School: An Chathair Mhór (roll number 13249)

Location:
Knockroe Middle, Co. Cork
Teacher:
Donncha Ó Súilleabháin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0274, Page 193

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0274, Page 193

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  1. XML School: An Chathair Mhór
  2. XML Page 193
  3. XML “The Fairy Fiddler”

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  1. About sixty years ago there was a fiddler in Urhan named Mícheál Bhill. He got sick and he was dying. He was struggling on. When the people of the house used to go out saving hay he used to be dying when they used leave him. They used not be long outside when they used hear him taking 'Macfhalla' out of the fiddle; and when the people of the house used to go back home, he used be dying again. He was that way for about three weeks. One day the people of the place came to wake him as they thought he was dead. He suddenly sat up in the bed; and he asked for his clothes. His mother thought he was raving; but she gave him his clothes as her relations told her to do so. He got up and he walked out the door. The crowd followed him. The fiddler kept going till he came to a spring well overlooking the sea. He stopped and took a drink, and when he got up, he had one eye lost. He came back and he sat near the fire, and he told them about his troubles and his travelling with the 'Good People'. He said they used be playing football in Fuhir Sliabh; and he said the only thing that saved him was that he used never eat anything from the 'Good People' but that he used to eat in his cousin's house. He said the food used to be forced on him; and when he would not eat it a foxy woman struck him in the eye. That was the only time he ever spoke of his travellings.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Language
    English
    Collector
    John O' Sullivan
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    15
    Address
    Foildarrig, Co. Cork
    Informant
    Mrs Julia Harrington
    Relation
    Grandparent
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    66