School: Cill Fhearga (roll number 15128)
- Location:
- Killarga, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Mícheál Ó Gallchobhair
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0202, Page 413
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- In the northern end of the Co Leitrim there is a parish called Glenade and in it there is a small lake which derives its name from the parish. It is surrounded by very high cliffs and is almost inaccessible from one side.
Tradition had it that a terrible monster called a ahourahoo inhabited its waters but as it did not appear for a long time the people began to doubt the veracity of it.
One day a woman named McGowan who resided near the lake went down to the shore to do her washing. Suddenly the monster in the form of a large serpent rushed out of the deep and attacked her. He killed her instantly and then proceeded to satisfy his hunger on her body.
After having eaten to his satisfaction he lay down in the sun and fell asleep. The woman's husband feeling uneasy at his wife not returning went down to the shore to find the cause of her delay.
Great was his horror to find his wife's body almost eaten beside the sleeping monster. He procured a sharp instrument and with one blow severed the head of the monster. The woman's grave can yet be seen in the local cemetery with the figure of a serpent engraved in the tomb(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Eileen O' Rourke
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Gortnacorkoge, Co. Leitrim
- Informant
- Joseph Boles
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 40
- Address
- Gortnacorkoge, Co. Leitrim
