School: Gortnacart (roll number 15554)
- Location:
- Gortnacart Glebe, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: León Ó hÚallaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1042, Page 49
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- XML School: Gortnacart
- XML Page 49
- XML “Foolish John”
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- Once upon a time there lived a man who was named foolish John. He never did any work but he used to wander about old ruins thinking that some day he would find a crock of gold.
One day he resolved to leave his home and to go away to seek his fortune. He was very sorry leaving home but nevertheless he set out. He had not gone far until he met a man who was sitting on the roadside. The man asked him where he was going and John told him. The man told him that he would go with him and that his name was Blowwell, and that he had only to blow his breath on anything and that it would be blown one hundred miles away. John told him to come along with him that he might be of some use yet, so the two walked on together. They had not gone far until they met another man who told them that his name was Runwell and that he could run faster than the wind. John told him to follow him and the three walked on until they met two other men whose names were Seewell and Hearwell. Seewell said that he had only to go out into the air to see anything that was going on in the world. Hearwell said that if he put his ear to the ground and he could hear anything that was going on in the world.
John told the two men to come with him and they all walked on together until they came to Tara where(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Mary Breslin
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 75
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Monargan Glebe, Co. Donegal
