Brendon (Saint) Feast.—This was held on the 22nd of March, but from time immemorial is gone out of practice.
St. Brendon died on the 16th of May.
Changelings.—Fairies at one time were supposed to steal or spirit away a fine, rosy-cheeked, healthy-looking child or young person and take him off to Teer-Na-Oge, leaving a very thin, pale-faced, silent weakling instead of the person stolen behind them who in the dead of night changed into a withered crone. Medical science has proved this change to be done by consumption and other like causes, therefore the fairy thief is disappearing here faster than in other countries.
Charms.—Not very long since, "respectable" people went to "wise" old women to seek foolish cures for sickness by means of charms. I believe I heard about one hundred diseases mentioned, each of which I was told could be cured by a charm—consumption and the "fallen" sickness were amongst them. Men also pretended to heal horses and cattle by charms.
One of the most pitiable cases to come under my notice was at Cloushguire, Castle Gregory, where an old man at a very early hour of the morning was carrying on his performance over an old horse. It surprised me to find in such an enlightened place as Castle Gregory any person guilty of such folly as to believe in curing ailments by charms. Corkaguiny in general, I believe, stands as clean from superstition and charms as any barony in the British Isles, judging by the latter actions in foreign lands. The ignorance and superstitions of the few now amongst us are all nearly melted away before the bright rays of science and education.
Contracts with the Devil.—Some time ago quite a few were to be found who believed that noted card players had attained the art of winning as a result of a contract made by them with the devil, which contract was confirmed at a general meeting of the witches and ghosts over which the devil himself presided and the persons signed the articles of agreement with their own blood. To obtain possession of the soul was the main object of the devil. For a wise spirit like "Old Nick," he used to sometimes make very silly contracts. Then they thought of sleight-of-hand and other tricks. When the country became properly policed, the robbers and thieves, with the ghosts and devils, disappeared.
In England persons were hanged for selling their souls to the devil, and by virtue of the contract raised storms.
Cross Thursday, or La croista na blianna.—In olden times people would not like to start doing anything on Cross Thursday, especially the grandmothers of the present age. Carding, spinning, etc., were sure to be suspended. Ask them why suspend spinning, etc., on that day, and they would only tell you that it was not for them to break an old custom which was accompanied by an old saying that if anything was started on Cross Thursday it would never be completed.
I believe that this day must have been observed at some time as a holiday in Ireland. No doubt but it had a religious origin connecting it with the order given by Herod the Great to murder the children of Bethlehem and its coast in order to cut off Jesus, who was born about the same time. Jesus escaped by being taken by His mother into Egypt.