Folklore in Annaghdown

The Schools' Collection from the Irish Folklore Commission is a collection of folklore compiled by schoolchildren in Ireland in the 1930s. It is available online at duchas.ie and includes much valuable genealogical information.

Approximately 740,000 pages (288,000 pages in the pupils’ original exercise books; 451,000 pages in bound volumes) of folklore and local tradition were compiled by pupils from 5,000 primary schools in the Irish Free State between 1937 and 1939.

There are 1,128 volumes, numbered and bound, in the Collection. A title page prefaces each school, giving the name of the school, the parish, the barony, the county and the teacher. A further collection of approximately 40,000 of the children’s original copybooks are stored at the National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin.

The folklore collected often includes valuable genealogical information.

The Collection includes contributions from five schools in Annaghdown parish, all of which are available online:

• Annaghdown (Anach Cuain) submitted by R.S. Ó Conaill (Robert O'Connell);
• Corrandulla Boys (Scoil an Mhainistir, Corr an Dola) submitted by An Br. Coinleith Ó Mainnín (Bro. Conleth Mannion);
• Corrandulla Girls (Scoil Bhríge Naofa, An Cheathrú Bheag) Book 1, Book 2,submitted by Máire Ní Loideáin (Mary Lydon) and Nóra Bean Uí Longhaile;
• Corrandrum (Corr an Droma) Book 1, Book 2, submitted by Breandán Ó Míodhcháin (Brendan Meehan);
• Castlehacket (Caisleán hAicéid) submitted by S. Ó Floinn (John Flynn).

Bawnmore (An Bán Mór), in the parish of Lackagh, served some townlands at the eastern end of Annaghdown parish, such as Cregg and Slievefin.