School: Borris (B.)

Location:
Borris, Co. Carlow
Teacher:
Ss. Ó Loinneáin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0904, Page 373

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0904, Page 373

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  1. XML School: Borris (B.)
  2. XML Page 373
  3. XML “A Story of Corpse Robbers”

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  1. Once upon a time there lived sheep robbers, who stole fat sheep from the farmers and killed them in the near by grave yards. The reason they chose the grave yard for their killing place was that it was a very quiet place. Now at that time people used to rob corpses. When a person's relatives would die they would stay guarding them in the grave until the body would get stink. Once there were two brothers minding a corpse. They hid under a flat tomb stone to watch. This night the corpse robbers came. The sheep killers as we'el call them them were waiting for their comrades to come back with some sheep. When they saw the corpse robbers coming, they thought it was their friends. One of them said in a whisper "is he fat?, give him to me and I'll knife him". At that the corpse robbers took to their heels as fast as they were able, and the sheep killers thinking they were caught ran for their lives in another direction.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Timothy Mahony
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    11
    Address
    Ballynagrane, Co. Carlow
    Informant
    John Mahony
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Ballynagrane, Co. Carlow