Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
This collection of folklore was recorded and produced by Michael Fortune and Aileen Lambert, facilitated by The GAFF and supported by The Arts Council, Limerick Arts Office, St. Mary's National School and Thomond Primary School.
List of Contents:
00:02 - Mick asks what good luck and bad luck superstitions they’ve heard. They answer never pick up a Banshee’s comb or knock a Fairy Fort.
00:22 - Chelsea tells of an instance where a farmer removed a Fairy Fort and his crops didn’t grow.
00:43 - Sophie tells about the Banshee's comb.
00:57 - Mick asks about being told to never step on a crack - they have the saying about breaking your mother's back but also that Banshees live in the cracks. 01:18 - Mick asks about being told to never put new shoes on a table.
01:24 - Chelsea tells about the things that happen in her family if you put new shoes on a table.
01:47 - Chelsea rhymes off the Magpie rhyme, and when they see a magpie they bid him good morning.
02:10 - Sophie tells how you greet a magpie.
02:23 - Both girls share their magpie greetings.
02:37 - Both girls tell about local haunted houses.
03:30 - Mick asks have they heard about the Headless Horseman who loses his head ‘cos of the Banshees in Moyross.
04:00 - Drunken Thady and the Bishop’s Lady - she loved to party and would fight whoever she sees. Sophie makes a lovely gesture about her scraping her nails on the bridge. Also their friend had bad luck from touching it - they couldn’t sleep.
05:15 - They expand on the story of their friend, not being able to sleep, and a black figure appearing in the room.
05:50 - Yellow reg car - "no hit backs" - and "cheese on wheels".
06:06 - Repeating yellow reg "no hit backs" story and explaining "cheese on wheels".
06:44 - Chelsea tells how she likes to hit her friends and pretend its the Banshee.
06:56 - Sophie tells how a girl in the class and her cousin brought a Banshee comb home.
07:35 - Sophie tells of people who were supposed to have seen the Banshee. She pushed an old woman down the stairs and she died and the next day her brother fell down the stairs and died.
08:16 - Chelsea tells about a robin being a sign of death and Sophie how the Banshee follows O’s and Mac’s.
08:44 - Mick asks Sophie about the robin superstition.
09:00 - Chelsea explains the bad/good luck you get from a cat crossing depending on whether its coming from left or right. 09:16 - Sophie tells how you shouldn’t look a black cat in the eye.
09:25 - Sophie says if you break a mirror you get bad luck for seven years and Chelsea says you have to cross your fingers if you walk under a ladder.
09:48 - Cross your fingers behind your back if you’re lying.
10:08 - Don’t open a crisp bag upside down.
10:21 - Pinky promise and crossing your fingers behind your back.
10:41 - Sophie’s Nanna gives her money for luck, Chelsea’s Mammy gives her a lucky sausage.
11:06 - The lucky sausage helped Chelsea throw 9 metres.
11:27 - Mick asks if they ever keep something on them for good luck - Chelsea has a lucky stone.
11.49 - Sophie’s Nanna threw holy water on her, Chelsea says she’s had many things thrown at her but never holy water.
12:05 - Bad luck to look into a "ginger’s" eyes, says Chelsea.
12:24 - Pissy beds, not putting certain colour flowers together, dandelion clocks for good luck, four-leafed clover.
13:12 - Repeating and expanding on the pissy bed story, and blowing the clocks story.
13:59 - Chelsea talks about if you whistle inside the fairies would come and take boys under the age of 2.
14:33 - Chelsea talks about her Latvian tradition of plaiting hair for good luck.
14:52 - Chelsea talks about the Latvian tradition of eating smoked fish on Christmas Eve.
15:15 - Chelsea tells about fasting.
15:51 - Sophie tells about the Green Lady/Banshee.
16:25 - Chelsea tells of Crazy Larry.
This collection of folklore was recorded and produced by Michael Fortune and Aileen Lambert, facilitated by The GAFF and supported by The Arts Council, Limerick Arts Office, St. Mary's National School and Thomond Primary School.
List of Contents:
00:02 - Mick asks what good luck and bad luck superstitions they’ve heard. They answer never pick up a Banshee’s comb or knock a Fairy Fort.
00:22 - Chelsea tells of an instance where a farmer removed a Fairy Fort and his crops didn’t grow.
00:43 - Sophie tells about the Banshee's comb.
00:57 - Mick asks about being told to never step on a crack - they have the saying about breaking your mother's back but also that Banshees live in the cracks. 01:18 - Mick asks about being told to never put new shoes on a table.
01:24 - Chelsea tells about the things that happen in her family if you put new shoes on a table.
01:47 - Chelsea rhymes off the Magpie rhyme, and when they see a magpie they bid him good morning.
02:10 - Sophie tells how you greet a magpie.
02:23 - Both girls share their magpie greetings.
02:37 - Both girls tell about local haunted houses.
03:30 - Mick asks have they heard about the Headless Horseman who loses his head ‘cos of the Banshees in Moyross.
04:00 - Drunken Thady and the Bishop’s Lady - she loved to party and would fight whoever she sees. Sophie makes a lovely gesture about her scraping her nails on the bridge. Also their friend had bad luck from touching it - they couldn’t sleep.
05:15 - They expand on the story of their friend, not being able to sleep, and a black figure appearing in the room.
05:50 - Yellow reg car - "no hit backs" - and "cheese on wheels".
06:06 - Repeating yellow reg "no hit backs" story and explaining "cheese on wheels".
06:44 - Chelsea tells how she likes to hit her friends and pretend its the Banshee.
06:56 - Sophie tells how a girl in the class and her cousin brought a Banshee comb home.
07:35 - Sophie tells of people who were supposed to have seen the Banshee. She pushed an old woman down the stairs and she died and the next day her brother fell down the stairs and died.
08:16 - Chelsea tells about a robin being a sign of death and Sophie how the Banshee follows O’s and Mac’s.
08:44 - Mick asks Sophie about the robin superstition.
09:00 - Chelsea explains the bad/good luck you get from a cat crossing depending on whether its coming from left or right. 09:16 - Sophie tells how you shouldn’t look a black cat in the eye.
09:25 - Sophie says if you break a mirror you get bad luck for seven years and Chelsea says you have to cross your fingers if you walk under a ladder.
09:48 - Cross your fingers behind your back if you’re lying.
10:08 - Don’t open a crisp bag upside down.
10:21 - Pinky promise and crossing your fingers behind your back.
10:41 - Sophie’s Nanna gives her money for luck, Chelsea’s Mammy gives her a lucky sausage.
11:06 - The lucky sausage helped Chelsea throw 9 metres.
11:27 - Mick asks if they ever keep something on them for good luck - Chelsea has a lucky stone.
11.49 - Sophie’s Nanna threw holy water on her, Chelsea says she’s had many things thrown at her but never holy water.
12:05 - Bad luck to look into a "ginger’s" eyes, says Chelsea.
12:24 - Pissy beds, not putting certain colour flowers together, dandelion clocks for good luck, four-leafed clover.
13:12 - Repeating and expanding on the pissy bed story, and blowing the clocks story.
13:59 - Chelsea talks about if you whistle inside the fairies would come and take boys under the age of 2.
14:33 - Chelsea talks about her Latvian tradition of plaiting hair for good luck.
14:52 - Chelsea talks about the Latvian tradition of eating smoked fish on Christmas Eve.
15:15 - Chelsea tells about fasting.
15:51 - Sophie tells about the Green Lady/Banshee.
16:25 - Chelsea tells of Crazy Larry.
