School: Inis Céin
- Location:
- Enniskean, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Conchobhar Ó Haodha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0306, Page 228
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- XML “The Hunted Priest”
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- Very many years ago in the penal days in Ireland, a priest lay in hiding in a little wood in Kilcascan about two miles west of Ballineen. One day his hiding place was discovered by the English soldiers who were searching the country up and down for Catholic priests. He had to flee for his life but unfortunately he was overtaken by one of the soldiers who stabbed him with a spear and left him to die on the road side. The soldier then threw his spear in over the ditch where it lodged in the briars and tall grass of the dyke, and went on his way probably forgetting all about the incident. Some years later the soldier happened to return to the locality and as he was passing by he thought he would search for the spear with which he had killed the priest. He went inside the fence where he had thrown it years before and started searching about in the high grass when suddenly he stepped on something which stabbed right through his foot and he bled to death, and was found with the very spear with which he had killed the priest stuck in his foot. On a little rock on the road side there is a little cross of white stones marking the spot where the priest was killed.
- Collector
- Máire Ní Néill
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Shanaway East, Co. Cork
- Informant
- James O' Neill
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 60
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Ballineen, Co. Cork
