The cure for ailments such as the thorn and the gravel can be found in the village of Legan.
Lizzy Donnelly from the village of Legan in County Longford has the cure for jaundice. This particular treatment is a mixture of herbs, boiled and strained to make a drink. She was given the recipe by a neighbour.
Hundreds of people come to me for the bottle.
Lizzy Masterson has the cure for ‘the thorn’. This cure was given to her family by a woman and consists of unsalted butter that must be renewed annually on the morning of the first of May.
It’s a charm and a cure.
Her cure is stored in a jar and is applied by rubbing the substance into the affected area.
It’s in the house this hundred years, it never goes bad you know, never, it might get black but it won’t get bad.
Lizzy Masterson swiftly dispels any suggestion that her cure has anything to do with the fairies.
It’s not witchcraft.
Bobby Trimble has a cure for various ailments. These include warts and a urinary condition called ‘the gravel’. He can also stop bleeding by saying a specific prayer three times. He was given this prayer from a man he knows called Pat Brady.
All three people are pleased to share their knowledge with whoever is in need.
It’s very good to be able to cure another person.
‘Donncha’s Travelling Roadshow’ was a series presented by Donncha Ó Dúlaing highlighting the people, music and traditions of rural Ireland.
This episode of ‘Donncha’s Travelling Roadshow’ was broadcast on 8 March 1980. The presenter is Donncha Ó Dúlaing.
