Árd Bán - UCD Digital Library

Árd Bán

Abstract: A collection of folklore and local history stories from Árd Bán (school) (Ardbane, Co. Donegal), collected as part of the Schools' Folklore Scheme, 1937-1938 under the supervision of teacher Briain Ó hEarchaigh.

Original reference: 1031/1

In collection The Schools’ Collection : County Donegal schools

  1. Cistí Óir i bhFolach (p. 001-004)
  2. Cistí Óir i bhFolach (p. 004-007)
  3. There is a churn in our house, and it is three and a half feet long. (p. 007-009)
  4. Once upon a time there was a man and his name was Finn Mac Cumhail. (p. 009-010)
  5. Once upon a time there was a boy called James Mc Groary hired with a man called John Ward in Eglish. (p. 010-011)
  6. Once upon a time thre were five men in this district on board of a ship. (p. 011-012)
  7. Once upon a time there was a great storm. There were two boys called John Ward who lived in Donegal, and James Mc Groary Drimarone. (p. 013-014)
  8. In the olden times candles were made from boiled rushes. (p. 014-015)
  9. Once upon a time there was a wedding down in Glenties. (p. 015-016)
  10. In the olden times there was a church in Eglish. (p. 016-017)
  11. Once upon a time there was a place in Eglish called the Mullach Mór. (p. 017-019)
  12. People say that if a star fell on a hill and if any person found it before it was melted that it was the best cure for the mumps. (p. 019-020)
  13. There is a fairy wrath in the school district. There is one down on Paddy Brogan's hill. (p. 021-022)
  14. There is only one holy well in this parish and it is called Father Mick's well. (p. 023-024)
  15. About 50 years ago there was a smith called John O'Donnill. (p. 024-025)
  16. Once upon a time when the soldiers were looking for Our Lord they came to a field of corn and it was in breard. (p. 026-027)
  17. Once upon a time there was a man and he went away to look for work. (p. 027-030)
  18. Once upon a time there were three people living in a house a man a woman and a little girl. (p. 030-031)
  19. People say that if potaoes were set on Good Friday that they were sure to grow. (p. 031-033)
  20. This is a story about Fionn Mc Cumhaill. (p. 033-034)
  21. Once upon a time there was a landlord up in Loc Easg. (p. 034-036)
  22. Once upon a time there was a woman and a man living in a house in Glenfin. (p. 036-037)
  23. The place that the cows are kept is called a byre. (p. 038-039)
  24. At one time there was a little boy from Lettermore. His name was Denis Billy Shelia and he was employed. (p. 040-044)
  25. One time about 60 years ago there lived three brothers. Their name was Sweeney who lived in Meentachor. (p. 044-047)
  26. At one time there was a great disaster in Bruckless. There were up to thirteen heads of families lost. (p. 047-048)
  27. In the time of the trouble and when hedge schools were in Ireland on a mountain bordering Shanveen in a place called Crónagcearcfraoigh. (p. 048-049)
  28. At one time long ago, there was a great wedding in this district. (p. 050-052)
  29. A long time ago there was an altar of stone built in Eglish. (p. 052-053)
  30. In a townland called Sruhall there is a lot of hills which have queer names. (p. 053-054)
  31. Till the present day there is a cave which is called the "black rock" and which lies near Glenties. (p. 054-055)
  32. Till the present times there is a lot of old habits which are kept up such as the bonfire night on the twenty-third of June. (p. 055-057)
  33. About 40 years ago there was a great football match on our holm. (p. 057-058)
  34. It is said that Fionn Mac Cuaill was a very strong man and he did a lot of great deeds. (p. 058-059)
  35. There is a great stone in Clogher till the present day and there was a giant buried under it. (p. 059-060)
  36. In olden times some of the people had thatched houses and others had none at all. (p. 060-061)
  37. Till the present day there is a lot of old footpaths from place to place. (p. 061-062)
  38. In olden times the people all were over twenty years before they put on shoes. (p. 062-063)
  39. About 60 years ago there was a smith call Patrick Kenny who lived in the parish of Inver. (p. 063-064)
  40. In olden times there were only two graveyards in this parish. (p. 064)
  41. In olden days there was an old church on Capnawean. (p. 065)
  42. in olden times there was a leaprachan in Eglish. (p. 065-066)
  43. In olden times there came a witch to Ownbuide. (p. 066-067)
  44. About one hundred years ago there was a smith who lived in Golands and manufactured iron and steel into a lot of articles. (p. 067-070)
  45. The society known as the Molly's Men sprung from an incident in a remote district. (p. 070-071)
  46. Long ago when the milk was churned there was no butter. (p. 072)
  47. I am an old gunman, Just aged thirty four. (p. 072-075)
  48. One day Fionn Mac Cumhaill went in search of the King's daughter. (p. 076-079)
  49. It was all "cros" that were long ago. The people had no chimneys so they put creels without a bottom in them sitting for the chimney... (p. 080)
  50. Once upon a tiem there were three men living in a house. (p. 080-082)
  51. At one time there was a great ice on Louch h-Iasg and also all over the county. (p. 082-083)
  52. There was a school at John McGroary's house of Tullynaha in the year, 1821. (p. 083-084)
  53. There is a townland named Meenaulderg got its name because of a park that there was blood spilled in the time of the trouble. (p. 085-086)
  54. Long ago it was all oat bread that was eaten. (p. 087)
  55. The houses in olden times were different to the houses nowadays. (p. 088-089)
  56. Once upon a time a man went away to look for work. (p. 089-090)
  57. Once upon a time a great storm came. It was said that on the 10th of January 1897 it tossed houses and bridges. (p. 090-091)
  58. about 1749 AD there was a school in Letterfad. (p. 091-092)
  59. In the month of July the chick weeds destroy all the crops. (p. 092-093)
  60. There was a man called John Ward of Meenalig. (p. 093-094)
  61. The people in olden times used to eat three meals in the day the breakfast the dinner and the supper. (p. 094-095)
  62. The people usen't to get as many kinds of bread in olden times as they get now. (p. 095-096)
  63. Once upon a time a man went away to look for work. (p. 096-099)
  64. Once upon a time there lived two men in a house in Drimkellan and they had a big farm. (p. 100-101)
  65. Once upon a time there lived two children a boy and a girl and their names were Pat and Mary. (p. 101-102)
  66. Jimmie McGroarty that lived in Drimboarty was a very good mower. (p. 103)
  67. In olden times the people used to be talking about the lucky days of getting married on. (p. 103-104)
  68. In olden times there was a lot of priests killed and hunted in this part. (p. 104-105)
  69. There is a caoran at our house called the molly-bán. It got this names because there used to grow white grass and fog on it. (p. 105-106)
  70. There is a spot in Dan Quinn's hill in Drumboarty called Páirc Garbh. (p. 106-107)
  71. The cure for the Rose is McCahill's blood and butter. (p. 108-109)
  72. Tullynaha is the name of the townland in which I live and it is in the parish of Inver. (p. 109-110)
  73. The farmers put in a crop every year. They put manuer and lime on them to grow better. (p. 110-111)
  74. The people in olden times used to be twenty years when they started to wear shoes. (p. 112-113)
  75. There was a tailor living here a long time ago the names of John Meehan and he used to make every kind of clothes. (p. 113-114)
  76. There is a stone the shape of a tombstone in Clogher in Cathrine Kelly's hill. (p. 115-116)
  77. There is an old castle down in Glenties. The farm of land that it is on is belonging to men called Wards. (p. 116-117)
  78. There is a stone in Dysart where a landlord was buried. (p. 118)
  79. Once upon a time there was a witch living in Ireland. A little boy lived with her. (p. 119-120)
  80. In old times the houses were made of sods and clay. (p. 120-121)
  81. About one hundred and fifty years ago a wolf had his den in Letternacaugh, (the adjoining townland). (p. 121-122)
  82. It is not lucky to set potatoes before the 25th of March and it is not right to look in the glass on Whit Sunday or to leave to go to another country on June 30th. (p. 122-123)
  83. There is a Fairy Fort in Tullynagrena about one and a half-mile from Ardbane. (p. 123-124)
  84. There was a shop in Anne Thomas's of Golands 40 years ago. (p. 124-125)
  85. The houses in olden times were all thatched. (p. 125)
  86. Once upon a time a woman began to churn one day. (p. 126)
  87. There was a house built by night in Tullynagrena. (p. 126-127)
  88. There is a castle in Lough Easke in the county of Donegal. It was to a chief the name of O'Donnell that this castle belonged. (p. 127-130)
  89. Once upon a time a man went away to get off a hump. (p. 130-131)
  90. Once upon a time there was a boy named John and he always used to sit in the corner. (p. 132-133)
  91. Once upon a time there was a castle in Glenfin. (p. 133-136)
  92. About seventy one years ago there was a school in Eglish between Denis Ward's and Bernard Wards. (p. 136-137)
  93. Once upon a time, priests used to read Mass in Eglish and that is where it got its name from. (p. 137-138)
  94. Once upon a time there was a poet named Patrick Burke of Clogher (in this district). (p. 138-139)
  95. There was a grievious famine all over this country. (p. 140)
  96. In the olden times, the people used to eat only two meals in the day. (p. 140-142)
  97. Long ago there was a Saint named Oliver. He was living in the Parish of Inver. (p. 142-143)
  98. Once upon a time the English giant heard about Finn Mac Cumhaill being a great warrior so he came over this day to fight Finn. (p. 143)
  99. Long ago there was an old master teaching school in Tullynaha. (p. 143-144)
  100. Once upon a time there was a man named John Meehan. This man was going to a fair in Glenties. (p. 144-145)
  101. Once upon a time there was a boy who went away to look for birds nests. (p. 145-146)
  102. Long ago people used to make dolls out of straw. (p. 146-147)
  103. Once upon a time there was a woman named Friel who was blind. (p. 147-148)
  104. Once upon a time, there was a man that was going round begging. (p. 148-149)
  105. Once upon a time, there was a man who lived in the townland of Eglish. (p. 149-150)
  106. Once upon a time there was a man named John Boyle. This man was a good maker of candles. (p. 151)
  107. Once upon a time thre lived in the townland of Letterfad three men. These men were very good swimmers. (p. 152-153)
  108. In the year 1846, there was a great famine and scarcity of food. (p. 153-154)
  109. In olden times, the people used to have a lot of old sayings. (p. 154-155)
  110. Once upon a time Finn MacCumhaill wrote a letter to the high champion of Connaught saying he was going to fight him and for him to be ready. (p. 155-156)
  111. Once upon a time there was an old altar built up in Clogher. (p. 157)
  112. Once upon a time there was a house built in Tullynaha. It was built and roofed three hours before day. It was the Molly's men that built it. (p. 157)
  113. It is said if anyone has a black lamb that someone will die in that house. (p. 158)
  114. Once upon a time there was a wolf in the parish of Inver. (p. 158-159)
  115. It is unlucky to meet a hare on the road when one's getting married. (p. 159-160)
  116. There was a great storm in the year 1839. (p. 160-161)
  117. It is said that if a man misses a ridge when setting potatoes there is some one to die in that house before a year. (p. 161-162)
  118. In the townland of Dysart there is an old graveyard. Long ago, there used to be buried there unbaptised children but it is all filled up now. (p. 162-163)
  119. Once upon a time there was a wild deer in the parish of Inver. (p. 163-164)
  120. Once upon a time there was a man and a woman getting married. (p. 164)
  121. Once upon a time there lived in the town land of Drumkeelan (and) a man and his name was Pat Doherty. He was a great candle-maker. (p. 165)
  122. Once upon a time there was a family of the Wards going round begging bread and potaotes. (p. 165-166)
  123. Once upon a time Fionn Mac Cumhaill was out hunting with his men and it came on very late. (p. 166-168)
Origin information
Ardbane, Co. Donegal
Date created:
Type of Resource
text
Physical description
1 chapter (vol. 1031, p. 1a-168)
Languages
English  
Genre
Chapter
Subject
Folklore--Ireland--Donegal (County)
Treasure troves--Folklore
Butter   linked data (lcsh)
Ireland--History--Famine, 1845-1852
Candlemaking   linked data (lcsh)
Occupations   linked data (lcsh)
Good Friday   linked data (lcsh)
Finn MacCumhaill, 3rd cent.   linked data (viaf)
Land use   linked data (lcsh)
Food--Folklore
Marriage   linked data (lcsh)
Manners and customs   linked data (lcsh)
Cemeteries   linked data (lcsh)
Smithing   linked data (afset)
Agriculture   linked data (lcsh)
Folk poetry   linked data (lcsh)
Dwellings--Folklore
narratives   linked data (afset)
Bread--Folklore
Traditional medicine   linked data (lcsh)
Rites and ceremonies   linked data (lcsh)
local legends   linked data (afset)
Clothing and dress   linked data (lcsh)
Historic sites   linked data (lcsh)
Schools   linked data (lcsh)
legendary creatures   linked data (afset)
Proverbs   linked data (lcsh)
belief   linked data (afset)
Secret societies   linked data (lcsh)
Folk beliefs   linked data (afset)
School location
ArdbaneAn tArd BánArdbaneInverBanaghDonegal
Location
https://doi.org/10.7925/drs1.duchas_4428266
Location
University College Dublin. National Folklore Collection UCD .

Original reference: 1031/1

Suggested credit
"The Schools' Manuscript Collection: County Donegal schools," held by the National Folklore Collection UCD. © Digital content by University College Dublin, published by UCD Library, University College Dublin <http://digital.ucd.ie/view/duchas:44282665>
Funding
Supported by funding from the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Ireland), University College Dublin, and the National Folklore Foundation (Fondúireacht Bhéaloideas Éireann), 2014-2016.
Record source
Metadata creation date: 2014/2016 — Metadata created by Fiontar, Dublin City University, in collaboration with the National Folklore Collection UCD and UCD Library. Original Fiontar metadata converted into MODS by UCD Library.

Rights & Usage Conditions

Creative Commons License
Árd Bán is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Copyright of the original resource: University College Dublin

To use for commercial purposes, please contact the National Folklore Collection, UCD - See: http://n2t.net/ark:/87925/h1cc0xm5