", "Antonies", "The Hacklers", "Philies", "Sticks", and "Yellow Mick". The O'Reillys of Uragh are always called "Bawns" (Frank Bawn, Hugh Bawn etc.) A family named Brady is called "Gallop the Goat". A woman the name of Mc.Mahon is called "Straight Anne" because she is so straight. An old woman named Fitzpatrick was called "Rosie the Box" because she always carried a snuff box with her.
  9. The Story of the Enchanted Cow

    CBÉS 0189

    Page 014

    A long time ago, there was a strange cow seen in Glenade. The story goes that she fed in Crumpawn where the best grazing for miles around is supposed to be. She drank of the water in Loughmarron because it is the purest and best in the Parish, and she slept on the dry hills of Uragh. It was said that this cow could vill any vessel that ever was put under her with milk. One day she arrived at the house of an old woman who had no cows to give her milk. She asked the cow for (sc) some milk and the cow answered that she would give her plenty. She brought out a barrel and the cow filled it. She then brought out every vessel in the house, and the cow filled them also. At last she became so wicked that she brought out
  10. Fairy Forts

    CBÉS 0189

    Page 319

    There are many fairy forts in my district. They are all called forts. There are some in nearly every townland around Uragh, Derrinloughan, Unshenagh, Cournagee, and Laughta, They are all nearly in sight of each other. Mostly all of them are round in shape. Trees are generally round them all except a few that there stone and earth fences round. There is one in Cournagee on the side of a little hill built with stones and the roof is of stones also and is on a level with the ground. There is an entrance in the top of the roof. Many people have gone dodwn a bit but nothing have happened them but they
  11. Old Schools

    CBÉS 0190

    Page 093

    Over a hundred years ago there was a teacher who used to teach in Uragh. His name was McGowan but they called him Jack-o-the-Bog. He used to teach in the fields and byres and in all the backward places. The people kept him in clothes and tobacco. He used to stay in one house one night and another house the next night. They had no lead pencils in those days. They had to write with slate pencils and slates. The master had a big slate for a black-board with a wooden framem round it. They had no seats but blocks of wood. The master was very clever he was from Mayo. He taught the children how to write, read and spell. He also taught the boys Latin and how to write to a Priest or a Doctor or any body.
  12. (no title)

    Long ago there were certain days on which the people used to plant the potatoes and sow the corn.

    CBÉS 0190

    Page 126

    Long ago there were Certain days on which the people used to plant the potatoes and sow the corn. People say that Good Friday is a lucky day for planting the potatoes or on the 25 of March. Long ago there was an old cow she used to travel around the country side. This was the time of the Famine and the old cow used to keep every body in milk she slept on a hill in Uragh near Tullaghan and she used to drink in a Loc named Loc Marron above in Glenade. The people used to bring a big can out and milk the old cow. She used to give every body as much milk as would do them. There
  13. Houses

    CBÉS 0972

    Page 297

    My forefathers lived in a thatched house in Uragh. The straw was got when the oats was thrased. The fireplace was a hearth and they burned turf with blue clay mixed through it. They had a chimney with all wattles round two trees up to the top and they had two small windows on it one on the front and one on the back. There generally were two rooms in the house one with a fireplace and the other two beds in it. They had a settle bed for the servant in the kitchen and it was all made of wood.
  14. In Penal Times

    CBÉS 0189

    Page 285

    In the penal times the Irish people suffered much for their Faith. The priests were not allowed to say Mass and they were hunted into the woods and glens and mountains.
    The priests hid themselves in caves and they said Mass in the woods.
    There was an altar erected of rough stone in a little wood in Uragh. This may be seen to the present day. It is far from the road in a secluded spot. Mass was said at this altar in penal times.
  15. Local Cures

    CBÉS 0191

    Page 090

    Rossinver.
    A cure for a swelling of any description is a certain weed called chicken weed there is a cure for a certain disease, so to be sure that the cure required is obtained and a complete branch of this is applied.
    There is an old woman called Mrs Leonard living in Uragh Kinlough, that gives a bottle composed of juice of certain herbs mixed with butter, for a swollen cow's udder and like other cures is kept secret by the owner.
    A cure for Ringworm is daisy
  16. Folk-Tales

    CBÉS 0197

    Page 150

    peace he died and was buried at sea.
    "The Enchanted Cow.-When talking to me of the tales told in Largydonnell, my informant said he believed it was thought that the "enchanted cow"might be "the dirty red cow"after which a hill in the locality has been named. He told the story of "The Enchanted Cow"shortly, as follows:-
    "In famine days this cow appeared and she could never be milked dry. She drank from the stream at Lough Marron. (This seems to have been the cause of her enchantment). She slept of the Uragh hills and fed on the spot where Mullaghmore races are now held. She also fed around Cliffoney and at Classybaun. One morning a woman went out to milk her and the vessel she brought was a corn riddle. she milked away to see how long would the cow keep supplying milk. When the cow saw the trick she walked away and died that morning."-
  17. (no title)

    Dan Downing aged between 80 and 90 but still able to relate the stories of old says that one night when he was coming home...

    CBÉS 0464

    Page 274

    Dan Downing aged between 80 and 90 but still able to relate the stories of old says that one night when he was coming home about 1 or 2 a.m (they dont say morning) he was surprised to see a sailing vessel in the Upper Lake of Clonee near his former home Uragh/Laragh[?] Tuosist (where the galláin 12 (standing stones) they say are) He took particular notice of the vessel as anything larger than a two oared punt was never on the lake or on any of the Clonee Lakes yet.
    When he went home frightened out of his wits his father told him that a Priest was drowned at the same spot (where he saw the phantom ship) in the Penal days but his name is forgotten long since.
    Brought to school by his grand nephew Paddy Kelly of Lohart, Tuosist in whose house the old man lives.
  18. A True Story

    CBÉS 0968

    Page 332

    road a few yards from where the Uragh Boys School near us. There is a bad road that way still but no one goes that way now except in its real dry weather to mass or to the Post Office in the village of Swanlinbar (or Swad as it is now always called). There was another near way for the people of Aughnakelly: there was an old road that way, before the Drumersee road was made. It went through part of Drumbar and Drumbrochas and past Johnston's, and Owens and out on the road near the Spa in Harts meadow. There was a pass off it from Drumbar to Killdu graveyard. It was that way the funerals went from around here long ago.
    It is now a fairy pass, and it is that way the fairy funerals go still, that is when they are bringing any one away. A very truthful man James Crawford from Aughakinnigh told me that coming off his ceily he sat down in a ditch to light his pipe. No time till he heard a noise like a procession, and found women trying to coax a child and it crying (just as if it was after rising out of bed sick). He wasn't a bit afraid, but he heard the noise saw lights coming from a house named
  19. (no title)

    Long ago there were many forts in Ireland.

    CBÉS 0971

    Page 015

    Long ago there were many forts in Ireland.The fairies used to live in forts.
    There was a fort in Uragh, It is in Hugh Reilly's land. There was a fort in Carrickhill. It is in Mr Flynn's land. There was another fort in Derrygeracain. [?]
    There was a lake at the foot of the fort field. People used to go there to fish at night. The fairies ran down the field and they cheered and laughed at the fishermen, in Carrickhill.
    A woman was going to mass one day. The woman had to pass Derryerahain fort. When she went near the fort she saw a little woman dressed in white. She was gathering