School: Ardagh (roll number 8929)
- Location:
- Ardagh, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: R. W. Cunningham
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1106, Page 262
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- When I was a boy a friend told me the following story:- Tommy, the tinker was very fond of playing cards and would walk for miles to any place where he could practise his art. In this way he gained such skill, that he was always sure to win. The other players did not like this as they accused him of dishonesty. The fact was, that Tommy did not always play a straight hand. He had many and varied little crooked tricks, which the others could not, there and then, detect.
One night, after gaining a pocketful of silver at a card party, he had to cross a swollen river on his way home and this by means of stepping stones. With the extra flooding he could not see the stones but just as he wanted to cross, a man on a black horse appeared at his side, and beckoned him several times to mount. Not a sound was heard from the horse or the rider, so the tinker got panic stricken and turned away. At that moment, horse and man disappeared in a flame of fire across the river and Tommy henceforth was an honest man.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- R. W. Cunningham
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Teacher
