School: Gortnacart (roll number 15554)

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1. Local Tradition - The Church and Holy Well (continued)

   

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   to be built in the vicinity was about to be started. The priest was at this time supervising the building of the school and he recommended getting stones from the old ruins not knowing what had happened to the man who had built the byre. The neighbours told the priest that he could not make use of these stones, and they said that they were unlucky at the same time telling the priest of the ill-luck of the farmer who built the byre with the same stones.
   The priest then went to the ruins, which he blessed, and he gave instructions to take away all the stones from the sides of the ruins but to leave untouched the corner stones and the sight of the altar. This they did and the material was found to be alright, with no evil consequences, and to the present day the corner stones of the old chapel and the sight of the altar which were never interfered with can be seen standing.
   Near to the ruins of the old chapel there is a ruins of other buildings, and the storytellers of the district say that these old walls are the ruins of the priests house. He is said to have had his house there, and he said mass in the chapel, while not far from both ruins there is a holy well and according to tradition in the district this well

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. historical and commemorative structures (~6,794)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Joseph Kennedy

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   50

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Kilrean Lower, Co. Donegal