School: Granard (B.) (Muire Gan Smál) (roll number 13963)

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1. Saint Mary's Church (continued)

   

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   230
   St Mary's Church (Continued)

   Hempsenstall the walking gallows. The last man hung here was a man named Jack Lynch, put to death for high treason. He killed one of his guards when attempting to make his escape from the English yeomanry in whose camp he was a spy. When General Blake failed to join the Slasher to unite against the English who were coming from Mullingar, this same Pat O'Farrell placed a sentry on the Moate to inform him of the enemy movement, he and his Clan were in camp in Ballingall, the English either surprise or bribed this look out. They got possession of the Moate, OFarrell engaged them but his men had no weapons suitable to fight with. They had also suffered greatly from hunger so the clan OFarrell was nearly wiped out where the grotto is now. There was once a cave where mass was offered nearly every sunday, the priest hunters were baffled to know where this cave was, at last the English offered a reward of 500 [?] for the capture of this priest Father Lennon, an old woman turned traitor and informed the English how to turn the stone aside from the mouth of the cave, she also told them the exact time mass should begin strange to relate in a dream the priest seen her selling his head so when the faithful came as usual to assist at mass. The Priest refused to endanger their lives by saying mass that day. The people went sadly away but as the were out of sight the priest hunters came overpowered the old priest, killed him,

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Michael Finnegan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Feirscill, Co. an Longfoirt

   Collector

   Victor Holohan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Gránard, Co. an Longfoirt