School: Béal an Átha Móir (B.)

Location:
Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim
Teacher:
Seán Ó Heslin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0225, Page 146

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0225, Page 146

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  1. XML School: Béal an Átha Móir (B.)
  2. XML Page 146
  3. XML “The Battle of Ballinamuck”

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  1. The Valley of the Black Pig was the name given to a natural hollow between Annally and Breifne. This black pig was supposed to have rooted this valley ages ago. Some prophecies foretell a terrible slaughter along this valley in a future war between North and South.
    According to Pee Dolan (now 72), Moher, Ballinamore, the Black Pig was a schoolmaster in Co. Armagh. He had the ''black art'' and practised it on his pupils. He changed his pupils into dogs and hares one day, and had the dogs chasing the hares. The next day he turned them into bulls and put them fighting. In fact he changed them into all sorts of animals. The parents of the children, hearing this, got furious, and determined to ''lynch'' him. He changed himself into the Black Pig, and thus escaped.
    On his journey southward he cut a valley in Armagh. He cut other valleys on his course, including the one between Annally and Breifne. He crossed the Shannon and rooted another valley in Co. Roscommon. Once when he was walking along the Shannon. he met a big strong masculine-looking woman who was washing clothes in the river. She was using a beetle to beat the clothes,she used this beetle on the Black Pig.
    to kill him. Then she threw him into the Shannon. Ballinamuck is supposed to have got its name from that Black Pig.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. time
      1. historical periods by name (~25)
        1. 1798 (~642)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Seán Ó h-Eslin
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim