There was a man living at Moatfarrell one time and every night he used to go to a neighbours house. He had to go through a fort on his way and one night he found a creel in the fort. He brought the creel home with him and was carrying potatoes in it the next day. That night when he was going to his ceili the fairies caught him and kept him in he fort until morning. They told him to bring back the creel that night and he brought it back and left it in the fort that same night.

Paddy MacDermott (60),

Cam,

3

A few years ago there was a man who had a fort on his land near Drumlish. He ploughed the fort one day and when he went out the next day it was levelled the same as if it was never ploughed.

Matt Kenny, (58 about)

Monedara,

4

Long ago the fairies used to be seen on Gaigne Hill. One night a man was coming home off his ceilid. As he went up the hill the fairies began shouting at him "Come out here". When he went out there they shouted at him from some other place "Come out here". He was kept till morning going from one place to another.

Mrs MacNerney,(53 years)

Corclara,

5

One night a priest was sent for on a sick call. When he was going near the house he heard music. He stood to listen to the music and when he went into the house the man was dead about as long as the music lasted.

Mrs Mac Nerney

Corclara,

6

There is a lough in Corclara bog and the name of it is Sammons' Lough. One day a white horse came out of it and began eating grass on Sammons' land. He stood there for a few days and the Sammons caught him to see what sort of horse he was but he broke away from them and jumped into the lough.

7

Once upon a time there lived a man in Ballinamuck who used to keep a posh. One night when he was coming from leaving a friends home a little fairy appeared to him and asked what had him out at that hour. He said he was leaving a friend home. She told him to take her advice and not be out that late anymore. He didn`t give her any heed and at the end of the night he was killed on the very place he met the fairy woman.

Mrs. MacNerney,

Corclara,

8

One time there lived in Granard a woman and she was caretaker in Granard-Cille chapel. One evening she was coming home she saw a little woman crossing the road from Granard-Cille graveyard the little woman came up to her and she told her to take her bed out of the corner she had it in, and put it in the south corner. She paid no heed to her the little woman came another evening and told her again, but she did not heed her. The third time the little woman told her that her bed was on "deaths path" but she didn't change it, and she was got dead the next morning. There was another old woman who lived beside her and one evening she saw two little women sitting at the graveyard gate and one was the old woman, she was taken away by the fairies because she didn't do what they asked.

Mrs Nugent (46)

Lisderry,

9

One time there lived a little woman and she had one little boy. She was asked to tie oats one day. The field the oats was in was called the fort - field because there was a fort in it. She left the child at the bottom of a stook. When she was going home in the evening she went to lift the child but he wasn`t there. They all went to help her look for him but they couldn`t get him. When she was going by the fort a child laughed out at her. She lifted it and brought it home. From that day the child never stopped crying till it died.

Mrs. Nugent, (46)

Lisderry,

8

Once upon a time there lived a young woman in Granard. She had two little children and they died. Then another little child was born. That night there was two young men going home from card playing. When they were passing the house they saw someone handing out the baby on the window to a little woman outside. One man went over and

took the child and brought it home to his wife. The next morning the father went around telling people about the child being dead. The man that brought home the child gave it to his brother and mother. Then he put the dead child into the fire. It let a shot and went up the chimney. It was the fairies took away the other two children.

Mrs. Nugent (46)

Lisderry

9

At one time there was a jolly little man named Farrell. He was a kiln man in Kilshrewlwy mills. He used to have to stay minding the oats at night. Some nights a band of fairies used to come in. They used to be playing about and he would have to push them out of his way. One time a man gave Farrell a punch in the side. He worked until able to work no more. In the morning he went home to Bunlahy where he lived. He told his mother about what happened him and went to bed. One day a young man, that he didn't know came in and asked him what was on him. This man told him (Farrell) that the doctor would be with him the next day. When the doctor came his mother wasn't there and he had a lot of rags tied around him. The doctor cut the rags and puled a big long needle out of his side. When the mother came home he was sitting at the fire - and he well.

John Coyle (60 years)

(Formerly of Cartronmarkey, Granard)

10

There is a well in our field called ......avarron Well. There is a story told about this well. One day a woman was washing clothes at it and it went dry and sprung up in another part of the field. It was never known to go dry since.

John MacCormack (13)

Cranley

Told by his father aged about 50 years

11

An old woman came to a house on May Day. She asked for new milk and when she got that she asked for spring water. The next time the people of the house churned they had no butter. The woman of the house went to the priest and told him. After a long time he got the butter back from her.

John MacCormack (13)

Cranley

Told by Mrs MacCormack (aged about 44)

15

One day two men were out hunting. They put up a hare and she ran for a little house and went in on the window. When the men came as far as the house, they could see nothing, but an old woman sitting on a stool. They got several hunts after the same hare but she always went for the little house and the dogs weren't able to catch her. They told the priest and he told them to get a black greyhound without a single white hair. So they got him and put up the hare but the dog wasn't fit to catch the hare until she was just going in on the window and he pulled a piece out of her leg. When the men came up to the house they saw the old woman sitting on a stool and her leg all.....??????

65

A horse came into Duffys' fields in Monedarragh. They did not know where the horse came from but Duffy and a man named Sammon ploughed with him. The priest told them it was all right to work the horse but not to ride him. A man called Irwin came into the field. He got up on the horse. As soon as he did, the horse made straight for Sammons' Lough. There was a Sally bush beside the lough, the man grabbed the bush as the horse was running by.........

66

Once upon a time a white horse came out of Salmons' Lough. He entered into Reillys' field in Monadarragh. Reilly caught him and worked him for about five years. One evening he was taking the horse for a drink and ----- him. The horse got a sight of the lough. He galloped towards it. Reilly had to throw himself off the horse or he'd be drowned, because the horse jumped into it and was never seen after.

Barney Daly (73)

67

There was one time a woman living near Streete. She had a cow grazing in Daramona. The cow usen't to give her milk either night or morning. She watched the cow this evening and she seen a hare sucking her she got four grey-hounds to try to kill the hare but they couldn't catch her. There was a priest in Boherquill at the time and the woman told him. He came with a black grey-hound and he ran the hare through the fields and into Streete. She made for one of the houses but just as she was jumping across the half-door, the grey-hound took a lump out of her hip. When the people went into the house, there was an old witch in the corner and a lump out of her hip.

Tom Doran (76)

(Died 1936 R.I.P. Corclara)

68

RINGWORM

1. Make the sign of the cross on the ringworm for nine mornings with a gold marriage ring.

2. Grind up bluestone mix with butter and rub on ringworm.

3. Carltons' Bottle for Ringworm

-----Carlton lived at -----(near Monedara N.S.) died about a year ago. A friend of his prepares the bottle now. It's made up of - A pennyworth each of

(a) Epsom Salts

(b) Ground Ginger

(c) Jalap

(d) Cream of Tartar

(e) Sulphur

(f) Aloes

People come from far and near for Carltons' Bottle.

HACKS

Maurteen causes hacks. To cure them, melt pitch and cover the hacks with it. When they clear the pitch will fall off.

BALDNESS

Burn an old boat mix the ashes with butter and rub on the bald spot. This makes the hair grow again.

EARACHE

Roast blessed salt and put to ear in cloth.

TOOTHACHE

Prayer from Mrs Maguire Clonwhelan-

Peter said upon a marble stone Jesus came to him alone and said "What ails thee, Peter? Peter said "O Lord my tooth dot ache". Our Lord said "Arise Peter and come with me King of Nazareth, King of the Jews"

(To be said nine times.)

402

My mother told me that long ago there lived a man in Ratheoin named Mick Nally and he had a fort in his land and there were fairies in it.

One day Mick let out a young calf in a field beside the fort and that evening when he went out for the calf he could not find him anywhere.

He spent a week looking for the calf and could not find him, and one day he was going down the road and the calf gave a cough beside him, it is said that the fairies took the calf.

George Bloomer,

Bracklin,

23-06-'38

403

Jack Masterson, Ratheoin, told me that there once lived a man named Mat Cormack, and one day he was going down the road from Ratheoin and all of a sudden a lot of cats came from behind the hedge and said to him "Manrs tell Cathro that Manhazer is dead"

The man went home and he told his cat that Manhazer was dead and then the cat got up and walked out and the man never saw her again.

George Bloomer

Bracklin,

23-06-'38

404

CURES

Years ago there were a lot of different cures for every disease.

A cure for jaundice was to catch a mouse alive and put him in a saucepan of milk and boil it and then the mouse was taken out and the milk given to the sick person.

A cure for corns is to get a raw potato and cut a hole in it and put a lump of washing soda in it and leave it until the washing soda melts and then put it on the corn.

A cure for warts is to get a snail and put him on them and then stick him on a thorn and when the snail decays away the warts will go.

A cure for ringworm is to put polish on it.

George Bloomer,

Bracklin,

23-06-'38.

405

OLD HOUSES

Long ago the old houses were not the same as they are now-a-days. They never slated the houses they always thatched them. They had the fire an the hearth and they would put the manure heap outside the front door they must have thought the nearer the muck the better the luck. The houses were built in a pit or a hole with a number of windows in the houses but very small ones. They would stuff the bedroom chimneys with a bag or two of straw the way the wind would not come down. They made mortar with cow dung and yellow clay mixed for patching purposes, after a few years they put tin or galvanised over the thatch. Later years they started to slate and tile the roofs of houses and put grates and stoves in the kitchen. Now they have electric stoves for cooking and electric fires.

Victor Allen,

Main Street,

27-06-'39

416

RATHOWEN

------ between here and------is a village called Rathowen. The village as called after a great man whose name was 'Owen'. This man had possession of this Rath while he lived. He had in it a wonderful strong hold. It had a big river running all around it and in order to get in or out he used to have to let down bridges which they could lift again. Therefore nobody could get in or out only those who lived in it.

417

RUSH CANDLES

In olden times there was no such thing in houses as electric light or oil lamps but the lights they used that time were known as rush candles. The people used to go out through the fields and collect all the big long rushes. When they came in they used to peel them. Then they had a little instrument which was the shape of a small boat, known as a "Grissett". They used to put the "Grissett" on the fire and melt the lard or grease in it. When the grease was in a liquid formation, they used to run the pealed rushes through the grease and then let them dry. The blacksmith used to make an instrument which was called a "Boss" to represent each member of the family and all the candles were lighted together. Every member of the family then knelt down and said the rosary. The old saying that used to go with the twelve candles was : The member of the family represented by the candle that burned out was to die the first, and the candle that lived the longest that member of the family which was represented by it was to live the longest of the whole family.

418

THATCHED HOUSES

Long ago there was no such things as slated or tiled houses they were all thatched roofs. ------ used to be pulled and made into-----. Then the thatchers used to get a big ladder and get up on the roof of the house. The thatcher used an instrument which was called a "stapler". The man gets a handful of straw and pushes it into the old thatch with the pre-mentioned instrument. When he has all this done he puts "scollops" on the thatch to keep the wind from blowing it away. This has to be done every four or five years.

BASKET MAKING

Basket making was a very popular work with the people of long ago. They used to get a wooden hoop and make the basket with "Sallies" to the shape of the hoop. They used to make "creels" also with the "sallies". The creels and baskets were used and are used to the present day for carrying turf.

432

Mr Mark O'Farrell, a native of Camlisk was the great grand father of the present Connie O'Farrell. He gave shelter to Cromwell in his time in Ireland . When he arrived with his army at Mr O'Farrells he asked for shelter for the night. Mr O' Farrell supplied his army with out-offices and gave the officer a comfortable bed. When he was asleep Mark O'Farrell took his sword and pierced it through the pillow on which he lay. When he awoke he saw the sword lying beside him and rising up called to Mark and knew what he could have done when he pierced it so near him. And bringing him out showed him all the land as far as he could look around him at three pence an acre.

HERBS

The most harmful weed on the land is called "Blackheads". In some places they are called "Blueheads". They spread rapidly and impoverish the soil. Where large "Thistles" grow the land is usually good. "Sorrell" is always found in poor land deficient in lime. "Dandelion Tea" is used for the stomach trouble. "Watercress" is used for salads and otherwise as food by the poor. "The leaves of Docks" are boiled and given to pigs with other food.

"Spurge" is used to kill fish. The spurge is gathered and pounded up, then thrown into the river. It poisons all the fish. The fish are taken and eaten without ill - effects to the eaters.

OLIVER GOLDSMITH

Above all the poets and writers that 'Eire' produced, Oliver Goldsmith was one of the best. When his school career began he came to school in Mostrim.

Born in Pallas in the county Longford, Oliver wrote many books which to the present day keep him in the memory of the Irish people. The school which he came to is to be seen to the present day in the yard adjoining the Imperial Hotel. He was not going to school very long when he took a dislike to it and being a very wild boy strayed away from his home. He travelled away from his home. He travelled all the countries of Europe especially Spain. While he was in Spain he was very poor and had nothing to depend on for his living only the money he would earn playing his flute. One of his books which he wrote will never be forgotten namely "She Stoops To Conquer".

Moataward Fort

There was a man whose name was Mac Cormack and he owned all Moat-a-ward. This man saw many things at the fort. He saw warriors with armour and swords in their hands and the whole fort was lit up and they marched around playing in bands.

There was an old bush in the fort and often a fire was seen near the bush, this man fell in love with the bush so he dug out the bush and planted it at home in his own land. Everything went bad with him after that and he had always ill luck in and around the house.

One night while he was asleep a voice said to him "Leave back that bush in its place". Then he did so and after that he had the best of luck.

There is a cross in the grass as if somebody as buried there. It is said that there is a stairs in it and long ago if you dropped a stone into this hole you would hear it falling down the stairs.

John Nolan

Told to me by James Kearney,

Farmer aged 65 years.

WHY THE PIG LANE GOT ITS TITLE

In older times that was the way they used to go to load the pigs to the station. There was a lane leading down to the station along the side of the railway. Before the platforms were in force they used to have to lift the pigs into the wagons.

One side of the church was the pig green what is now called the "Clover Field"

John Nolan

Told to me by Bernard Connelly

Lisnagrish

MY HOME DISTRICT

In my home District there are nineteen houses all are slated except two. There are four old people over seventy years they are not Irish speakers and know very few Irish words. They do not know any stories in Irish or English. The name of the townland is Corboy. This name is taken from a hill in my fathers farm called the "Yellow Hill". It is in the parish of Edgeworthstown. The land is very rocky in places and boggy in others. Here on our farm there are a number of plantations some very old trees some as old as a 130 years. There is also a druids alter and a monument which is supposed to be over an old King.

Told by: Mr. Phillips

Corboy

Once upon a time in a bog about two miles from here lived a man with his family. The house was built of bog material - it was long ago. They burned rush candles and ate oaten bread. They were very happy and comfortable in their own way. One night as they were sitting around their warm turf fire, a loud knocking came to the door. They did not care to open it as they thought it might be robbers. The knocking kept on and a womans' voice was heard saying "open the door and let me in I want to wash and I want to spin." They then opened the door. A woman stepped in with one horn on her head. She told them all to sit back from the fire. She hung on a pot and filled it with water. Then she took a big bag off her back and took out a number of things to be washed. The man of the family had to sit in a corner. They could not stop admiring the horn on her head. They knew by her appearance that she was a fairy. Suddenly another knock came to the door. The man opened it and in walked another old woman with two horns and another with three and so on until twelve at last with twelve horns. They all did washing. They dried them carefully at the fire and ironed and folded them and put them in their bags. When all was finished there were twelve caps to be ironed one cap she put it on and away she went up the chimney. The next ironed another and away she went up the chimney and so on until the last one was gone up the chimney and never heard of again.