The stories told on these pages are from  a collection of folklore compiled by schoolchildren in Ireland in the 1930s. 
The children recorded (over&nbsp740,000 handwritten pages) of this material from their parents, grandparents and neighbours.

These are their stories in their own words.

St. Brigid’s Day Customs


SCHOOL: Kildavin, Ferns | ADDRESS: Kildavin, Co. Carlow


Proud Irish Heritage- Making a Saint Brigids, Cross
Making a Saint Brigid’s Cross

On St. Brigid’s Day the people used to hang out a piece of cloth and that was said to cure a sore throat.

In olden times the people used to leave a piece of bread in the window and that was said to cure any sickness.

On St. Brigid’s night the old people used go to the field and catch a sheep and pull a handful of wool and leave it on the doorstep on St. Brigid’s night and when they had a cold they used wear it and it used to cure them for the round of the year.

In olden times the people used leave all the animals out on St. Brigid’s Night. It was said that none of the animals would die for that year.

There is a stone in Knockrow (Knockroe) and it is said that St. Brigid used eat on it. It is about ten yards in width and there are some letters cut on it and there is a track of a saints’ foot on it.

On St. Brigid’s Day people used to go and leave things on this stone in honour of St. Brigid.


Bibliography

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0911, Page 252” by Dúchas © National Folklore Collection, UCD is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

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