School: Kilmacow (B.) (roll number 14187)
- Location:
- Kilmacow, Co. Kilkenny
- Teacher: P. Ó Loingsigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0843, Page 045
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- XML “The Gobán Saor”
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- The Gobán Saor
The Gobán Saor once went across to England to look for work. He was walking along the road one day when he walked into a yard where there were stone cutters working. He was able to speak but little English and he asked for work. They said that no Irish men would be allowed to work there. He saw a man trying to carve the figure of a pig with a mallet and chisel.
Then the dinner bell rang and the Gobán Saor asked the boss could he sit down there and have a rest while the men were at dinner and the boss said he could. He sat down and began to cut out the pig. When he was finished he had cut out the nicest pig that was ever seen. Then the bell rang for the men to begin the work again and the Gobán Saor went off. When they saw the carved pig they ran after him and asked him to come back but he would not and they made him a prisoner and put him to finish a monument and he knew they were going to put him to death so he told them that he had a tool at home that he wanted. He gave a letter to the Lord to bring home to his wife. The Lord wasn't able to read Irish so the Gobán Saor wrote(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Patrick Walsh
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 50
- Occupation
- Railway worker
- Address
- Dangan, Co. Kilkenny
