Annie Mc Nicholas
Annie Mc Nicholas from Tawnaghmore, Balla, Co Mayo. Former pupil of prizon school. She attended school in 1938.
Riddles
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas
INFORMANT John Mac Nicholas; Age; 50, Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo”
1. Its black and white and red all over?
2. It goes in dry it comes out wet, the longer its within the stronger it gets?
3. Ink, ank under a bank ten drawing four?
4. Four belly banders, four sticks standing, two hookeens, two crookeens, and a slashy about?
5. It goes around the house, round the house, and lies at the back door?
6. If there were twenty patches on a man's trousers what time would it be?
7. A jumper of ditches, a flapper of thorns, a poor little creature with two leather horns?
8. The quicker you lick it the faster it goes?
9. As I went out a boreen I met my Auntie Noreen. She had an iron nose and steel toes, and dear knows she would frighten the crows?
1. A newspaper.
2. Tea in a tea-pot.
3. A woman milking a cow.
4. A cow.
5. A twig.
6. Its time for him to get a new one.
7. A rabbit.
8. A toffee.
9. A gun.
Weather-Lore
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas
INFORMANT John Mac Nicholas; Age; 50, Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
6th May 1938”
When there is a ring around the moon its the sign of bad weather.
When the ashes is blue its the sign of rain.
When the crows sit on a stone wall rain is expected.
When the cat turns his back to the fire its the sign of bad weather.
When a cricket sings its a sign of bad weather.
When the seagulls come inland its a sign of bad weather.
A sign of bad weather is when we see a dog eating grass.
When the sun goes down red its the sign of good weather.
When the smoke goes straight out of a chimney its a sign of good weather.
When the stars are bright its the sign of frost.
Ballinagran Lake
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas
INFORMANT John Mac Nicholas;, Age; 50, Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
9th May 1938”
Ballinagran lake had its origin in a spring well. This place was a village about 250 years ago. It was customary to keep this well covered but it happened that a woman came to the well one day in a great hurry, and forgot to cover it after taking the water but no sooner had she turned away from the well, that the water started to expand and to her misfortune it drowned her and the whole village in less than five minutes and covered eighteen acres of land.
This lake is called Lough na Minnoo ever since. It dries every seven years. The houses stand erect and all kinds of animals are to be seen especially horses and dogs and on Whit Sunday the horses are said to travel all round the lake and their foot prints are to be seen on the sand. Another remarkable feature about this lake is that three baronies meet within 20 yards of its mouth. It was an old custom on November night to go there and play tricks.
Dr. Cunnane, Back Row: Irene Morrison, Christina Murphy, Roslyn Lyons. Front Row: Breda Jennings, John Holian, Sheila Jennings.
A Wonderful Cow
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas
INFORMANT John Mac Nicholas; male, Age; 50, Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
12th May 1938”
About two centuries ago there lived a cow called Glas-Nevnew. She travelled all over Ireland and grazed one night in each field. No matter what size the fields where they yielded as much grass as would rear a cow and two calves ever since. This cow could be milked every second in the day and she never could be milked dry.
An unfortunate woman said she would get a vessel the cow would not fill. The vessel she used was and oats riddle and the poor cow couldn't fill it, so she died with heart break on Prizon farm in a field called the Lag-riabhach. She died the third day of April. Ever since the first three days of April are called the three lá na Ribeach days.
Hedge-Schools
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas
INFORMANT John Mac Nicholas; Age; 50, Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
11th May 1938”
About 160 years ago there was a hedge school held in Loughill in the parish of Straid Co. Mayo. The name of the teacher was Patrick Gallagher. He was a native and he lived about six yards from the school. The principal language he taught was Irish.
Owing to the English laws Irish would not be allowed to be taught in this country and at night the school was held.
Every pupil had to pay a half-penny every night for the upkeep of the teacher. They had no accommodation of light only rush candles dipped in tallow, the fat of dead cows. This the people preserved for that purpose. There were no copy books or slates or pencils in those days. If they heard an ass or horse died within 20 miles of the place they went to get the jaw bone. This was a substitute for a slate. The pencil they used was a willow rod scorched by the fire for doing their writing and Arithmetic. There was no walking or dancing in those days. The people lived very humbly. The old people went to school until they were thirty years.
Linen-Making
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas
INFORMANT John Mac Nicholas; Age; 50, Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
13th May 1938”
the Ansbro boys Tawnaghmore
First the land is ploughed and four quarts of seeds put to the Irish acre. The seed is sown broad-cast and the crop has to be wed in June. Afterwards its pulled by hand and put in sheaves and stooked like oats. Next it is taken to the bog and bogged and it is left there until it gets pliable. Then it is taken up and spread out on the grass to dry and bleach. It is then taken home and scutched, cloved, and hackled and after all this is done they make a great fire to burn the shoves and rubbish that are left. Then the old woman of the house takes down the linen wheel and starts to spin. When all is spun she sends it to the mill to get it woven into sheets and towels and table clothes. More of it is used for making flax-seed meal. My granmother used to make linen about ninety years ago and all the old people in the village made linen but no one makes it now.
Games
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas
25th May 1938”
The townland of Tavanaghmore. The Parish of Straide. Barony of Gallen Co. Mayo.
We play the following games in Summer, jumping, skipping, swinging.
Jumping. We stick two sticks in the ground and put one across on top of them. We all try to take the jump without knocking down the cross stick.
Skipping. We skip through a rope which we twist over our heads and under our feet.
Paddy Ansbro Tawnaghmore
Swinging. We tie each end of a rope to a strong branch of a tree. Sit into the loop of the rope and hold each side of it. Then a sister or friend sets the rope going or swinging.
During the long winter nights we sit round the fire. One person gets a stick and tips every foot in the circle saying on
No 1 Bé O'Neill
" 2 Neill O Probán
" 3 Probán suile
" 4 Sula sec
" 5 Dul go flaitheas.
The person that "Dul go flaitheas" falls on goes out of the game and this continues until there is only one person left. This person has to mount on a chair or stool. Then the person who is directing the game settles the name of a colour on each person in the game including the person on the chair. This person does not know her own colour, but the others do. She has then to call out a colour and if it happens to be her own colour she comes down off the chair; but if it is not, the child who has the colour she calls must take her down off the chair.
Local Bird Names
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas”
The following are the names of birds most commonly seen in the district of Scoil Gleann an Dúin, Barony of Carra, Mayo.
The crows
The jackdaws
The blackbirds
The Thrush
The Magpie
The swallows
The larks
The wrens
The bullfinches
The willie-wag-tails
The wild-duck
The Cuckoo
The Tom-Tit
The Linnet
Corncrake
Yellow-hammer
Hawk
Red Shanks
Swan
Wild goose
house Sparrow
Philibeg
Sea-gull
The robins
The sally picker
The water-hen
Agnus Moran (nee Ansbro)
The Famine
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas
INFORMANT Thomas Murphy, Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
27th May 1938”
The famine was in this country from the year 1846 to 1847. The crops all failed. The potatoes rotted in the pits and in the ground. The people were dying with hunger. The land-lord resided in Dublin at that time. He sent each tenant in the property a leaflet with a recipt for the manufacture of rotten potatoes as a substitute for bread. This was called sterna and this bread would be parcelled in paper and hung from the rafters in the houses. This bread was supposed to keep for a hundred years.
My Home District
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas
INFORMANT John Mc Nicholas, Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
30th May 1938”
In my townland of Tavanaghmore in the Parish of Straide, Barony of Gallen, Co. Mayo there are fourteen houses.
In these fourteen houses there are seventy inhabitants. Five of the people are over seventy, namely:- Patrick Ansbro, Thomas Kearns, Bridget Murphy and Thomas Murphy and James McNamara. Patrick Ansbro and Thomas Kearns are good Irish speakers.
About twenty years ago there were eighteen houses in this village. Four inhabitants migrated to the Prizon farm because the land couldn't maintain them. Their names were Michael Kearns, Michael Coyle, Michael Murphy and Michael Kearns. The land is of a medium quality. There is a bog of about twenty acres at the lower end of the village in which the people cut their turf.
There are two slated houses in this village, one belongs to Martin Murphy and the other belongs to John Murphy. There is one tiled house which belongs to Hubert Murphy. There are eleven thatched houses in this village. Murphy is the name most common in the village.
There are two rivers bounding our land. One of them rises in Ballyclougher and flows northwards into Seán Muillean. Seán Muillean got its name from and old Mill that was worked by the power of the river. And it is flowing into lough na Minnow.
A Blessed Well
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas
INFORMANT Mrs. Mc Nicholas, Age 40, Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
1st June 1938”
The Morrisons
There is a blessed well in the town of Balla, Barony of Clan Morris. It is said the blessed well came to Balla from the North of Ireland, because a woman abused it there. A good many people visit this well especially from the 15th August until the end of September. It is said that there were a lot of miracles wrought there some years ago. People came from all over Ireland to this well to preform stations. But since Knock started this blessed well has been more or less forgotten. The track of the Blessed Virgin's hand and knee are on the step outside the well.
Names of Herbs
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas
INFORMANT Mrs. Mc Nicholas, Age 40, Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
3rd June 1938”
In the townland of Tavanaghmore Parish of Straide Barony of Gallen Co. Mayo these are the weeds that grow on our farm:- the Ceann Dearg is a weed with red seeds on it. It grows on drills and they spread a lot. It grows mostly in bad land. If this weed is not pulled when it begins to grow it harms the crop of potatoes because it sucks in all the moisture from the potatoes. The farrabán is another bad weed. It grows on our farm. It grows in good and bad land. It sends a lot of sprouts from it under the ground. This weed harms the crop too.
The nettle is another weed. It is a very plentiful weed. It grows every year. It is a good food for young ducks when cut small and boiled. Mix a grain of yellow meal with them and throw them to the ducks.
The docken is another bad weed. It is a very plentiful weed. It grows in good and bad land. The root of it spreads a lot under the ground and it harms a crop. But it is good for a burn. There is another herb growing on our land called Hemlock which is poisonous for cattle. The thistle is a good food for an ass.
Old Sayings
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
13th June 1938”
Birds of one feather flock together.
A wise man that carries his coat a fine day.
A stitch in time saves nine.
What you can do to-day never leave until tomorrow.
Don't count the chickens until they are hatched.
God helps those who help themselves.
Drunkards come to the ground.
Never take the book by the cover.
Command your tongue and temper.
A jug that’s always brought to a well is sure to be broken.
After a storm comes a calm.
A bird in the hand is worth two in a bush.
Look before you leap.
Empty vessels make most noise.
Wake not a sleeping wolf.
A good beginning is half the work.
Praise a fair day that night.
The ass that carries you is better than the horse that throws you.
A fool might give a wise man a counsel.
Fools make feasts and wise men eat them.
Every dog gets its day.
Hills look green from far away.
Its a wise man or woman that minds his own business.
Its a long road that hasn't a turn.
Its never too late to learn.
A rolling stone never gathers any moss.
A shower in May, a hot June makes the farmer sing a merry tune.
A wet and windy May fills the haggard with corn and hay.
Better late than never.
Charity begins at home.
Always take an old woman's advice.
A new broom sweeps clean.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Children and fools beware of edged tools.
The hand of God is nearer than the door.
The youth should take counsel from the aged.
Children should be seen and not heard.
The nearer to Church the farther from God.
Children should obey their parents.
You'll never miss the water till the well runs dry.
Put a beggar on horse-back and he will ride to the devil.
Festival Customs
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
13th June 1938”
Shrove Tuesday is the day before the people begin to make their Easter duty. It is also called Mairgead Mór because on that day all the people go to town and buy fish and jam and things for the fast days.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. During the seven weeks of Lent it is all fasting and prayer. On Ash Wednesday the people all go to the church and get holy ashes on their foreheads in the sign of a cross.
The last week of Lent is a week for great prayer and devotion because it is the week of Our Lord's crucifixion. Easter is a time of rejoicing for His Resurrection from the dead.
May Day is the first day of the month of our Blessed mother Mary. It is a month that is kept with great devotion in honour of the Blessed Virgin. During that month some people honour the Blessed Virgin by putting a crown of flowers at her feet. On that account we firmly believe that she will grant us any requests we ask of her.
St Peter and Paul's day is on 29th June. It is a holiday of Obligation because on that day St Peter and Paul died.
Churning
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
20th June 1938”
The cows are milked morning and evening. The milk is strained into shallow pails. After twelve hours the cream is separated and put into a milk pan. When this is filled its left for a few days until the cream gets thick and fit for churning. Then the churn is prepared by cleaning and scrubbing it with boiling water. The churn dash, the lid and the handle are also scalded.
Our churn is a small round machine churn. It is painted white. The mouth of it is one-foot square. It is worked by an iron handle and a four-cornered dash. The milk is put into the churn and the woman puts on a white apron and starts to churn. After a quarter of an hour boiling water is put into the milk.
After an hour the churning is finished. After-wards the butter dish, spades and scoop are scoured with salt and boiling water. Then the butter maker washes her hands with hot water and soap and Oat-meal and takes out the butter with the scoop into a dish. She washes it twice with spring water to remove all the butter-milk. She puts salt in proportion to the amount of butter. The salt is thoroughly mixed into the butter. The butter is washed once after the salt and made into a roll.
The butter-milk is removed from the churn and the churn washed out again and left aside until it is needed again.
Forges
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
20th June 1938”
There is no forge in the village of Tavanagh now but there was one until about nineteen years ago. Its ruins are still to be seen there, though no work is now carried on in it. The smith who owned that forge was Richard Bourke, and when he died the son who succeeded him did not continue the work.
That forge was a stone building with a thatched roof. It has a big double door and one small window looking south. The roof has now fallen in and the window is broken.
There used to be a big fire in it, a bellows an anvil, a sledge, a tongs. These tools were kept in a hollow in the hearth. The smith used to keep his iron in a haggard at the south side of the forge.
The old smith used to shoe horses, make car and cart tyres, scuffels, ploughs spades.
Farm Animals
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
24th June 1938”
We have three cows namely, Betty and Black cow and Cocked Horns. We have a stable for these cattle. We call it the cow byre.
There are stakes standing by the wall. To these stakes the cows are tied with iron chains round their necks and sometimes they are tied with ropes. There is a rack for each cow's hay. The stable is roofed with galvanized iron and plastered inside with mortar. There is a partition between the cow-byre and the thrashing barn. The partition is built of stone. It is white-washed.
Long ago there used to be a red string and a nail tied to the cows' tails before they would calf. When they calf there is a burning coal brought out of the house and put round the cow's body three times in honour of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
When the cows are milked there is the sign of a cross made on the hips with the milk.
St Bridget's Day
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
24th June 1938”
St Bridget's day is on the 1st February. A crowd of girls dress up in old clothes and they go our honouring Saint Bridget. They get a turnip and a potato and make a doll of them. The turnip is used as the body and the potato as the head. Then they put a dress on it. They stick two pieces of rods through the turnip and they are the feet. There are no hands on this doll. Bridget is the name of this doll.
When the girls go into the houses they say, "honour the Bidy". The people ask, "Where is the Bidy?" They show the doll to them. The people then give them a penny or an egg. If they haven't any Bidy they get no money or eggs.
Setting a Clutch
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
24th June 1938”
When a woman is going to put a clutch of eggs under a hen She first gets the eggs and a box with hay in it. She puts the eggs into a box and leaves the hen on them. The hen will be hatching on them for three weeks. Then the chickens come out of the eggs. It is said that eleven or thirteen eggs is a very lucky number to put under the hen. Ten or twelve eggs or any other even number is very unlucky.
Saint John's Night
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Mc Nicholas, Age 50 Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
1st July 1938”
The bone fire night is always on the 23rd June, the eve of St John's day. All the boys of a village go to the bog with asses and creels for loads of turf. They put the turf in a heap at a cross-road. They get half of it and build it in the shape of a fire. They leave a small hole in the middle of it for the coals of fire. They also put a bone in it. The children look out for the bones a month before the bone fire night.
When the fire is kindled all the old people and children go to the fire and say the rosary around it . Then the old people go into the houses and leave the children out enjoying themselves. The women of the houses go the the town the evening before and buy two or three loaves for the supper on the bone fire night. They boil an oven of milk and they break the loaves in a basin, then they put a couple of spoons of sugar in it, and throw the boiling milk in on top of the loaves. The people of each house go home and have their supper. The grown ups go out again and the young children go to bed. The people have this great feast in honour of St Patrick lighting the fire on Tara's Hill as a sign of the true faith. The Irish people make a bone fire every year since.
Tailor
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
12th July 1938”
There is a tailor in the townland of Loughill, Parish of Straide, who makes clothes. He has a scissors and a thimble. When men want a new suit, they go to the tailor and leave their measurements to him and the tailor takes his scissors and cuts out the suit. Then he bastes it with a needle and thread and he put a thimble on his finger. When he has the suit basted he sews it on the machine. After two or three days the suit of clothes is finished and ready for wearing.
Story
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Mc Nicholas, Age 50 Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
12th July 1938”
There was once a king who got married to a girl named Moran. Her father was living and the king did not like him. One day the king said to the girl's father "If you don't build a castle in three days I shall have you hanged". The old man went away and said he would never come back. On his way he met a goat which asked him where he was going. The old man told the goat his story. I can help you said the goat and he gave the man a gold ring and said to him "Strike this on the ground and the castle will stand up." The man went home.
The king however was not pleased with this and he gave the man another hard task. But the old man went away again. On his journey he met the same goat as before. He told the goat his story. The goat said, "Sit on my back and we shall go to the castle to night". The man sat up on the goat's back until they reached the castle. When they arrived, the Queen was upstairs sewing. The goat began to puck the stairs. The Queen ran down the stairs to see what all the fuss was about, but when she went near the goat to her surprise she stuck to him. She began to shout and the king who was in bed ran down to see what was up. He also got stuck to the goat. The goat stayed in the yard that night. Early next morning he set out on his journey to Brize. On the way they met a man with a shovel. The king called out to him "Knock me off". This man also got stuck to the goat. The goat ran on until they came to the blacksmith. "Knock me off" and the blacksmith stuck to the goat. The goat kept running until he reached Brize. That day there was a fair in Brize and the goat was running through the fair. The people tried to stop him. The people and cattle ran with fright until they arrived in Balla. The fair was held in Balla that day and has been held there ever since.
Food
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Mc Nicholas, Age 50 Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
14th July 1938”
Long ago the people ate Oat-meal cakes. They called this cake "Tom steel" because it was baked on a stone flag in front of the fire. With this cake they used plenty of home-made butter and home-cured bacon.
The people used to work three hours before their breakfasts. They got up at seven o'clock in the morning and they worked until ten.
In those days they wore no shoes until they were twenty years old. The leather was sown together with leather whangs. When the old people were going to Mass they carried their shoes over half way for fear they would wear them.
Old Houses
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Mc Nicholas, Age 50 Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
15th July 1938”
Long ago old houses were made of Dobe. The houses were roofed first with scraws and then covered with oat-straw. The old people sowed the scraws to the rafters. They made chimneys with rods. They wove them in the chimney and plastered them on the outside with dobe. If there was a big village the houses were built in rotation. The fire place was built in the gables, and in some houses, it was in the middle of the floor and there was a round hole in the top of the house to let the smoke out. There were no doors in their houses only bundles of straw at the door.
There was no glass in the windows only one pain and a bundle of straw. The old people used make spoons and forks and knives out of wood. There was no delph that time. People were afraid they would be robbed of their money and as there were no banks in those days the money was hidden in a sand-pit or on a sod-ditch or fort. That is why there is so much money got round the forts.
An Old Story
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
15th July 1938”
Once upon a time there was a man looking for a wife. A friend and himself went to a certain house. They asked the girl of the house. The reply they got was that they would get her and welcome and a good fortune. The intended mother-in-law said that they should have some refreshment before they would start match making. The old man of the house went out and brought in six sheaves of oats. He put them over the fire to dry. He got a canvas bag and a bat they had for clothes and scutched every grain of the oats on a clean cover on the floor. When he had it scutched he put it into a big pot and hung it on the fire to dry. When it was dried they took it up and got it ground with their own mill. When it was ground they put it into a big pot and boiled it. When it was cooked they took it up and put it into wooden dishes and left them on three legged stools on the floor. There were no china dishes or spoons in those days. When they had enough eaten they made the match. The old man asked what fortune they needed. The friend answered that they wanted £250. The father-in-law said I will give you £200 and a springed cow. The marriage went ahead, and he brought her home and they lived happy together.
A Story about a Graveyard
“COLLECTOR; Annie Mc Nicholas, Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Mc Nicholas, Age 50, Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo
20th July 1938”
Once upon a time a rich man and a poor man met on a road. The two men began to argue about which a lie or truth would go farthest. The poor man said the truth would go farther and the rich man said the lie would go farther. The poor man said he would bet the clothes on his back that the truth would go farther. The rich man said we shall travel every one of the houses to see which of them will go the farther. The first house they came to was a minister's. The two men went in and knocked at the door and asked which a lie or truth would go the farthest. The minister was a protestant and he replied the lie would. When they came out the rich man began to laugh, and he took the clothes off the poor man. But still the poor man would not give in and he bet the two eyes in his head. The next house they came to was a parsons. The parson said of course the lie will go the farthest. When the rich man went outside, he pulled the two eyes out of the poor man's head and threw him into an old graveyard that was near.
The poor man scrambled all-round the graveyard and at last he came to an old box beside a tombstone.