Old Days and Old Ways

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Statue of The Infant of Prague

Marie Neligan posted on Facebook;

“I have had about three statues of the infant in Prague in my lifetime. I have a tiny one on the window ledge of my kitchen sink. Tonight, the statue fell all by itself and the head fell off. This is exactly what happened to the other two. There is an Irish superstition about this but I can’t remember what it is. Anyone out there remember?”

Apparently the statue, a well known bringer of a fine day only works its magic if the head has been severed from the body. But it is important that the head is separated from the body by accident and not by any human agency. So Marie has that invaluable meteorological genius in its most potent form.

My friend, Anne Moloney R.I.P. lent me her statue in order to ensure fine weather for my daughter’s wedding. Here he is sitting in a puddle outside my back door on the wedding morning. Too late I discovered that you have to put him under a bush for him to bring sunshine.

Then this post appeared on a Millstreet site…

Frank Reen with daughter Mairéad and the Infant of Prague statue that Frank’s father displayed when he began as a Chemist in 1938.

Picture – Sean Radley

We Irish people have a strange affection for this quirky little statue of baby Jesus in drag wearing a crown bigger than his head and carrying an orb.

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Football Club is Family

When your daddy is a superstar, you have to be part of the story.

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“The Tech” in the 1950s

These lovely old photos were posted to Facebook a while ago by Mike Hannon. I have no names but I’m sure someone will recognise people.

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St. Mary’s Well

From Duchas.ie the schools folklore collection

Long ago there was a blessed well in North Kerry near Ballyduff. It was called Mary’s Well. If any person had any pain he would go to the well and he would come home cured. The Fame of this well went through the county and they came from all parts to be cured. This went on for years and nobody ever came back from Mary’s well without being cured. Even the blind and sore-eyed people used go to be cured.

But this famous well did not always hold. There was a girl near the place who was going to be married and one day a half blind old woman came to her door looking for alms. She said, “I have nothing to give an old blind hag like you”. And the old woman said, “That the marriage ring may never go on you until you be as blind as myself”. Next morning when the girl got up she could not open her eyes and she went to Mary’s Well.

When she reached the well whom did she see but the old woman whom she refused the day before and she abused her and called her an old hag and she tried to pull her from the well but both of them fell into the well and got drowned and the well vanished and was never again seen and where the well was once there is now a stream.

Story collected by Cáit Breathnach of Tullamore School. Kilconly

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