School: Castlecoote (roll number 6344)
- Location:
- Castlecoote, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Máire, Bean Uí Ghabhláin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0263, Page 282
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- People have an idea that it is very unlucky to cut away a solitary tree or bush in a field. The person who cuts it is supposed to meet with misfortune, get some incurable disease or die in a year.
In this district a man was building a house and found a 'lone bush' obstructed his work. He asked the owner to cut it down but he refused saying he would not do away with it for all the gold in the world. The builder said "Give me the saw and I'll soon make short work of it, none of your pishiogues for me." So he cut the bush.
That night he could not sleep on account of the dreadful noise round the house. His brother was living with him and both got up to investigate. They went down to the kitchen and the noise then stopped. They went back to bed again and the awful banging began just as loud as ever. This continued for a long period and at last the man's nerve gave way and he went off his head and died soon after.
