School: Béal Átha 'n Fheadha (B.)
- Location:
- Ballina, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: D. P. Ó Cearbhaill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0146, Page 371
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- Once upon a time there lived a man in Bunree named Pat Melvin who was a strong man and he did not know what fear was.
In Bunree there was a well and if anybody went to it after ten o-clock a hand would come out and spill the water. One night after ten o-clock Pat Melvin got his can and went down to the well. Just when he had his can filled a hand came out and spilled the water out of the can.
Pat caught hold of the hand and went wrestling with a man for half an hour. At last Pat got the better of the man and said
"I wont let you go till you tell me what fear is, or of anybody that can tell me" Then the other man said "Go to Killanly Church and you will see three skulls there, and they will tell you what fear is" The next day Pat got his thorny stick and set off on his journey for Killanly Church, Castleconnor, Ballina. On his way he met the three skulls dancing up the road. He hit two of them and broke them in halves but the other one kept back. Then Pat said to it "I want to ask you what is fear"
Then the skull replied, "Go over to(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Teddy Acton
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Ballina, Co. Mayo
- Informant
- Tom Loftus
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Knockegan and Cloonagh Beg, Co. Mayo
