School: Clochar na Trócaire, Gort Inse Guaire
- Location:
- Gort, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Siúracha na Trócaire
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0050, Page 0048
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- Long ago where the Cloughballymore monastry now stands - a mile from Ballinderrin - there lived a chieftain whose name was Blake. Now on this locality between sunrise and sunset near an old church named Killine-a-Hugh there used to appear a ghost a long black hand - and if anybody thought to pass this spot they would be killed.
One night Blake had a party at his house. During dinner he was telling his guests the story of the long black hand and he said he would give his daughter - who was a lovely girl - to the man who would go out and slay that hand. For a while there was silence, then a young man volunteered to win the brize. The best horse was saddled and the young man rode out in the night armed with a sword. When he came to his destination - there, sure enough, was the hand barring his way. He pulled out his sword and drew one mighty stroke across the hand. "Try again" said the long black hand "no, no", said the young man "once is a enough" as if he struck the second time the hand would mend again and kill him. The young man knew this so he only struck once.
Then he turned his horse and rode quickly back. The others were surprised to see him back safely. In the morning they went to see the hand and all they could see was a heap of dirt. The hand was never seen from that out
- Collector
- Brigid Flaherty
- Gender
- Female
