Mary Kate Kelly
COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
Hidden Treasure
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo
3rd May 1938”
In the village of Prison, Parish of Balla, Co. Mayo. There stand the walls of an old Prison. It is built about 200 years. It was built by a man named Tobias Bourke who was king of Connacht. There was some gallows in it on which people were hanged. The mortar which was used in the building of it was mixed with blood.
There is a pot of gold hidden under one of the chimneys with a stone 1 cwt over it. A man named Pat Kelly dreamt three nights after each other that there was a pot of gold hidden under the chimney but that there was to be a life lost over it. He did not try to find it.
There have often been strange lights seen round it. There was no road leading to it but there was a secret underground passage connecting it with the public road about a quarter of a mile to the East of the building.
There was another underground passage leading to the grave-yard where the victims were buried.
Tobias Bourke had another castle in Ballintubber it was
Riddles
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo”
Spell broken down ditches in three letters?
The beginning of Eternity the end of life and time the beginning of every end and end of every place?
Why isn't your nose twelve inches long?
If two men were in a car and one ate the other what was the number of the car?
Answers
Gap
E.
It would be a foot then and not a nose.
1.8.1.
Fairy Story
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo”
There was once a school master going around teaching night school. He was very fond of playing cards. One night he was going home late, and he met two men. They asked him to play a game of cards for his books. He played for them and lost them. He played for his money and lost it. Then they asked him to play for the eyes in his head and he played for them thinking they wouldn't take them off him. He played and lost them. Then he had no eyes and he couldn't go home and he managed to get an old house where he stayed for the night.
He was not long there when a great crowd of cats came in telling the news of the day to the king cat. Then they talked about the man who lost his eyes. One of the cats asked would he ever get back his eyes again. Then the king cat said there was only one way of getting them back again. "There is a well at the back of this house and if he washes his eyes there he will get them back" that is the only way; but he will never find it.
In the morning when the cats had gone until the next night the man left and found the well and got back his eyesight again.
The next day the man met the devils again and they saw he had his eyes again and they asked him how he got them back and he told them. These cats had all the news of the day.
The devils went the next night for news and he hid in a corner. When the cats came in that night they told the king cat all the news. They told him that the man got his sight again. They said some-one must have been listening here last night. So, they made a search and found the devils and tore them to pieces.
Story
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: Martin Ansbro, Age 74, Address, Dooros, Co. Mayo.”
Once upon a time a man was going to a fair with a cow. He went to a friend's house the night before where there was a widow with three children. When it was time to go to bed the woman of the house told him to go to bed and she would call him in time for the fair and not to get up until she would call him.
In the morning he wakened early but he did not get up. He waited for a long time and she did not call him. Then he got up and found the children sitting round the fire and he asked, "Where is your mother?" "She is gone to the fair with your cow" they replied. The man went to the fair as quickly as he could.
The woman had the cow sold when he got there, and he could not get the money. He reported it to the guards. They could not get the money but by law.
The day before the court the woman went to get a lawyer to plead for her. The lawyer said he would if she gave him half the money. She promised she would. The lawyer told her to put her coat on her up-side down and to have a loaf under her arm and every time the judge asked her any question to eat a piece of the loaf and say, "Leave it so".
The next day at court the judge asked her why she stole the cow she took a piece of the loaf and said, "Leave it so". Every time she was asked a question she took a piece of the loaf and said, "Leave it so". At last the judge told the guards to take her out that the poor woman's husband was dead and that she was out of her mind ever since.
When she went out her lawyer who had pleaded for her case for her asked her for his money she took a piece of the loaf and said, "Leave it so."
Rush-Making
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo”
Get thick rushes and peel them and dip them in grease or fat and leave them up to dry for a week and they are ready for use. Such a candle will last for about an hour.
This industry is not carried on by us now but my grand-mother made them always. On Christmas night she had one for every-one in the house they lit them and put one on every window in the house.
Stocking Dyeing
Gather moss off the rocks or trees. Boil a pot of water and when it is boiled put in the grey moss and let it come to a boil. Put in the stockings and leave them there for a while and when you take them out they are dyed brown.
This industry is not carried on by us now but it was done by my grand-mother about 60 years ago now.
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: Annie Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo”
Marriages
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo
18 May 1938”
A week before the marriage took place the match was made. The two parties met at some house. They agreed for a certain sum of money. About £50 was a good fortune that time. Then a day was appointed for the marriage.
The bride got a chest of linen from her mother and a cow was given with the fortune. The day of the marriage they went on horseback to the church. The bride riding behind her father and coming home she sat behind her husband.
When they came home they had a feast and a wedding. They invited the people of the village and had a big supper and dancing and singing until morning. A crowd of boys of the village who were not invited to the party dressed themselves with old clothes and a high straw hat and tied straw ropes round their trousers at their knees went to the house and went in and danced with the bride and sung songs. The man of the house gave them porter or whiskey and they went home.
The marriage would not be lucky if something was not broken. They broke a cup or a class. There was only one ring in a village only a rich man could buy a ring. They often had to borrow the ring.
Class 1960’s
Local Place Name
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
18 May 1938”
My father has a farm of land about 14 acres. It is divided into fields by sod ditches.
The following are the names of the fields:-
Garra a Padraig
Cnucán Reamhar
Puirín
Cnuich Núala
Móna Fada
Paírcín an tseagail
Sean Phortach
Síol-Féir
Cnucán Ruadh
Ceap Bhan
Ceap Rannaigh
Garra Olna
Cúl an Mhearacáin
Líosín
Puirthin
Shíl-fada
Bird-Lore
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
20th May 1938”
The following are the names of the birds most frequently found in Prison.
Red shanks
Swan
Wild-duck
Water-hen
Gold finch
Green finch
Bull finch
Tom-tit
Starling
Partridge
Martins
S Lapwing
Swallow
Owl
Heron
Yellow hammer
Crow
Pigeon
Robin
Magpie
Wren
Willie Wagtail
Judy-blackhead
Cuckoo
Corn-crake
Jack daw
Sea-gull
Curlew
Wood-cock
Larknipe
Thrush
Pheasant
Blackbird
Linnet
Grey plover
Grouse
The wren builds in an ivied thorn or in an old ruined wall. The mossy nest so covered in you scarce can see it at all. At the side of it there is a round hole for the bird to go in. She lays eighteen eggs, but she does not lay them all together. She lays five and hatches them.
Fairy Forts
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo
27th May 1938”
There are three fairy forts in this district townland of Prison, Balla, Barony of Carra. One of them is in Colman's field in Prison.
One night there were two boys coming home from visiting. It was about twelve o'clock. They heard lovely music inside; they listened for a while and they began to dance. When they started they could not stop until the cock crew in the morning. After that they were the best dancers in the country.
One night John Murphy of Prison was put astray in the same fort. He was coming home from visiting and went into the field where the fort is. He did not know where he was. He was put walking up and down and could not stop. At last he turned his jacket inside out and he saw where he was and went home.
Local Cures
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: Annie Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo
27th May 1938”
Three drops out of a trout's mouth, or the ferrets leavings will cure whooping cough.
To accidently meet a black snail and rub him on a wart will cure it or water found in the hollow of a stone.
A nettle put in the ear will stop toothache.
The seventh son of a family has a cure for ringworm.
The seventh daughter has a cure for any ailment.
When everything has failed to take out a stubborn thorn the fox's tongue will take it out.
Chicken weed will reduce a bad swelling.
Soap and sugar mixed will draw pus from boils or a stone bruise.
A seeded raisin cut in two and applied to an abscess on the tooth will cure it.
Holy Wells
There is a blessed well Balla, Co;Mayo, Barony of Carra. Every year on the 14th August people go and preform a station there. They take off their shoes and go round on their knees through the whole graveyard twice. When they have gone round they go to the well. There is a pool near the well. They wash their feet and go into the well. There are three big stones in the bottom of the well, they go round the stones three times through the well. They pray while they are going round. If they get the benefit of their station the water bubbles. There are the ruins of a church beside the well in the old grave-yard. When the pilgrims have all the station preform they go into the church and pray for a while of the night and go to confession and to Communion on the morning of the fifteenth of August. They call that day "Lady Day".
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo
1st June 1938”
Old Sayings
First catch your hare and then cook it.
After a storm there comes a calm.
The early bird catches the early worm.
Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone.
Truth is great above all things.
Bread is the staff of life.
What we have we hold.
It is a bad wind that does not favour some one.
Better late than never.
Look before you leap.
A closed mouth catches no flies.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
God helps those who help them-selves.
Spare the rod and spoil the child.
Plough deep while sluggards sleep.
Here to-day and away to-morrow.
A new broom sweeps clean.
What is worth doing, do well.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be.
It is better to be sure than than sorry.
Charity begins at home.
What is home without a mother!
Love me and the world is mine.
Make hay while the sun shines.
Least said soonest mended.
Birds of one feather all flock together.
One wasp never stings another.
The sleeping fox catches no poultry.
Necessity has no law.
It is a wise man who carries his coat on a fine day.
St Stephen's Day
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: Martin Ansbro, Age 74, Address, Dooros, Co. Mayo.
8th June 1938”
On Saint Stephen's day a crowd of the village boys gather together at one house and dress up in old torn clothes and bring a fiddle with them. They have a little wren in a box decorated with coloured paper. The night before they go to a thatched house and catch the wren with a light. When she sees the light it blinds her. They go round from house to house and say:-
"The wren the wren the king of all birds
St Stephen's day he was
caught in the furze
Up with the kettle and down
with the pan
Give us some money to bury
the wren."
They travel through three or four villages and a town. They get a penny or two in every house. In the evening they divide the money between them. They sometimes say this verse in Irish:-
Dreoilín do fuaras-sa thíos ar an ínse,
Fé bhrághaidh carraige agus carbat síoda air
Do thugas cugaibh-se é a
lánamha an tighe séo
A's gurbh seacht bfhearr um an dtacha seo aris sibh.
Saint Patrick's Day
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
13th June 1938”
On St Patrick's day people wear shamrock in honour of Saint Patrick. Once when he was teaching the Irish people the mystery of the Blessed Trinity they could not understand how there were three persons in One God. St Patrick stooped down and picked a shamrock and showing it to them and said "As there are three leaves on one stem so there are three persons in One God".
Saint Bridget's Night
On St Bridget's night a crowd of girls dress up in old clothes and go out with an old doll made out of a turnip with a potato for a head. They cut eyes and a mouth out of the potato.
They make a dress for it. Before they do this they make "St. Brigit's cross" and nail it on the rafter. They go to every house and say "Honour St Brigit and they show the doll. They get a penny or an egg. They buy a dress with the money.
St John's Night
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo
14th June 1938”
St John's night is on the 23rd of June. There is a big fire with a bone in it made in every village. One boy out of every house goes to the bog with the ass and creels and brings a load of turf to the fire. All the people gather to it then. The oldest person present says the Rosary and the rest answer it. After the Rosary the old people go home and bring a coal with them and throw it into the field of stalks and corn. The young people wait singing and dancing round the fire until it dies out.
Whit Sunday
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
14th June 1938”
It is said that on Whit Sunday the water goes mad three times in the day. In the morning in the middle of the day and again in the evening. It is also said that a quart of water would drown you. Boys are never let go fishing on that day.
Farm Animals
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo
20th June 1938”
We have three cows at home. One is black and horny and another is grey and has horns too and one is a brown Polly.
We have a horse. Her name is Dolly. She is black and very quiet. The cow’s tying’s are made of straw. There is a horse shoe put into the barn and the rope is tied on it. We have a dog. His name is Bruno. He is a good dog he brings the cows home for milking.
November's Night
On November Eve we get a basin of water and put it in the middle of the floor and put big apples into it. Each one on turn goes to the basin with his hands tied behind his back and whoever succeeds in catching it in his mouth may keep it.
Then we get three saucers and put clay in one, a ring in the other and water in another. One person puts a dall óg round his face and another leads him to the saucers on the table. If the person who is blind-folded puts his hand into the saucer where the ring is he will get married before that day twelve months, and if he puts his hand into the clay he will die young and if he puts his hand into the water he will cross the sea.
The boys go into every garden and take a few heads of cabbage and break them on the road.
We put two pieces of alum in a pan, one in the name of some girl and the other in the name of a boy. When the alum melts if the two pieces run into each other it is a sign that the pair will get married.
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
20th June 1938”
Story
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo
24th June 1938”
Once Our Lady and her Divine Son were travelling along the road when soldiers came looking for them. The Blessed Virgin and the Child went into a room to hide. There was a spider in the room. He started to weave cob-webs. He gathered other spiders and they all started to weave across the door and all the room except one corner where Our Lady and the Child were. When the soldiers came they looked into every room. When they came to the room that was covered with cob-webs they said "They are not here". The soldiers went to the next room that was clean and missed the Blessed Virgin and Jesus in that way. That is why the spider is blessed ever since and no one ever kills him.
Food in Olden Times
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: Martin Ansbro, Age: 74 Address: Dooros, Co. Mayo
1st July 1938”
Long ago people only ate three meals a day. They got up out of bed at six o'clock in the morning. They went out in the field minding cattle until breakfast which consisted of potatoes and milk and sometimes an egg.
After breakfast the men went out again to work in the field. They went home to their dinner at abut two o'clock. They got potatoes again or oat-meal stirabout when potatoes were scarce. The women used to knit men's socks on their way to the bog for a creel of turf. The women used to go out working in the fields helping their husbands and bring their children with them.
Sometimes they would have a big cake made of whole-flour. At Christmas they got a stone of flower, 1 oz of tea 1/2 lbs sugar they made potato cakes and boxty for the Christmas
Old Houses
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
12th July 1938”
About 50 years ago all the people had thatched houses. They used to grow wheat and oats and with the straw they thatched the house. In those houses there was always a bed in the kitchen and it was called the "hag". It was like a little house built in the side-wall but there was no door in it.
The fire was always in the gable. Some houses had no chimneys on but the smoke went out the door and some-times it went through a hole in the roof. There was only one room and kitchen in any house.
That time the people used to keep all the cows at the end of the house. There was a loft over the cows where the hens used to sleep.
When the people bought bonaveens they would put them under the bed in the hag. They put the ducks under the dresser and put a piece of a board outside them to keep them in.
Forge
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
12th July 1938”
A forge is a black-smiths shop. The black-smith starts his fire with coal and turf and blows it with a bellows. Then he puts in his iron and heats it until it is quite red. He takes it out and hammers it on an anvil into what-ever shape he needs it. Out of iron he makes horse and ass shoes, ploughs, and scuffles, grates, gates cranes and crooks and every other thing that iron is used for.
Story
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: Patrick Reilly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo”
When the Jews were after Our Lord going to kill Him they were asking every one did he see such a person going the way. One day when Our Lord was passing a field where a man was shaking seed, He told the man that if any one asked him did he see Our Lord to say that He passed the day he set the oats. It was not long until the Jews came along and they asked the man did he see Our Lord. The man said He passed here the day I set this seed. The oats had ripened in one night. The Jews thought it was no use going that way that it was a long time since the seed was sown.
Just then the wisest insect which we call the clock said "Ney Ney" meaning that he wanted Our Lord to be caught and the bee began to say "buzz buzz" so that the jews could not hear the clock. Ever since when people see a clock creeping on the floor they kill him because he tried to Spy on Our Lord.
Story
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: Martin Ansbro, Age: 74 Address: Dooros, Co. Mayo
15th July 1938”
Long ago a lovely mermaid rose out of the western sea and came to shore. She was treated like a queen. After a while she learned to speak to the people in their own language. Then she told the people that a spirit had sent her to Ireland to announce the coming of three cows. These were the Bo-Fionn Bo-Ruagh and the Bo-Dubh. The red, the black and the white. They filled the land with the finest cattle so that no-one should be in want. The people were so glad to hear the news that they carried her about from house to house so that she might tell the news herself. When she had been a long time among the people she asked one day to be taken back to the sea.
On May Eve a great crowd of people went with her down to the sea. She then told them that on that day twelve months they were to be all there at the same place to await the coming of the cows. Then she plunged into the sea and was never seen again.
On that day twelve months the people gathered on the shore to watch. They thronged the cliffs from early morning. Just at noon the waves were stirred and the three cows came out of the sea, a white, a red, and a black. They stood upon the shore for a while and looked about them. Then each one went in a different direction by three roads. The black went south, the red went north and the white crossed the plain to the centre. Every place the Bo Fionn went was named after her and every place she drank of was called Tobar-Bo-Fionn or the well of the white cow.
Story
“COLLECTOR: Mary Kate Kelly, Address: Prison North, Co. Mayo
INFORMANT: John Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo
20th July 1938”
Once there lived a man in Cavan named James Murphy. He was in need of money as he had many children to rear. He dreamed three nights of a bridge in London that was named the bridge of Good Luck. He said to himself that if he found that bridge he would get gold. James went to London and found the bridge of "Good Luck". A man was standing on the bridge who said to him, I have had a strange dream. I saw a house in Ireland where a man named James Murphy lives. There is gold hidden under a haw-thorn bush in his meadow. Yes said James that is very strange. He did not tell his name to the man but went home. As soon as James got home to Cavan he took a spade and began to dig the hawthorn bush. His spade struck a stone and under the stone he found a pot of gold. He was very happy then. He put the gold into the bank and he kept the stone in his house.
There were some words on the stone which the man did not understand they were not English or Irish.Years passed and the money was all spent and then James was in need of more money.
One day a scholar passed the road and called at the house of James Murphy. James gave him the stone to look at. The scholar laughed when he read it. These are foolish words he said. They are Latin and they mean "The same on the other side".
That is all right said James. When the scholar went James got his spade again and went out and dug at the other side of the bush and found twice as much gold. He was rich for ever after.