Kilgeever Parish Schools Folklore Collection

In 1937 the Irish Folklore Commission, in collaboration with the Department of Education, set a task to every National School in the Republic of Ireland to record and preserve Irish traditions and customs.

(1) The objectives of the National Folklore Collection (NFC) are to collect, preserve and disseminate the oral tradition of Ireland. The NFC, which is located in UCD, includes the following records:

  • c.2 million manuscript pages
  • c.500,000 index cards
  • c.12,000 hours of sound recordings
  • c.80,000 photographs
  • c.1,000 hours of video material

It was felt stories and traditions which were once passed down through the generations would unfortunately be lost if they were not recorded, indeed this may have been the last time these stories were re-told.

The Schools’ Collection

(2) 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.

This collecting scheme was initiated by the Irish Folklore Commission, under the direction of Séamus Ó Duilearga and Séan Ó Súilleabháin, Honorary Director and Registrar of the Commission respectively, and was heavily dependent on the cooperation of the Department of Education and the Irish National Teachers’ Organization. It was originally to run from 1937 to 1938 but was extended to 1939 in specific cases. For the duration of the project, more than 50,000 schoolchildren from 5,000 schools in the 26 counties of the Irish Free State were enlisted to collect folklore in their home districts. This included oral history, topographical information, folktales and legends, riddles and proverbs, games and pastimes, trades and crafts. The children recorded this material from their parents, grandparents and neighbours.

The scheme resulted in the creation of over half a million manuscript pages and is generally referred to as ‘Bailiúchán na Scol’ or ‘The Schools’ Collection’.

There are 1,128 volumes, numbered and bound, in the Collection. A title page prefaces material from 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 NFC.

You can browse through the entire 1937 collection by clicking on the link-The Schools Collection

Today, in conjunction with the National Museum of Ireland Turlough and Louisburgh-Killeen Heritage website, a similar 2012 story collection project has been undertaken with both Primary schools in the Kilgeever parish. The following is a collection of oral stories recorded by the senior pupils from both Killeen Holy Family National School and St. Patricks National School in Louisburgh.

The students were given topics to choose from such as "Old Crafts", "Severe Weather", "Old Schools" and "Famine Times", to name but a few. Each student interviewed a relative, friend or neighbour and then in their own words told the story. The work the students have achieved is very impressive and deserves much accolade. It is a credit not only to their teachers but also to the wealth of knowledge from the story tellers and the student’s pride in their community.

(1) https://duchas.ie/en/info/cbe accessed 26-03-2024

(2) https://duchas.ie/en/info/cbe accessed 26-03-2024