School: Béal Átha 'n Fheadha (B.)
- Location:
- Ballina, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: D. P. Ó Cearbhaill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0146, Page 484
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- XML School: Béal Átha 'n Fheadha (B.)
- XML Page 484
- XML “A Story”
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- Long ago there lived a small boy who was taken away by the fairies. His mother was dead and he lived alone with his father in a small cottage.
One night his father was passing by the fairy fort when suddenly he saw his son standing beside him. The boy said "Father, if you come here tonight when I am riding by with fairies, and if you pull me off my horse, I will be saved."
The father came that night but the fairies [?] much too fast for him to pull his son off the horse. The same thing occurred on the second night. On the third night when they were riding by, he threw a stick at the boy and knocked him off the horse. When he got to the boy he found that he could not talk.
The next night the man went again to the fairy fort and listened to the fairies talking.
"The boy is not of much use to him now." said one.
"If he only knew of the thorn in the back of his head which is stopping him from talking how delighted he would be." said another.
The man went home and when he found [?] thorn, he pulled it out and the boy recovered his speech.
- Collector
- James Ralph
- Gender
- Male
- Informant
- Michael Bradshaw
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Ballycroy, Co. Mayo
- Informant
- Mrs Gardiner
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Ballina, Co. Mayo
