STORIES FROM THE NATIONAL SCHOOLS FOLKLORE COLLECTION - 1937/8

In the late 1930s the Folklore Commission decided to collect as much local lore, stories, traditions and customs as possible and write the information down.

They organised a scheme in the years 1937 and 1938 using the national schools in the country. The teachers asked and prompted their pupils to gather whatever information they could from older family members, neighbours and friends. All the actual copybooks used were catalogued, indexed and conserved.

The resultant Schools’ Collection is a fantastic resource which contains much material that might otherwise have been lost. The collection is now available to view online. Simply go to www.duchas.ie and click on The Schools’ Collection - each county is listed and then, each school within that county.

Hereunder are several pieces from the collection.

CASTLETOWNROCHE NS

There is a well situated about four miles from Castletownroche near "Johnny Roche's Castle", Wallstown. It is dedicated to Naomh Bernárd, who is the saint of the well. People used to resort there for cure of sore eyes. I am sure some do still. The eyes were bathed in the water and the water was drunk. A piece of rag was left on a tree when the rounds were finished. Usually three rounds were made to the well.

This well and a well at Killura, Killavullen are twin wells. I suppose dedicated to the same saint.

There is a well in Mr. Dunlea's field, Bridgetown not far from the Abbey. It is on the right bank of the Aubeg and it is called Bun Abhann.

There is a rock on the left bank of the Blackwater at the meeting of the Blackwater, and Aubeg, which is called locally "Carraig a' terrat". I wonder is it Carraig an t-Searraigh. There is an old story that a colt leaped off this rock into the river in olden times, and hence the name on the rock.

(Author unknown)

There is a Castle near Wallstown Well, Castletownroche, called Johnny Roche's Castle. Johnny Roche built the castle with his own hands. I knew

Johnny Roche's brother, Pat, of Copse, Castletownroche. I was only a boy when Pat Roche lived. Pat Roche used always light his pipe with flint and steel and saltpetre on a rag.

Johnny Roche built a wooden bicycle seventy or eighty years ago with his own hands and used to ride it to Newman's Dromore, Mallow to pay his rent there.

He contemplated ploughing his bit of land at Wallstown by machinery, making the mill wheel of a little mill which he built to do the work.

The remains of this mill were to be seen by the river Awbeg near Wallstown Well. (Author unknown)

One day Finn MacCool and his men were hunting near a place called Convamore, Ballyhooly. (Convamore was the seat of the Earl of Listowel)

The river Blackwater was in flood, the deer they were hunting jumped into the water, the dogs followed into the flooded river, many of them were drowned, and ever since the place is called Conabhádh Mór - the great drowning of the hounds. (Author unknown)

An old man James Regan who was chapel collector for some years here and who was born in 1829 (so he told me) gave me the information that

he buried fourteen bodies of people (who died of famine fever) in Castletownroche grave-yard in one day. He brought them in a donkey-cart to the graveyard and buried them himself.

(Author unknown)

BALLYHOOLY NS

The Powerful Tree and Well

There was a tree called "Crann Cómacíac" middle ways in the crew line not far from the village.

There was a well under the tree.

St Patrick said Mass there once.

He had no clerk but a voice from the tree answered it.

Some time after a woman washed her clothes in the well.

It disappeared from that spot and is now in a field on our farm.

A man broke sticks off the above tree and when he was to go home he put the bundle on his back but he clung to the tree, bundle and all.

(told by Patrick J Barry, Bridgeview)

The Hospital Field

There is a field in the farm of Mrs. Barry's of Rahard called the Hospital Field. The remains of the walls are still to be seen. They are thirty feet long and twenty feet wide.

In the year eighteen forty seven when the potatoes were blighted and black, the people were dying in thousands in Ireland. There were about three hundred people in the Rahard Hospital. There was a man with a cart who drew the dead bodies to the graveyard in Ballyhooly.

One day he was told that there was no one dead but that there was one person who was on the point of death. He said - "throw him in here and he will be dead before I will be to the graveyard."

It is not recorded whether it was done as the man desired or not.

Two days after this the man came again with his cart. The doctor told him that a man in the corner was dead. He got so much money for each coffin so he was anxious for the people to die.

When he had the coffin ready he was putting the supposed dead man into it when he said in a weak voice – ‘I am not dead at all’. The other man said: "come on here and stop your talk. I suppose you know better than the doctor".

(Patrick J. Barry)

SHROVE

Shrove is from January 6th till Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.

Many people get married in Shrove especially farmers.

When a girl is to get married her father and some men go matchmaking to the residence of the young man whom they intend the girl to marry.

They walk all his farm, look at his cattle, horses and pigs and all the value he has. They examine the dwelling house. They then see how much money it is worth.

The matchmaking lasts all night. They have a very pleasant time. They have plenty whiskey and all kinds of eating and drinking.

About a week after this the young man comes to the girl’s house to know would they like each other. They discuss there the day that they will go to buy their wedding style and the ring.

The young man comes to the girl’s house two or three times before they are married. The girl decides the day they will get married. They then arrange with the priest.

The day that they get married the young man and the girl meet at the church with a crowd of friends from each side. When the marriage ceremony is over they go for breakfast to the young man’s house.

They have a wedding there all day and all night. They have singing, dancing, music and great feasting. Then the newly married couple go on their honeymoon and all the friends go home.

A month after this the newly married couple come to the girl's parents' house where a party is held in their honour.

Long ago if a girl or a boy over thirty years of age did not get married in Shrove they were taken to "Skelig".

They were watched by a number of people who if they caught them, put ropes around them and took them down to the river and gave them three dips in it. It did not matter who they were.

Another custom they had was - all the girls and boys were watched going to Mass on "Chalk Sunday", that was the Sunday after Shrove Tuesday who were over thirty years of age. There was a cross put on their backs with coloured chalk.

We’d all have pancakes for our supper on Shrove Tuesday night. The people were bound to fast long ago during Lent. They could not eat any eggs or meat. They put all the eggs they had in the pan-cakes then to be strong for the fasting.

That is how that custom came down to us

(Peggy Lombard, Killathy wrote down this story from her father David, aged 80).

GLENAFANA

Glenafana is situated west of Ballyhooly between the townlands of Rahard and Convamore.

Long ago water was flowing through it but there is no stream there now.

The good people it is said used to be heard hurling in a field of Mr John Ahern's beside the road. The noise of hurleys and whistles was heard.

There are only two farmhouses in the townland now. (told by John Ahern aged 60)