School: An Bóthar Buí (B.), Áth Treasna (roll number 16396)
- Location:
- Boherboy, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Seán Ó Gealbháin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0355, Page 062
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- XML School: An Bóthar Buí (B.), Áth Treasna
- XML Page 062
- XML “A Field Where People Used to Go Astray”
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- There is a field in the townland of Knockavoreen near Kiskeam, Co. Cork.
It was believed that people frequently went astray in this field, sometimes even in the day time, and were unable to find their way out even though there was a wide open gap in it.
One night one of the natives of the townland, whose name is now forgotten, went astray. He spent hours trying to get out but failed; and sat down in desperation wondering what he would do. At last he thought of a means of breaking the spell which he had heard many years before to be effective. He took off his coat and turned it inside out. This was supposed to break the spell. It certainly was effective in this case for as soon as he turned the coat he again tried to get out of the field, and this time succeeded without difficulty.
On another occasion another neighbour went astray. He spent hours groping about along the fence. At length, failing to find a way out, and feeling desperate, tired, and exhausted, he sat down by the fence till morning. He then returned home covered with filth and thorns and the picture of misery. The neighbours however were under the impression that he had been doing an extra(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Miss Hannah Murphy
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 50
- Address
- Boherboy, Co. Cork
