School: Gortnacart (roll number 15554)
- Location:
- Gortnacart Glebe, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: León Ó hÚallaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1042, Page 50
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- XML School: Gortnacart
- XML Page 50
- XML “Foolish John”
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- (continued from previous page)the high King lived and John told his men that he was going to try and get the kingdom. They all went to the palace where the King welcomed them. He asked them what they wanted and John told him. The King told him that he would get the kingdom if he would get a man that would beat his best runner in a race to Dublin and back.
Next morning the five men were waiting for the king's runner near the palace. At length he came and he and Runwell started off together. At first the men were running together but soon Runwell was miles in front of the king's runner. Runwell was now shure of winning the race so he sat down to rest. He was a long time sitting and was thinking about starting off and running on when he heard the other man calling to him to wait that he had won the race anyway. Runwell waited and no sooner than the king's runner got up to him than he cast him into a deep sleep for he was a magician.
The other four men were waiting at Tara when suddenly Hearwell said he heard strange sound. He put his ear to the ground and listened. He then told the others that he heard a snore. Seewell went out and when he returned he said that it was Runwell that was sleeping on the roadside. John now felt shure that he had lost the race but Blowwell(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Mary Breslin
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 75
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Monargan Glebe, Co. Donegal
