School: Scoil na mBráthar, Tralee (roll number 16704)
- Location:
- Tralee, Co. Kerry
- Teachers: Mícheál Ó Ruairc Ss. Ó Ruacháin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0439, Page 018
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- Many old monasteries are still standing in Ireland up to the present day. There is one about two miles from Tralee at a place called Annagh. A story is told about it. Monks lived in it during the time of Queen Elizabeth.
One day the monks sent a messenger to find out if Queen Elizabeth's soldiers were coming.
He set out on horse-back. He was just going round Ballyseedy corner when Queen Elizabeth's soldiers met him and cut off his head. The horse ran back to the monastery and when the other monks saw his head stuck on the back of the horse, they packed up all their gold and other goods and went away to the mountains in hide from Queen Elizabeth's soldiers.
When Queen Elizabeth's soldiers came they found the monastery empty and they burned it. When the soldiers were gone the monks returned from the mountains and found their monastery burned, one of them cut out the "Headless Rider" which was killed going for a message. It is there still and can be seen by anyone who want to see him in the Annagh grave-yard on the wall cut out on stone.(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Miss Sarah O Shea
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 33
- Address
- Blennerville, Co. Kerry
