School: Corra Cluana (roll number 14054)

Location:
Corracloona, Co. Leitrim
Teacher:
Pádraig Ó Caomháin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0193, Page 357

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0193, Page 357

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  1. XML School: Corra Cluana
  2. XML Page 357
  3. XML “The Banshee”

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  1. The old people around this district firmly believed in the Banshee. I often heard my mother say that there were certain families that were always "cried". These families were the McGowans, the Gallyaghers, the Keanys, the Meehans and the O'Briens I heard my father say that he and an uncle of his heard the banshee crying one night just before an old Keany woman died. A McGowan lad lived beside us. He had a sister married down near Derrygonnelly, Co Fernanagh. Before this sister died the story goes that they heard the banshee. I also heard other people saying that they heard the banshee and it always foretold the death of some person.I had a strange personal experience in this connection. On the night of the 14th of March 1919 (the time of the big flu epidemic) my sister and I went out at 10 o'clock to get some turf to "rake the fire". Suddenly we heard a most unearthly cry. It started about a mile away from us and ran along the ground for about half a mile away from us and ran along the ground for about half a mile. Then it began to ascend and went up, up, up getting fainter as it went until it dies away in the sky. We never heard anything so weird and concluded that it must be the banshee. We went home and told our people that we heard a banshee. They laughed at us. It happened that our next door neighbor, Mrs. D - whose maiden name was Gallaghen took the flu that night and was dead that day week.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. agents (~1)
      1. supernatural and legendary beings (~14,864)
        1. banshees (~369)
    Language
    English
    Informant
    Mrs B Mc Morrow
    Gender
    Female
    Occupation
    Teacher