School: Waterville (C.) (roll number 16015)
- Location:
- Waterville, Co. Kerry
- Teacher: Helen O' Sullivan
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0475, Page 157
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- It is said that Daniel O'Connell once boasted that he could send message to every man in Ireland in twenty-four hours. At that time, of course, the railways were only beginning to be built. The telegraph, telephone and radio were unknown. What wonder that his hearers mocked O'Connell and wagered that he could not send word to all Ireland in less than a week or a fortnight.
"I will show you" said O'Connell "how it can be done in a day". He took a strong country man aside, put three straws in his hand and said: "Go you to three houses of your neighbours "Leave a straw at every house with the message that Dan O'Connell bids the swiftest youth in the house to take three straws from the rick and carry them with the same message to to three houses. Let those three houses send the message every one to three more. The messenger went off and did the message. Within ten minutes three more messengers were on the road. In another ten minutes nine messengers were running.
In twenty minutes there were twenty-seven(continues on next page)
