School: Coill Mhór (roll number 16780)
- Location:
- Cuilmore, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: Liam Ua Claidhimh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0123, Page 71
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- Meelick steeple or Round Tower is supposed to have been built by a witch (i.e. an Chailleach Béarra). She did not know where she would build it but decided that wherever she would reach with three steps she would build the steeple there. She started from Coille Neachtain (Cuillonaughton) and with the first step she reached Roinn Bhreac (Renbrack) Callow. With the second step she reached the middle of the Moy and the track of her foot is still to be seen on a rock in the middle of the river. With the next step she arrived in Meelick and decided that she would build the steeple in it. The story says that she built all the steeple in a few days and that she built it all with three pocket-fuls of stones or as the old people say with "trí lán a phóca". She wanted to build it without anybody seeing her but when she had it nearly finished someone came along and passed some remark to her. She got into a rage and jumped leaving the track of her foot on the stone(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Mr John Pidgeon
- Relation
- Unknown
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 56
- Address
- Cloonaghboy, Co. Mayo
