Stories from Mary

Informants of Mary Kate Kelly:

John Kelly
Martin Ansbro Age 74
Annie Kelly

Mary Kate Kelly, Dùchas.ieAdmin Prizon school17 March 2018John Kelly, Martin Ansbro, Annie Kelly, Kelly, AnsbroComment

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

National Folklore Collect, Prizon village, Rita Corcoran, Co. Mayo, Local Heroes, Local Area, Dùchas.ie, History & FolkoreRita Corcoran17 March 2018history, Rita Corcoran, Corcoran, Local heros, Reilly, VillageComment

Fairy Story

There was once a school master going round teaching night school. He was very fond of playing cards. One night he was going home late and he met two men. ..

Mary Kate Kelly, National Folklore Collect, Myth, A fairy Story, A story, Dùchas.ie, History & FolkoreMary Kate Kelly16 March 2018Myth, Local, John Kelly, Fairies, Story, KellyComment

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".

Mary A. O' Doherty, National Folklore Collect, Patsy Ansbro, Myth, Dùchas.ie, History & FolkoreMary A. O' Doherty16 March 2018Leprechauns, Fables, Little people, Patsy Ansbro, AnsbroComment

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.

Mary A. O' Doherty, National Folklore Collect, Patsy Ansbro, Dùchas.ie, History & FolkoreMary A. O' Doherty16 March 2018Fairs, Farming animals, Patsy Ansbro, Ansbro, ShopsComment

The Holy Well in Balla

The pilgrims used to bring water from the well in bottles and leave little gifts behind as offerings to God. The women would leave a little of their shawls or cloaks.

Mary A. O' Doherty, Dùchas.ie, History & FolkoreMary A. O' Doherty16 March 2018Holy well, Lá Muire Mór, Pilgrims, Patsy Ansbro, AnsbroComment

Local Happenings

Seventy years ago, flax was grown by every farmer in this district

Mary A. O' Doherty, National Folklore Collect, Crafts, Dùchas.ie, History & FolkoreMary A. O' Doherty16 March 2018Patsy Ansbro, Flax, Linen, Fargureens Balla Co Mayo, Ansbro, Balla Comment

Hedge-School

Hedge schools once exist in Ireland up to the 1850's. They shorthly closed after a national education system came into existence. Here are a few stories from locals from back in 1938 given their accounts of Hedge Schools.

Source-Dúchas.ie

National Folklore Collect, Mary A. O' Doherty, School Life, Dùchas.ieDúchas12 March 2018Patrick Reilly, Annie M. Reilly, Michael Kennedy, Annie Mc Nicholas, John Mc Nicholas, Mary A. O' Doherty, Maisie Reilly, Martin Reilly, Margaret Ruane, John Murphy, Hedge schools, school daysComment

Starch-Making

Mrs Kearns Fargureens Balla Co Mayo remembers her mother doing it about 40 years ago.

COLLECTOR: Margaret Kearns
INFORMANT: Mrs Kearns Age 40 , Manulla, Co. Mayo

National Folklore Collect, History & FolkoreMargaret Kearns11 March 2018Mrs Kearns, Fargureens Balla Co Mayo, Starch Making, KearnsComment

Collection of Folklore from Dúchas.ie

These are stories that we found on an amazing website that help to preserve the history and folklore of Ireland.

National Folklore Collect, Dùchas.ieAdmin Prizon school8 March 2018introComment

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

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

Patsy Ansbro, Mary A. O' Doherty, National Folklore Collect, Dùchas.ie, History & FolkoreMary A. O' Doherty6 March 2018cures, superstition, health, old wives tales, Patsy Ansbro, AnsbroComment

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

Patsy Ansbro, National Folklore Collect, Mary A. O' Doherty, Dùchas.ie, History & Folkore, Local AreaMary A. O' Doherty5 March 2018Weather, rain, Tawnaghmore, Mayo, Co. Mayo, Patsy Ansbro, Ansbro, BallaComment

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

Mary A. O' Doherty, , Patsy Ansbro, National Folklore Collect, Dùchas.ie, History & FolkoreMary A. O' Doherty5 March 2018Hidden Treasure, Tawnagh, Tawnaghmore, Treasure Discovered, Barony of Carra, gold, Patsy Ansbro, Ansbro, Balla Comment

Annie McNicholas

Annie was one of the former pupils of Prizon school that contributed to the School Collection. Her informants are:

John McNicholas Age 50
Thomas Murphy
Mrs McNicholas Age 40

Annie McNicholas, Dùchas.ie, School CollectionAdmin Prizon school1 March 2018McNicholas, John MacNicholas, Murphy, Thomas MurphyComment

MARY O'DOHERTY

MARY O'DOHERTY was teaching at Prizon school at the time of the school collection. She was sick when during the period of collecting the stories which resulted in a late submissions. She had added some of her own stories to the collection. Her informants are: