Poyntzpass and District Local History Society "There must have been in it...." something By FrankWatters - on a on one I suppose the Irish would have a reputation of put sock and shoe foot before put a on being superstitious people but they are certain ting the sock the other - a or a cow an ly not exclusively so. There are many groups of strike child with elder stick - - a people who are well known for their superstitions strike another person with ragweed - - sailors, actors, miners and folk lore and fairy lore turn back having started out on a journey - occur all over the world. sit or meet in a group of 13 - share washing water - To begin with, here is a sample of unlucky things set an even number of eggs under a clocking hen mentioned to me in the course of my research for this article. You'll appreciate that this is by no 13 is an unlucky number " " means complete. It is regarded by some as unlucky Saturday flit's a short sit to : Green is an unlucky colour - meet a red headed woman on New Year's morning There are some happenings which are considered - burn human hair bad signs or omens : - put up an umbrella indoors - - put new boots/shoes on the table For the fire to burn on one side only - - spill salt For a picture to fall off the wall - - rock an empty cradle For your right hand to itch - - kill a robin, swallow or cuckoo or a spider For a break to come in a funeral cortege - - bring hawthorn blossom or lilac bloom into the For a child not to cry at a christening etc. etc etc house - bring a spade into the kitchen Now while some of these superstitions might be - lift a pin or needle by the point or give it to regarded as being totally ridiculous some could be - another person point first considered to have some sense in them walking - cut a fairy thorn under a ladder could, in some circumstances, be - - see one magpie dangerous, and there may have been a reason for - go near water on Whit Sunday some of them originally but that reason is usually - see an the new moon through glass not clear to us. Some times Iwas given explana - - " - walk under a ladder tion There were thirteen at the last Supper." - break a mirror "Thorns for the Crown came from the hawthorn." - take down Christmas decorations before January Sometimes there is an antidote which will ward off 6th evil if any of these unlucky things should happen to - put up a calendar for the new year before 1st you. "If you see the new moon through glass you January should turn the money in your pocket." If two are - turn a on garment if put back to front sharing washing water the first must spit in the water - whistle on a boat or for a woman to whistle or a before the second washes. hen to crow - red and white put flowers together in a vase many would think of these old - Nowadays people close or fill in a spring well superstitions as but there is a residue - generally silly nails on pare/cut your Sunday of belief in us all. We are often a bit uneasy when [66] Poyntzpass and District Local History Society confronted with some such situation and many his bed down to the room and slept there that night. sophisticated people seem to set great store by what As my father always said : their 'stars' say. "Anyway in the middle of the night the ghost got My father, Paddy Waiters, used to tell us a story into bed with him. He said he wouldn*t have mind about Pat Brannon's Ghost. Now Pat Brannon was ed the ghost in the bed with him only, 'Itmunched an old bachelor who lived a simple life in a little biscakes and broke wine in my face.* Pat got up and two- roomed cottage on the old lane in the townland took a blackthorn stick and he bate the bed up and of Federnagh. It is now partly in ruins and partly he bate the bed down. He said to the ghost "Who as a used shed for cattle. are you and what do you want?" The ghost replied, "Iwas here before you, Brannon, and I'll be here after Now the house consisted of the kitchen and a you." Pat said, uIfyou give me till the mornin you'll room. Pat lived in the kitchen and he never used the be here by yourself So he flitted back to the kitchen room. However on one occasion he decided that it and had no further trouble." was a pity to let the room go to waste so he 'flitted' Pat Brannon s House. [67] Poyntzpass and District Local History Society trace. However, according to the story, he had been murdered and robbed during the night and his body disposed off. He is supposed to have put his blood covered hand on the wall of the room in which he slept and no amount of washing could remove the stain. No matter how often this was painted over or plastered the red hand was said to reappear. (I have heard of similar stories from other locations) ' fv'-'' :^w$&^$w^^^^BtiKKI^^^^^Emks 0' i % *^^M^B 77?esite of the Inn at Poyntzpass. - The Dromantine Ghost is a bit more vacuous it's hard to get any facts or story. It is said that at some stage a ghost was exorcised in Dromantine House and in some mysterious way coaxed into a bottle which was sealed and thrown into the lake. ' pjMV ^VHIIi^^^^^^H^^^^^^^^^^H9K%?L^:n^El^^ ':'-: :S3&??** flag I have been told of other hauntings of Dromantine House, but whether they are connected with the Paddy Watters. ghost in the bottle I cannot say. Now there are 3 other stories about ghosts which - are well known around Poyntzpass or were often Another local tale is that of Fivey's horse. William or repeated to me at any rate. They are 'The red hand Fivey's family owned Union Lodge Lisnabrague on the wall', the Dromantine ghost and the Ghost of Lodge in the first half of the 19th century. He owned a mills Fivey's horse. among other things very large estate, several and a lime kiln and was a very wealthy man. He - According to the 'legend' in days long ago end of was, however, a gambler much addicted to the race - the 18th or early 19th century when the Back Lane track and owned and trained many horses. was the main Coach road to from Newry to According to the story he gambled away most of his on was a state. Tandragee, there stood on the site of Pat Loughlin's money horses and in desperate house inMeeting Street an Inn which offered trav ellers food and drink and accommodation. Now on He decided to risk all on one final fling. He care one occasion there arrived at the inn a man on fully prepared one of his horses for a big race and horseback. He was called "McGerry or McGeary" wagered all on it. The horse was beaten and Fivey - and was the tithe collector tithes being a payment lost everything. It is said he took the horse home a of a church tax. Anyway he was thought to have and put it in a stable. He had the stable door bricked horse goodly sum of money on his person. He put up at up and the horse starved to death. A ghostly avenue on and was the inn over night and was never seen again. Next is said to gallop up the nights worked there day his horse was found wandering between reportedly seen by several people who never a World War 2. Poyntzpass and Scarva. Of him there was and by soldiers stationed there during [68] Poyntzpass and District Local History Society '* ' ''-' ' ' " ' " '" : ' '" :?:i\x'>*\'%: '$ '"':"'t^w?!?-" > ;' /. ! .: . -: '. 'r:-;;.;v : .... .'-.-''.v : ..- '.",'" < "> - ."" !' :...':.v.>.-*.; Jff**iVSw^^W^^^Sbk**^??^*:$*>& Dromantine House with lake in foreground. I am grateful to Mrs Mary McVeigh for the follow ing account : "In 1925, when I was a young girl, I was sitting up with an old woman called Bridget Carty in Leish Loanin, in Lissummon, along with my father James Sands and a man who was working with my father at the time. He was Neilly McDonald and he was from up above Newry. Now Bridget Carty was on her death bed although she didn't die immediately. She recovered Now her house consisted three The entrance toFiveys Avenue. briefly. of - rooms the kitchen with a bedroom on either side of - It is interesting that there may be a basis in fact it. The sick woman was in one room and we were, - at least for Fivey's gambling, because in 1850 he all 3, around her bed. The door into the other bed - was forced to sell all his horses and his furniture to room was locked. There was only one lamp an oil - meet debts and to let Union Lodge to a Doctor lamp in the house and we had it in the bedroom. Saunderson. The kitchen was partly lit by the light of thefire. [69] Poyntzpass and District Local History Society * *':' '^ScaN^i^^C*- i'-' ""^rcrcijilifl^^tut * *rv-*?fc jBp J^: i^^tSH^ir ^"PC>*? * t %fAwt* id'wr^flCiHMw :R"'*n!!iB ^/7c/?^erCarty 5tfouse. 'We were all sitting in silence around the sick woman's bed when we, all three of us, heard the latch on the door lift, the door open and close, foot steps going into the kitchen and the sound of a stool being drawn up to thefire.