School: Carlanstown (roll number 884)
- Location:
- Carlanstown, Co. Meath
- Teacher: Séamus Ó Gérbheannaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0708, Page 014
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- XML “Fairy Forts”
- XML “In the Famine Days”
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- (continued from previous page)Killbeg churchyard, one on the Gravelstown estate and one in Robertstown near Killbeg. Long years ago three men attempted to dig a hole in the moat of Killbeg, but a violent wind arose and almost blew them off so they thought it best to leave it alone and so they went home but from that day onwards not one of them did nay good and they died violent deaths afterwards. One of them was thrown from a horse; another was burned to death and the third committed suicide. I think these moats, forts etc. should not be interfered with.
One night a man named Trainer was crossing the moat field of Gravelstown and he came upon a dozen or more fairies kicking football. One of them shouted; "Come on, Traynor, and have a kick", but another called out, "Stay where you are, Traynor, you're safer where you are". So, Traynor went his way. If he had joined the little men it is supposed that he'd have got a hand and foot or a kick which would have named him for life.
- Some of the people of Gravelstown suffered terribly during the Famine. They were known to have eaten haws, boiled nettles and all kinds of weeds. Men and women and little children were often seen at early morning out eating the raw turnips and mangolds in the fields. There wasn't a bird to be found anywhere; the starving(continues on next page)
