Irish cures have been used throughout the ages in Ireland. If anyone had an ailment, illness, or disease of any kind, it was normal practice to make a phone call to find out who had the cure. There was always someone not too far away who had the cure or herbal remedy for a variety of ailments. It didn’t matter what the ailment, the first port of call was finding out who had the cure and where they lived. Some doctors actually referred people to healers.
Memories of Irish Cures
My earliest memory of cures goes back to my childhood. As a young girl Granny noticed that I had ringworm, she made a phone call and took me to get the cure from a local farmer. The cure required visiting the farmer for three consecutive days. The farmer would circle and immerse me in the smoke of the piece of red hot wood as he said a series of prayer incantations. I couldn’t hear the exact words used by the farmer you could see the intense concentration on his face as he quietly spoke what seemed to be a series of prayers.
The process took five minutes each visit. The farmer was confident assuring me that the ringworm would go. I watched as the circles disappeared. He was right; it took only three days.
I experienced other ailments growing up including scarlet fever, warts, and shingles. Each time, granny looked up the appropriate person from her phone book and made the phone call. Each cure had a different method of application depending on the ailment and the person administrating it, all had a series of prayer incantations resulting in the restoration of perfect health, and in only a few days. They always worked.
The A-Z of cures
If you contacted anyone with a cure in Ireland you could be sure that they had have a directory of people with cures.
Scarlet fever -migraines- burns- colic- gout- dirty mouth- bleeding- piles- mouth and stomach ulcers- sprains- shingles-sore throat- eczema- warts- heart conditions- epilepsy- asthma- thrush, and every other imaginable ailment, including mental illness. Some healers could cure ailments in animals.
The Healers behind the cures
Some people call the power of cures charms or gifts; all of them passed through the generations. Healers receive the gift from a variety of sources under different circumstances. Examples include; the seventh son of the seventh son, mother to son, father to daughter, friend to friend, or daughter of a dead father who never saw their child. The person receiving the gift can be any age and religious affiliation.
Healers tell many stories about the source of the gift and various ways they distribute cures. Some healers can cure remotely by telephone and some with only the name of the person and ailment.
The common denominator with all cures is the series of secret prayer incantations. The use of relics, smoke from fire, the hair of a donkey with a cross on its back and even some household items like fine grain porridge varies from person to person.
If it does you no good, it will do you no harm
My late mother in law had the gift of heart fever and sprain. Her father passed on both cures to her. Her father received them from his mother this tradition going back hundreds of years.
The sprain cure
My late mother in law cured many footballer sprains over the years. The longer a person waited to get the cure the longer time it would take to heal. Receiving the cure quickly resulted in faster healing. The method involved laying hands on the sprained part of the body, gently stroking the area, and whispering a series of prayer incantations. Administering the cure took roughly five minutes, and there was no exchange of money and she made sure the person receiving did not thank her.
She asked the person to phone her the next day to confirm they had relief and no pain. A second visit was necessary if pain persisted. The cure always worked and many football players in Co. Tyrone can attest to her cure.
Heart Fever Cure
The heart fever cure relieves symptoms of lethargy, a shortness of breath and feeling just plain worn out. Her cures passed from her father dating back as far as she can remember. The cure was very powerful and local doctors would send patients to My mother in laws father.
Heart fever cure method
As outlined above, some healers use actual physical material items as part of the ritual. The heart fever cure uses refined oatmeal and a handkerchief.
The process involves filling a little glass with refined oat meal and patting it tightly and to the brim of the glass as per the photograph below.
Kathleen placed a handkerchief around the glass as she tightly securing the corners. Turning the flat top of the glass in circular motions around the person’s heart, lung area, and side. She prayed on each area for a few minutes each time. After the first round of the process, the healer takes the handkerchief off the glass and places the reminder of the oatmeal from the glass into three separate envelops.
The amount of oatmeal from the glass said to be an indication of the person’s need for the cure. Each person will have a different amount of oatmeal loss depending on how much they need the cure.
They give the envelopes containing the remaining oatmeal from each round to the person and mark them as day 1, 2, and 3. The heart fever cure recipient told to eat each of the contents of all three envelops over three consecutive days, the recipient asked to make sure that no-one crosses their path as they eat it. The oatmeal can be with milk. The recipient of the cure told never to thank the healer.
There is no explanation for the indentation and loss of oatmeal from the glass, no explanation as to how the oatmeal has vanished from the glass. I have examined each glass many times looking for answers and to no avail as per photo’s I have taken.
How the cure helped me
For many years I managed a large team of people and projects. The stress of which had taken it’s toll on my health. I was exhaused and burnt out. The first thing that I noticed as she was performing the cure was a deep feeling of relaxation. After taking the oatmeal for the three days, I felt lighter, more relaxed. I was sleeping better and I had more energy. Other people confirmed they had felt the same.
After spraining my foot I immediately got the cure and rested. The next morning I was healed and could walk perfectly.
Are cures a lucrative business?
Unfortunately, today we have a number of people who are rogues. They pretend to have a cure and are now making a living from the vulnerable faithful people around the country.
One man charged 40 euro per visit by three visits for the cure to work totalling 120 euro per cure. I asked what is cure was and how he had inherited the cure. He said he used a relic given to him by an old lady neighbor and that it was very powerful. He had many anecdotal testimonials that he could cite confirming his success. Unfortunately and to my surprise, some people reported that they could cure anything. Having sought wise counsel from a variety of genuine healers including my mother in law. I decided not to proceed with the book.
No charge for Cures
I have spoken to many genuine healers who have told me that they would never charge or take money from anyone for a cure. They may accept a small gift token, like a bunch of flowers or box of biscuits. Under no circumstances will they ever charge for a healing.
Healers can see up to ten and more people in a week. Work and family commitments has contributed to the demise of people offering cures in todays Irish society. Older healers feel it is a burden to the receipent.
A directory of cures
My mother in law developed a comprehensive list of people from her local area who had a variety of cures. A list compiled over many years and stored in a phone book. I embarked on the journey of compiling a directory of cure healers from around the country. I called each one to inquire if they would like to have their cure and details featured in the booklet.
The responses varied, with some hesitating and expressing concerns about potential increases in inquiries and the time commitment. Most were happy to help people who are suffering an ailment.
I asked if they charged for the cure or accepted gifts by way of a thank you. Hearing that many accepted a donation, gift, and some charged for the healing devastated me.
The power of Belief
Healers will ask if the person believes in the power of the cure. They emphasize that the cure outcome relies on the person’s openness and belief in the possibility.
They may turn you away if you are a non-believer. Explaining that there is no point in wasting time and will refer you to your doctor.
‘There are no incurable diseases, only incurable people.’ Dr Joseph Murphy.
My conclusions
After receiving many healings within my family and community, I do believe that, yes, there are genuine healers who provide authentic cures. Whatever the method used, intention to heal by both parties is the key. It is my belief that he prayer process associated in curing is the power behind the cure.
For now, I leave you with the question: how did the oatmeal disappear from the glass?
If you have any stories of cure healings, I would love to hear from you.