Biddy Early

transcribed at

Biddy Early  [duchas:4878814]

There was an old woman in East Clare by the name of Biddy Early. She was a witch and she was supposed to be able to cure every disease and on account of that the people of Clare went to her when they were in trouble and she would tell them what they wanted without they telling her and her cure was a bottle and a little man inside it and if the little man was standing the cure would be successful but when the little man was lying down the cure would not be successful but this rarely happened. There was a farmer living near Biddy Early and every morning some of his cattle were dead. At last he went to the witch and as soon as she saw him she told him his trouble without he telling her and he asked would she give him a cure. She told him that there was a well near his house which was poisoned and if he covered the well no more of his cattle would die. He went home and covered the well and no more of his cattle died. When at last she was evicted by her landlord, she cursed the landlord and said he would go like the froth of the river and it came true.