School: Árd an Rátha (M.) (roll number 1733 or 12242)
- Location:
- Ard an Rátha, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Sinéad, Bean Uí Ghibhín
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1041, Page 269
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- XML “A Witch Story”
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- Long ago, in County Donegal, there lived people called witches who turned themselves in various shapes and forms. On May eve they might be seen approaching cow sheds, and any one whose premises was visited by a witch had no butter on the milk all that summer. It is said that in one townland a hare was seen coming to a cowshed every morning with the result, the owner had no butter. The ill fated farmer was in terrible distress and tried every means of destroying the hare but to no avail, for no one seemed able to catch it. Nearby, there lived a school-master who had a very good aim with his gun, and as well he was noted as a very "knowledgeable man". He heard about the hare and he knew it was enchanted but he also knew that nothing but silver could kill such a thing. One saturday morning, he took his gun and puttling a three-penny piece into it, went to the place the hare was known to frequent. He was not long there until the hare appeared. He fired a shot, and though wounding the hare, it succeeded in making its escape.
Next day, Sunday, an old woman in the locality was suffering from a bad pain in her leg. The(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Mrs Catherine Colvin
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 75
- Address
- Moy, Co. Donegal
