School: Dún Gar (Frenchpark) (roll number 3961)
- Location:
- Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Tomás Mac Mághnuis
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0243, Page 276
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- XML “The Second Townland Found in Our Village is Cloonshanville”
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- The second townland found in our village is Cloonshanville. The story goes as follows.
Long ago in the early days of Christianity a hermit settled down on the brink of the bog here. His little abode was on the edge of the land drain about 60 yards to the south east of where the ruins of the abbey now stand. Some one presented him with a very ancient cow which he grazed on the red bog. Despite the paucity of food the poor old animal thrived and our hermit had a more or less constant supply of milk. A witch lived near Corran and needless to say she did not love our holy man. She made a practice of transporting herself to the bog and milking the cow before he had an opportunity of doing so. When he found the cow was not inclined to continue the milk supply he made up his mind not to bother about her any longer. But the animal would come at the usual milking hours to the little cell. He took pity on her on one occasion and got his milking pail, but the cow
on seeing this began to low. The lowing continued and the hermit failing to get any drop of milk into the pail turned his attention to the wail-like lowing of the beast. It appeared to him that the cow was saying to him "Cuach" "Cuach". (I don't know what exact word my grandmother used here, but it sounded like this. She explained though that it meant some kind of riddle or sieve).(continues on next page)
