School: Port Omna (B) (roll number 2174)

Location:
Portumna, Co. Galway
Teacher:
Seán Ó Broin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0057, Page 0138

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0057, Page 0138

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  1. XML School: Port Omna (B)
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  3. XML “A Local Happening”

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  1. In the year 1888 three private soldiers by the names of Williams Woods and Pearson. One Sunday in the October of this year, these soldiers were on their holidays in Protumna. At that time the English soldiers occupied a big barrack on a road, now known as Castle Avenue. The troopers that had no people to go home to, went to a strange barrack. So these soldiers came here.
    One Sunday when their holidays were nearly over, they saw they would not leave Portumna without a trip on the Shannon, it was mid-day when they hired a boat. They were often on the Shannon before but nothing happened to them. When they hired the boat they said they would go to Terryglass, this village is situated a few miles up the Shannon. However they got to the village. After seeing the country around them they went into a shop and they drank too much. At last they were lifted into the boat.
    They were out in the middle of the Shannon when they began to fight. One fell out and the others went to save him, they soon found out that they were unable. One was companion named Lee. He swam to the shore, he reported the message, ten days after that they were found. Their remains were put in Protestants graveyards.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. hardship (~1,565)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Brendan Kelly
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Portumna, Co. Galway
    Informant
    P Kelly
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    66
    Address
    Portumna, Co. Galway