Ger Quinlivan and Dion Faulkner - Stories and Superstitions from Limerick City

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: 
00:00 – Mick asks them about ghost stories.
00:16 – Ger talks about his Granny seeing the Banshee down in The Island.
00:38 – Dion tells about his Great-Nanny seeing the Banshee, after which her brothers died. Mick asks Ger, who says his Granny’s partner’s dogs died.
01:21 – Mick asks about the Banshee's comb. Dion tells a story.
01:58 – Mick asks about the Bishop's Lady. They tell the story of her being thrown over the bridge.
02:33 – Dion talks about King John’s Castle and how a king turned it into a stable. Great moral tale here.
03:12 – Mick asks Dion if he keeps horses. He does.
03:40 – Mick asks Dion about the cross on a donkey’s back. Dion knows the story.
04:09 – Ger tells the story of the Green Lady.
04:56 – Dion talks about horses and how ghosts are attracted to them.
05:19 – Dion tells Mick about a cure for asthma involving a donkey.
05:34 – Dion talks about cures for warts — great accounts. Ger also shares his.
06:25 – Dion shares folklore about a foal born on Whit Sunday — they say such foals can’t be tamed.
06:53 – Ger talks about superstitions: new shoes on the table, breaking a mirror, and seeing a magpie. He mentions waving at the magpie.
07:25 – Ger talks about crossing your fingers to cancel bad luck.
07:38 – They mention sticking out your tongue if you’re lying. Mick follows up on “crossing your fingers.”
08:05 – Dion talks about your ear being itchy and what that means.
08:45 – Opening a pack of crisps upside down brings bad luck.
09:02 – They talk about blessing themselves when they see an ambulance — and also when passing a church. Dion demonstrates how.
09:46 – Mick asks about blessing themselves when they see a statue. Dion talks about putting your head under the water at St. Patrick’s Well.
10:13 – Ger shares how his Nanny warned him she’d wash his mouth out with bleach if he talked badly. Dion adds a funny remark about her being “very violent.”
10:46 – Mick asks about faces and eyes getting stuck if you were messing.
11:29 – They talk about black cat folklore and how to interpret the luck.
11:53 – Mick asks about a bird in the house being bad luck. Both have great stories.
12:30 – They talk about waving and talking to a magpie.
13:00 – Dion talks about a money spider.
13:17 – Dion shares a story about finding a five-cent coin and his Granny throwing it into a building’s foundation in town.
13:29 – Ger talks about his Nanny opening the doors on New Year’s night to let the old year out.
13:48 – Dion talks about giving money back for luck — he’s seen this done when buying a car.
14:15 – Mick asks if they are superstitious. Both answer. Ger tells a story about his dog seeing a ghost.
15:21 – Ger tells a story about young children being able to see ghosts.
16:05 – Dion talks about dressing boys as girls to keep the Fairies from taking them.
16:23 – They talk about the Banshee Rock near Moyross. They learned the stories from old recordings from 20 years ago — most of the words are almost identical.
16:56 – Mick asks about the Headless Horseman. This story is also copied from the old recordings. Mick notes that their Great-Nanna and Nanna told them. Great to see. They tell the story twice.