School: Oileán Ciarraí (roll number 10956)

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   “In Castleisland there lives a humorous character named Francis Costello. He pretends to be very wise and intelligent...”

   

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   In Castleisland there lives a humorous character named Francis Costello. He pretends to be very wise and intelligent, and when anybody tells a good yarn or recount the great deeds of someone in days gone by, Frank must always have one better. Number of the town lads gather at Frank's Corner each time to pass the time listening to Frank telling stories or arguing on some point. One night when all the boys were together somebody remarked, to start off the conversation, on the great feats of the Casey brothers of Sneem, Kerry, as boatmen, boxers, wrestlers, etc.
   Frank who was listening on remarked after a while that he could see nothing wonderful in any thing they did, as he saw more wonderful feats being performed nearer home without going to Sneem at all. Somebody in the crews asked him to give one example or to tell them of any great feat performed by anybody about Castleisland. Well says Frank when I was a young fellow I had a terrible temper and would not allow anybody to insult me a second time without having satisfaction. My brothers were wicked and hardy lads but cooler than I was. My father then always kept a good store of sticks well seasoned over the smoke of the fire to be used by us to defend ourselves in our fights with others. In the village of Currans about 3 ms. from Castleisland there was a fair held once a year on 6th May and that fire is

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. genre
      1. verbal arts (~1,483)
         1. jokes (~6,086)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Timothy L. Murphy

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Castleisland, Co. Kerry

   Informant

   Francis J. Costello

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   65

   Address

   Castleisland, Co. Kerry