School: Cill Fhínghín (roll number 16222)

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1. Aughrim

   

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   A story of the battle of Aughrim that one does not read in history books was told to me as follows.
   As was customary in the old days armies had what was known as camp followers. Those people followed the armies to battle and gained their living by selling little necessaries to the soldiers, doing odd jobs and often acting as spies. At the time of the battle of Aughrim there was a man named Mullins who acted as camp follower going from one rival army to the other selling his wares.
   On the evening before the battle of Aughrim he was in the camp of the Irish army and learned there that on the following day St. Ruth the commander would be inspecting the Irish forces and would be riding a white horse.
   Passing under cover of darkness into the English camp he sought out an officer and told him about St. Ruth's inspection the following day. There was a gunner in the English ranks named French. When daylight broke the officer had a cannon placed as close as possible to the Irish lines. The gun was laid and sighted. The officer glances along the sights of the

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Billy Kelly

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Kilcornan, Co. Galway

   Informant

   Denis Kelly

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   42

   Address

   Kilcornan, Co. Galway