School: Scoil na mBráthar, Tráighlí

Location:
Tralee, Co. Kerry
Teacher:
An Br. Breathnach
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0440, Page 163

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0440, Page 163

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  1. XML School: Scoil na mBráthar, Tráighlí
  2. XML Page 163
  3. XML “The Headless Monk”

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  1. In the churchyard at Anna, Blennerville to this day can be seen the ruins of an old abbey, the residence of the monks. In the days when Cromwell went round the country and robbed churches and monastries, the monks lived in terror. One day the monks had news that Cromwell's soldiers were on the way to Blennerville. They sent out one monk on horse to see where the soldiers were. At Churchhill he came across the soldiers who immediately fell upon him and one soldier with a stroke of his sword cut the head and right arm off the monk. The horse is supposed to have returned to Anna with the dead monk still on his back. When the monks saw what had happened they collected anything of value they had and fleed to the hills. Before they went they burned the abbey.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Padraig Ó Murchadha
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Ballymullen, Co. Kerry