Posts in History & Folkore
Local Games

Every night we play this game around the fire........

Bí o néal, néal a brobán, brobán súla, súla seicne, ár lomán, lóman leic, cor na giell isteach go Flaitheas.

They keep saying that rhyme until every-one has his foot pulled in. 

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Old Ruins

The ruins of a prison stand in this place and from that prison this district got its name....The hangman's name was Neilén Brady. He had a farm of sixty acres of the best land in Prison and this land is to this day called "Trían Neilén."

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Local Marriage Customs

"Straw-boys" or "clubberas" visit the houses on the night of the marriage feast. They dance and make fun. They dress in straw hats with sugans round their knees, false faces etc.
They expect to get drink and make mischief if they don't.

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Old Crafts

The people then brought it to a little kiln on their farms and dried it there. It was then beatled with a beatle (a beatle resembled a cricket bat I am informed). It was then scutched with a scutcher ( a scutcher is also made of timber but is much lighter than the beatle, it is almost as thin as a knife).

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Annie Reilly

Annie Reilly was one of the pupils that contributed to the school collection. Her informants are:

  • Patrick Reilly Age 87
  • Thomas Reilly Age 42
  • Patrick Reilly  
  • Mrs Reilly Age 40
  • Patrick Reilly Age 88
  • Mr Reilly Age 42
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Our Native Village

My Native Village is called Prison. It is a very large village consisting of 27 houses and 125 people. Among this crowd of people there are about ten people who are over seventy years of age. Each of these people can speak a little Irish. There are about eight families of Reilly's residing at Prizon, so Reilly is the most common name

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Leprechauns

This happened at Ballinamore, Parish of Kiltimagh, Mayo. The woman was a Mrs. Quinn. The neighbours always said that the family might thank the lepruchaun for their "good means".

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Local Fairs

The fair is now held on the street of the town, but some years ago before the land was divided and when the large farms were grazed entirely the fairs were so large that they had to be held in the fair-green.

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Festivals

Tradition and believes around some of the festivals that occur around the year. 

COLLECTOR: Mary A. O' Doherty, female

INFORMANT: Patsy Ansbro;  Gender; male, Age; 84, Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo

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Cures

These just some of the old remedies as remembered by Patsy Ansbro back in 1938. 

COLLECTOR: Mary A. O' Doherty, female INFORMANT: Patsy Ansbro;  Gender; male, Age; 84, Tawnaghmore, Co. Mayo

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Weather-Lore

Rainbow is looked upon as a sign of broken weather.....If corncrake is heard in morning it is an omen of good weather, but if heard in the evening sign of coming rain. 

COLLECTOR: Mary A. O' Doherty, female INFORMANT: Patsy Ansbro;  Gender; male, Age; 84, Tawnaghmore, Co. Mayo

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Hidden Treasure

A family named Herons who lived in Balla were digging a foundation for a cottage where stands the McEllin Hotel at present. They came on a pot of gold supposed to contain 2,000 guineas...

COLLECTOR: Mary A. O' Doherty, female INFORMANT: Patsy Ansbro;  Gender; male, Age; 84, Tawnaghmore, Co. Mayo

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