Thursday 30 June 2016

Piseoga, Miss Hayes and a 1903 Kerry team


Milk and Piseoga



My reminiscences of milking brought back many memories (not all happy) for people.

Traditionally Irish people got much of their nourishment from dairy products, so milk, butter, eggs and cheese were staples in their diet. Farmers realised the importance of protecting these goods from thieves, both human and of the fairy kind.


Below is an extract from The Farmer: Irish Folk Custom and Belief
 (Nósanna agus Piseoga na nGael) by Seán Ó Súilleabháin 
This was sent to me by a kind blog follower.  He found it on Ireland.net


"... Almost all of the customs and beliefs in this field were concerned with the physical welfare of the cows and the warding off of diseases and other evils which might affect them harmfully. The cow-house or byre was built on a site which would not prevent the passage of fairies or encroach on their territory (mainly, the “fairy fort”). Crosses made of straw and other materials on St. Brigid’s Eve were hung in the cow-house or fixed to the doors and windows. It was hoped to protect the cows themselves by tying red ribbons to their tails or around their necks ; rings made of rowan were similarly applied for the same purpose. Cattle were driven across the dying flames of bonfires on May Eve and St. John’s Eve, or between two of these fires. So too they were forced to swim in a lake or river at certain times to avert illness and bad luck.


Holy water was, of course, often sprinkled on livestock and scores of charms (apocryphal folk-prayers) were recited to avert or cure the many diseases from which they might suffer whether through natural causes or, as the folk often suspected through the evil eye of an unfriendly neighbour. The fairies too were blamed for causing animals to be “elf-shot”. This was due to the fact that ailing cows, with pierced hides might be found grazing near a place where small stone arrow-heads from ancient times were often found lying about; the fairies were immediately blamed for having cast these weapons at the cows in an attempt to take them off into fairyland. One of the many remedies for “elf-shot” was to give the stricken animal a drink of water in which the “fairy arrows” had been boiled.
As soon as a cow had calved, she was ceremoniously blessed with holy water, while the following prayer was recited three times:

Go mbeannaí Dia dhuit, a bhó!
Go mbeannaíthear faoi dhó do do laogh!
Go mbeannaí an triúr atá i bhflaitheas Dé,
Mar atá : An t-Athair agus an Mac agus an Spiorad Naomh!
Tar, a Mhuire, agus suidh;
 tar, a Bhríd, agus bligh;
Tar, a Naomh Mícheál Ard-aingeal, agus beannaigh an mart.
In ainm an Athar ages an Mhic ague an Spiorad Naofa, Amen, a Dhia.”
(God’s blessing on thee, O cow!
twice blest be thee, O calf!
May the Three who are in Heaven bless you: 
the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!
Come, Mary, and sit; come, Brigid, and start milking;
come, Blessed Michael, the Archangel, and bless the beef
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen, O God.)

Although it was commonly accepted that the fairies who lived in the forts might need milk and take it from cows on the farm, this was not resented, as people wished to live in amity with their otherworld neighbours. Precautionary measures were directed more against evil-minded neighbours, who were liable to endeavour to steal one’s milk or butter “profit” (‘sochar an bhainne’) by magic means. Newly-calved cows stood in need of special protection, as their supply of milk was assured. Crushed flowers, such as marsh marigold, were rubbed to their udders, which were also singed with the flame of a blessed candle. The first steam of milk drawn from such a cow was allowed to fall on the ground ”for those who might need it” (the fairies, presumably), and then a cross was marked on the cow shank with some of her milk.
A charred sod of turf from the Midsummer bonfire was placed in the milk-house as protection. The greatest care was taken not to lose one’s milk-luck through negligence, as witness the following traditional taboos : don’t give away any milk on New Year’s Day, on May Day, on any Monday or on a Friday; don’t lend a milk-vessel; don’t take to fetch water from the well a vessel which is milk-stained; when such a vessel has been washed, do not throw the cleansing water into a river or stream ; don’t give milk to a neighbour unless salt has been put into it; don’t allow milk out of the house, if anybody is ill there.
It was a traditional custom never to drink milk on Good Friday; even the baby in the cradle, it is said had to cry three times on that day before milk was fed to it.

Farmers were constantly afraid in days gone by that their milk and butter “profit” could be stolen from them by evil minded hags, who either bailed a neighbour’s well or dragged a cloth over the dew of his fields on May Morn saying “Come all to me!” People sat up all night on May Eve to guard their wells and fields against such spells. It was believed in Ireland, as well as in many other countries that such human hags had the power of changing themselves into hares and sucking the milk from the udders of cows. These hares could be shot, so it was thought, only with a “silver bullet” (a pellet made from a florin which had a cross-device on one face).

In the old days, there were no creameries in rural areas and farmers churned their milk at home. The churn was deemed to be especially vulnerable to those who were thought to be disposed to steal the butter “profit”. Every effort was therefore made to guard it against such enemies: a live cinder was placed under the churn (many churns had charred bottoms in olden times), as well as an ass or horseshoe; in other districts, nails of iron would be driven into the timber of the churn to protect it, or else a withy of rowan-tree was bound around it. The tongs were kept in the fire during the period of churning, and water or fire-ashes were not allowed out of the house until the operation had ended. So too, the fire was guarded: if anybody came to a house while churning was in progress and tried (by “reddening” his pipe or otherwise) to take live fire out of the house, he was prevented from doing so, and forced to take a “brash” (hand) at the churning before leaving-thus the churn and its butter were kept intact from harm. 

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Does anyone in Lisytowel Remember Aileen Hayes?


I met her at the Cork Summer show with her husband, Charles and her friend Liam Hayes. Aileen is soon off to Florida for her holidays. She taught English and Spanish in Presentation Secondary School, Listowel for a few years in the eighties.


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A Kerry Team, All Ireland Champions, 1903


Wednesday 29 June 2016

James Crowley, T.D. remembered in Áras Mhuire and a few small changes at St. Mary's




A Little Reminder




A Listowel Connection to 1916

They held a great party in Áras Mhuire on Saturday June 18 2016. The occasion was the the 92nd birthday of Edward Crowley. But it wasn't just any old birthday because Edward is the son of James Crowley member of the first Dail and TD for North Kerry from 1918 to 1932 .

In this the centenary year of the 1916 Rising it was decided to make a presentation to Edward whose father was jailed for  reading the Proclamation at a meeting in Listowel in 1918.

Jimmy Deenihan made the presentation which took the form of a framed document outlining, in brief the biography of James Crowley. This document was signed by the production team of "1916, The Irish Rebellion" documentary. In the photograph with Jimmy Deenihan and Edward Crowley is Clementine O'Keeffe,daughter of Edward and granddaughter of James Crowley.

(Thank you to Bernard O'Keeffe for the photos and the story)



Relatives and friends of Edward Crowley at his birthday celebration in Áras Mhuire.


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A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

I have observed from my little knowledge of people's behaviour on the internet that people prefer to see a picture or video clip than to read a story as text. In fact many people tell me that they only look at the pictures in my blogpost and if the picture catches their eye they might read the accompanying text.

I was not surprised then when I learned that Facebook is planning to go all video. Snapchat has taken over from Twitter as the social medium of choice for the Millenials and by 2020 nobody will wait for a newspaper to get them the news.

You might think that this would spell bad news for advertisers. Not at all. They are way ahead of the game. Advertisers know so much about us now that they can target us with pin point accuracy. Because they know our location from our I.P. address, our profile from 100 profiles we have filled in somewhere and our interests from the sites we visit, as we walk down the street they can flash us the special offers in the shops as we pass.  Frightening!

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Statues reinstalled at St. Mary's



St. John

St Anne and Mary

This final photo shows the spot on the pillar prepared for the next statue to be affixed. The story is this. These statues (I think they are marble) were inset around the old pulpit. When the pulpit was removed, following Vatican 11, the statues were taken by a parishioner for safe keeping.
Now they are back in St. Mary's and you can see them on the pillars at the top of the church.

Tuesday 28 June 2016

Mai Fitz's Clock, Looking forward to The Races and An old yarn from John B. Keane

Well Known Landmark gets a revamp



I remember when it was Mai Fitz's.


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Well, Well, Well




Christy's is looking very colourful these days.


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Won't be Long Now



One of the official images from the launch this week of the McElligott's Tralee Ltd. Honda Ireland Ladies Day Listowel Races on Friday 16th of September. There is a €6,000 CASH prize fund - so definitely worth dressing to impress. 

Judges are Maura Derrane, the super stylish TV personality and presenter of the RTÉ Today, and James Patrice, presenter and Snapchat Star. This is the second year of the McElligotts Honda sponsorship and the cash prize fund has been increased to €6,000, with prizes for Best Dressed Lady, Best Dressed Couple, Jazziest Headpiece, Most Glamorous Young Racer, and new this year, Most Stylish Selfie!. 

Photo by MacMonagle Photography

This beautiful 3 year old horse is called Queen's Orbit.


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You Can't Beat a Good Yarn


John B. Keane was one of the best at telling a good yarn. He was given ample opportunity to spin these tales in his very popular weekly column in The Limerick Leader. Here is a good one that resurfaced recently from the archives of The Leader.

LAST week in Limerick I was having lunch in a well-known hotel when I notice an animated conversation developing at a nearby table. I wasn’t sure at first but as time passed I realised the occupants were talking about me.
An oldish, bespectacled woman was holding forth to two other women and a man. As she spoke her listeners, from time to time, would direct glances in my direction. At last I recognised the woman who was talking and I guessed the gist of the story she was telling.
Back in 1947 when I was working as an assistant to a fowl and egg-buyer I used to call to many farmhouses for eggs.
One of these was situated not far from Ballyheigue, near Kerry Head, and to this particular household I used to call every Thursday around dinnertime. I would have with me an egg box and when I would enter the kitchen the woman of the house would take the box up to the room where she would partly fill it with her contribution of eggs.
During one of my calls she was seated at the table about to have a cut at a plate of bacon and cabbage and several small new spuds. Dutifully she rose when I entered and, taking the box went, as usual, to the room where she proceeded to fill the box.
I was left alone in the kitchen although as I recall there was an ancient sheepdog lying half-asleep near the range. As I say it was dinnertime and needless to mention I was starved with the hunger. I edged my way towards the plate just to have a look. There were the several potatoes still steaming. There was the beautifully boiled cabbage and there were several small, thin slices of home-cured bacon. I could not resist. I took one spud, one slice of bacon and a hefty pinch of cabbage. All was safely swallowed by the time she returned. She looked at the plate. She looked at me and I looked at the dog.
A month passed and at dinnertime I called to the house once more. Again, on this occasion, she was about to commence her dinner. She rose dutifully as before, took the box and then, after a brief pause, took the plate wherein reposed her dinner. She then retired to the room.


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Do you go to Cork via Macroom?

If the answer is yes to my first question, my second question is have you ever stopped in Ballyvourney? (for an ice cream perhaps!)

When I stopped last week I looked around me and I saw things of interest.



They have kept the old village pump.  It's not functioning and has a few bits missing but it is a reminder of a slower way of life.


I don't know of any other road sign which gives the time it might take you for your journey rather than the distance.

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Who will Lead Britain out of the EU?


I wanna be the leader
I wanna be the leader
Can I be the leader?
Can I? I can?
Promise? Promise?
Yippee I'm the leader
I'm the leader

OK what shall we do?