Beaghbeg Folklore

The National Folklore Collection

The National Folklore Collection is a collection of folklore compiled by schoolchildren in Ireland in the 1930s.

Beaghbeg features in at least 9 entries of the School’s Collection.

Four of these entries relate to the supernatural, with one story recounting the death of a Beaghbeg man after a wedding in Woodquay (Story), another the death of the Monaghan‘s cow (A Dead Cow), one about a strange man and some butter (An Sián – between Beaghbeg and Kilnamonagh), while the other recounts the death of Paddy Kyne‘s aunt after a mysterious knock at the door (Signs of Death).

Story (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0022, Page 0271)

A Dead Cow (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0022, Page 0625)

An Sián – Between Beaghbeg and Killamonagh (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0022, Page 0498)

Signs of Death  (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0022, Page 0525)

 

There is also an entry recounting the time when lightening struck Paddy Farrington.

Lightening (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0038C, Page 07_037 and 38)

 

Two of the entries relate to clothing, with one mentioning that in Peter Coyne‘s house in Beaghbeg there can be seen a freize coat, tall hat and shoes (Clare County). While another entry (Clothes) recounts that down at Boyner‘s are linens over 100 years old.

Clare County (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0022, Page 0464)

Clothes (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0022, Page 0406)

 

There is also mention of John Monaghan and his skill in making iron gates.

Persons Who Were Able to Make Baskets out of Rods (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0025, Page 0090)

 

While Beaghbeg also features in the large entry ‘The Parish of Donaghpatrick’, with mention that the townland belonged to Castlehacket.

The Parish of Donaghpatrick (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0022, Page 0454)