School: Dún Beag (C.)

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1. Steele's Lake

   

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   Over 50 years ago there lived in Doughmore a landlord's agent or middleman named Tom Steele who in his younger days was a personal friend of Daniel O'Connells. He studied architecture in his spare time and he intended building beside Doughmore Lake, a magnificient mansion perhaps close to the dwelling of the late Patrick Kileen. The building had reached a certain height and everything as regards the undertaking was progressing favourably when one day as Mr. Steele was taking his daily walk to the sandhills, upon looking down as was his custom at his workmens' labours he beheld a woman in white garments traversing the walls of the house. Returning rather nervously to the building he questioned each of the workmen as to the appearance of the woman. Seemingly they were unaware of her presence and replied in the negative, this puzzled him even more. The following day he fell ill and took to the bed where he died shortly afterwards. His great work remained unfinished as several refused to work again on the house after the appearance of the white woman and so the attempted building remains there up to the present day a lone mark symbolising Steele's high ambition. Some old people say it was his intention to build a town there and "there must be something in it" as the spot chosen stands in an unrivalled position for miles around. People believe that the site chosen must have been on a "fairy track" as the saying is, otherwise

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Maud Hanrahan

   Gender

   Female

   Informant

   James Conlon

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   An Dumhach Mhór, Co. an Chláir