School: Gortnacart (roll number 15554)

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1. The Doctor and the Master

   

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   In olden times in the parish of Ardara there were very bad people living called witches. These people used to perform magic deeds and cause a lot of trouble to their neighbours On a May Morning these used to be seen near the byres pulling a rope after them on the dew before sunrise and the person whose byre they visited would not have any butter on their milk for that season.
   In a certain townland there was a family that had lost the butter off the milk and a witch used to be seen approaching the byre in the form of a hare every morning and every evening. They tried every means in their power to kill the hare but to no avail as no hound no matter how smart it was could catch it.
   There happened to be a schoolmaster living in the district and he was very fond of shooting. He heard that nothing but silver would shoot any enchanted creature, so he put a three penny piece into his gun and went out to wait until the hare would approach the byre. He was not long waiting until the hare appeared. He fired a shot and wounded the hare in hte leg which however made its escape.
   That day there was an old woman in the neighbourhood who was sick and the doctor was sent for. On his way home he met the schoolmaster who was a great friend of his and he stopped to speak to him. He began to tell the schoolmaster about the very strange case that he had that morning when he took a three-penny-piece out of an

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mary Breslin

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   75

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Monargan Glebe, Co. Donegal