To all my classmates and my lecturer Catherine Swift in Mary Immaculate College Limerick.

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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.