School: Killanure, Mountrath (roll number 8095)

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1. A True Story

   

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   (Another story of Bill Gaynor "Cot Glen")
   Bill Gaynor went fishing one Sunday with a comrade named "Cousin Patterson" (no reason given for "Cousin) They fished inn the "Cot Glen River" with their hands. Bill caught, as he thought a large fish but it was a water rat. It caught hold of his thumb bur in spite of all his shaking etc it would not let go. He shouted to his comrade "Cousin" who came and cut off the rat's head. Bill and cousin set off for Maryboro where Doctor Jacob ( the best Dr in the county) lived. He said there could not be anything done to cure the hand except amputation. Bill refused to let the hand be taken off for he said "If I've to die let me die together". The Dr gave him 10 days to live. Bill returned home and went to bed. He was in "racking pain" and his moans could be heard even outside of the house. However after about 2 or 3 days a poor woman came and learning the moans asked what was wrong. Bill's mother who was living with him told her the whole story from beginning to end, Having heard the story the poor woman arose and got some grated raw potatoes, made of poultice of them and put it on Bill's hand. She told the mother to repeat it 3 times at an interval of 12 hours. This she did and

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Cathleen Moore

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   13

   Address

   Castleconor, Co. Laois