Month: May 2021
-
Biddy’s – The Eejit!
It wasn’t today nor yesterday that the widow woman lived in County Armagh with her two sons, who were called Diarmud and Donal. Because he was the eldest son, Diarmud was the master of the house. After their father’s death the tenancy to the large farm they lived on was passed on to them. Troubles […]
-
Biddy’s – The Fairy Bush
There are, in many parts of Ireland, certain bushes which are looked upon by the local people as being sacred to that most well-known species of inhabitants of the mystic world, the Sidhe, the Sheeogs (Fairies). There is no Irishman or Irishwoman who would do harm, or destroy, or interfere with, such bushes for any […]
-
Biddy’s – The Irish Fairies
There was a time, and not too long ago, that the people were immersed in fairy-lore and superstitions. In our twenty-first century such things are laughed at, being considered simple superstition and old fashioned. Today, it is not considered ‘cool’ to talk about fairies and, in some circles, the word has a quite different and […]
-
Biddy’s – The Old Man and the Nervous Cow.
An Old Tale of the West of Ireland. “There once was an old man who said, “How Shall I escape from this horrible cow? “I will sit on the stile, “and continue to smile, “ which may soften the heart of the cow.’” The old man was walking thoughtfully through the field, with his hands […]
-
Biddy’s – The Seer
The normal things that amuse people are considered by the ‘Seer’ as being little else than vanity, if not something even worse. He despises those people who live and think only for the present, without ever once doing something for posterity, by attempting to discover the great events that lie in our future. Domestic joys […]
-
Biddy’s – The Three Cows
An Old Irish Tale In the County of Armagh, there was once a poor widow woman, who had an only son called Bernard, but known to all as ‘Bear’. There were some neighbours who would have had a good word for the boy and said that he was as sharp a boy as one would […]
-
Biddy’s – Tom Harte goes Courting
Big Tom Harte was his adopted mother’s jack-of-all-trades. In fact, I do not know how she could ever have managed the farm without having his clear head and sound judgment to guide her. Everyone in the parish knew Tom as a man well-trained in getting a bargain and, probably, the best judge of a ‘beast’ […]
-
BIDDY – “The Priest Catcher”
A Tale of Divine Justice After Oliver Cromwell’s ruthless attack on the Irish Catholic Population, every effort was made to ensure that the Catholic Mass and sacraments could not be celebrated by the faithful. The ‘Penal Laws’ introduced and enforced after William III’s victories, gave the persecution of Irish Catholics the protection of ‘Law’. As […]
-
BIDDY – To the Coming Flowers
Awake, dear sleepers, from your wintry tombs; The sun has turned the point of Capricorn, And ‘gins to pluck from Winter’s wings the plumes Of darkness, and to wind his silver horn For your return. Come to your homes, forlorn In absence of your odours and your faces; Like Rachel weeps for you the reaved […]
-
Stories of Seamus No.29
Witches of the Bog In every corner of Ireland you will hear wondrous stories of various Witches and Pookas, and the great influence that they have had on the lives of the people in any particular area. My Father, may God rest his soul, was a Tyrone man, born and reared and, when I was […]
Ireland's Lore and Tales 