Witty stories are very common in this locality. the greater part of them are told by a Healy family and by one of the family more especially whose name is John. This man is a mason with no fixed abode but depends on the kindness of neighbours for lodgings. Some people leave him in for charity but others leave him on to hear some of his witty stories of which he has many. The two following stories were told to myself by him.
He was once working in Limerick and he came one night to a gentleman's house. He asked the servant for lodgings and she consented. She led him into the back kitchen where he was to spend the night and he sat by the fire. Soon after the servant boy came in and asked the girl for some food for himself. The master of the house was a Protestant and it was a customary thing for him to call to the