School: Mullinavat Convent
- Location:
- Mullinavat, Co. Kilkenny
- Teacher: Sr. M. Lorcán
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0850, Page 170
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- About seventy years ago there lived a man who won distinction for running races. He was known as Holly Hawk. he received his name being as hard as holly and as thin as a hawk. This man had no fixed address. He went from place to place and was a familiar figure in the counties of Waterford, and Kilkenny. He was a very weak-minded man and when ever he was asked to run a race he was ready to do so, no matter how long the distance was. He lived during the time of the Mail Coaches. One of these vehicles journeyed from Waterford to Kilkenny. He was asked to run a race with the coach, and he willingly did so arriving at his destination before the coach and nothing the worse of his long journey. On another occasion he made a bet with the Marquis of Waterford to run a race with him from the bridge of Waterford to Curraghmore. The Marquis sat in his carriage and drove his horses at a mighty speed.
On the journey Holly Hawk turned the small weels of the carriage remarking that it was not fair to have them doing as much as the two large ones. When they came near their destination, the Marquis drove his horses much quicker and Holly Hawk fearing he would be beaten jumped the style(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Mr Patrick Flannery
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Buckstown, Co. Kilkenny
