| Summary: | sheila n _Sheleigh's Brush_ The day after St. Patrick's Day (17 March) is known among the Irish community of St. John's as Sheleigh's Day, Sheleigh is supposed to be (a) St Patrick's sister or (b) some old woman who keeps house for him, presumably in his own particular part of Heaven. A snowfall on Sheleigh's Day is supposed to indicate that the good woman is busily engaged in cleaning up the house after the party held the night before to celebrate the Saint's birthday. This is the story as told by my mother who heard it as a girl [reverse] from her Irish friends in her neighbourhood. I have heard the same designation of March 18th as Sheilagh's Day with substantially the same explanatory story in many Newfoundland-Irish communities. DICT CEN. FEB 2 1967 [check] JH APR 1971 Used I and Sup Not used Not used sheelah, sheilagh, sheelagh, sheiler, Sheelah, BRUSH, PATRICK'S BRUSH, sheila, LINER, PATRICK'S BATCH, ~ BROOM/brush/day. NEWFOUNDLAND FOLKLORE SURVEY.The source is not listed but the card is cited. Reverse side of S_15949.
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