School: Clochar na Trócaire (Convent of Mercy)

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1. Signs of the Weather

   

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   Our forefathers had many, and true indications of foretelling good and bad weather. Here are some of their signs of foretelling bad weather, which are firmly believed to the present day as they seldom go wrong. The first oldest and truest sign is a star following close to the moon with the moon thrown on its back which indicates a very wet period for that moon. A bright circle around the moon is also another very bad sign. A south-easterly rainbow which does not reach the earth was looked on as a fearful sign. It was known by the name of "madra gaoithe", the old men used to say "that dog will soon bark".

   The women themselves had their own signs as the cat sitting close to the fire, soot falling from the chimney, a blue flame in the fire, a dog biting grass, the fowl scratching late at evening before they retire to bed, the crows not flying far from the rookery, the seagull soaring high over the hills, the seal coming close to the shore sniffing water in the air, shoals of fish scooling in the harbour, the swallows flying close to the ground, spring wells drying up, the sea getting an ashen colour all indications of coming rain.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. seánra
      1. seanchas aimsire (~6,442)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Eibhlín Ní Chárthaigh

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Baile an Oileáin, Co. Chorcaí

   Informant

   Donncadh Mac Cárthaigh

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   40

   Address

   Baile an Oileáin, Co. Chorcaí