The Good People
“Long ago, there lived a lone girl in a house on the side of Clooncarne rock. Beside the house was a fairy tree where the fairies used to stay. So one day the girl had a very bad fire and she went out gathering sticks to put into the fire. When she came to the fairy tree, she saw a big stick and she took it up and brought it in and broke it. When she was breaking it, it started to roar. So the girl put it down and that night she went to bed and only next morning she died.”
Dúchas Schools Collection Collector – Michael Greene
Informant – William Greene, Drumard (Jones) Leitrim
From Sí Bheag to Sí Mhór, Kilnamarve (the wood of the dead bodies) to all the “Lis” names – Lisdadnan, Lisduff, Lisdrumfarna…Leitrim’s superstitions and ghost stories are as deep-rooted as its music, song and dance.
Listen to Michael Reilly born in Drumgowna but living in Annaghkeenty …
Or Tom Moran on an RTÉ Archives recording telling the story of a boy being trapped in a bottle
Taking of the Butter
And there was a lot of superstition surrounding butter as can be seen in the following accounts. Firstly, Francis Joseph Bohan from Aughavas tells us about the taking of the butter.
And whilst Charlie McTeague from the Ballinamore area is being interviewed, an unnamed lady (perhaps his wife) gives her account of butter making and superstition
Whilst John Harte from Annaduff recites “the butter poem” from the Poet Higgins
Cures
Leitrim is one of the areas most populated by sweathouses
And people were just as likely to head to the well or tie a red rag on a cows tail as they were to head to a vet or a doctor years ago.
(Francis Joseph Bohan)
(Sonny Moffat and Mr and Mrs Harte, Annaduff)
Killargue Holy Well
And an account of Killargue Holy Well with a little history from Seán Ó Súilleabháin.
