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Index of All Children's Stories

Kids' Ireland Library

The Bewitched Kerry Cow
by Bridget Haggerty, edited and adapted from a story by Miss Latitia Maclintock

Not far from Rathmullen, in county Donegal lived a family called Hanlon and in a farm-house, some fields distant, people named Dogherty. Both families had good cows, but the Hanlons were fortunate in possessing a Kerry cow that gave more milk and yellower butter than the others.

Grace Dogherty, a beautiful young girl, who was more admired than loved in the neighbourhood, took much interest in the Kerry cow, and appeared one night at Mrs. Hanlon's door with the modest request:

"Will you let me milk your Kerry cow?"

"And why would you wish to milk wee Molly - for that was the cow’s name - ?” inquired Mrs. Hanlon.

"Oh, just because you're so busy at the present time."

"Thank you kindly, Grace, but I'm not too busy to do my own work. I'll no trouble you to milk."

The girl turned away with a discontented air; but the next evening, and the next, found her at the cow-house door with the same request.

At length Mrs. Hanlon, not knowing how to persist in her refusal, yielded, and permitted Grace to milk the Kerry cow.

She soon had reason to regret her want of firmness. Molly gave no milk to her owner. When this sad state of things lasted for three days, the Hanlons applied to a certain Mark McCarrion who lived near Binion and was known to help overcome a possible bewitchment, "That cow has been milked by someone with an evil eye," said he. "Will she give you a wee drop, do you think? The full of a pint measure would do."
"Oh, aye, Mark, dear; Molly will give me that much.”

"What you must do then, Mrs. Hanlon, is lock the door, and get nine new pins that was never used in clothes, and put them into a saucepan with the pint o' milk. Set them on the fire, and let them come to the boil."

The nine pins soon began to simmer in Moiley's milk.

Rapid steps were heard approaching the door, agitated knocks followed, and Grace Dogherty's high-toned voice was raised in eager entreaty.
"Let me in, Mrs. Hanlon!" she cried. "Take that cruel pot off the fire! And Take out them pins, for they're pricking holes in my heart, an' I'll never offer to touch milk of yours again."

There is hardly a village in Ireland where the milk is not thus believed to have been stolen times upon times. There are many charms to overcome this unlucky look of the evil eye Sometimes new horse-shoe or donkey-shoe is heated and put under the churn, with three straws, if possible stolen at midnight from the thatched roof of the one with the evil eye, is quite infallible.

More about Molly
The cow in this story is named Molly and this might be because she was one of the Irish Moiled, a very ancient breed of cattle. They never had horns, they were always red and white in colour and their markings varied from one cow to another. In days gone by, Irish families loved their Mollys because she would always give them lots of milk.

Photo Credits & Copy Resourcces:

The original story was taken from Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry
Edited and Selected by W. B. Yeats, published in 1888. We are also thankful to the site Sacred texts. Where you will find many other wonderful stories.

Ystrad Traditional Organics
Moiled Cows
Milking a Cow - Art.com

Index of All Children's Stories