School: Gortnacart (roll number 15554)

On this page

1. Local Tradition - The Danish Caves

   

   Share Share Post

   In the townland of Kilraine there is a place called the fort hill, because on the summit of a certain hill there is a fort. Now according to the stories told in the neighbourhood this fort was supposed to have been made by the Danes to live in at day time when they were in Ireland, while during the night they came out and plundered and stole and robbed all the valuables that they considered either useful or valuable.
   Once two farmers in the district were out ploughing and they had a team of two horses. Suddenly the horses disappeared out of sight, and the men were almost dumbfounded. However after examining the cause of their disappearance, it was found that they had sunk into an underground cave or hollow that had already existed there and the soil of which at this spot was very scarce and thin. The horses were extracted from the cavity but on further examination by the two men they discovered three underground caves, this being one of them that the horses sank into. These caves were very long underground cavities, and had their connection with the surface in the fort hill. This was the entrance by which the Danes entered for hiding and left for plunder.
   On further examination of the caves the men came on a huge flag, but it was so big they could not move it. After trying for a long time and

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. historical and commemorative structures (~6,794)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mary Ann Breslin

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   60

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Kilrean Lower, Co. Donegal