School: Longueville, Malla (roll number 11332)
- Location:
- Longueville, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Caitlín Ní Dhonnchadha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0364, Page 214
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- XML “A Funny Story”
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- After the battle of Knockanoss 1647 the skulls and bones of the victims who fell at that bloody battle were taken to Buttevant Abbey. Sometimes then for grave sins the confessor would request the penitent to go at midnight and take a skull away.
A certain man in the year 1829 was to go to Buttevant Abbey for a skull and when he had brought it back to the priest his sin would be pardoned.
In the meantime he had told two other boys of the journey he had to take. This man was supposed to be of a nervous disposition and the boys thought they would play a joke on him.
Accordingly on the appointed night the lads set off many hours before the man as they intended hiding the ruins of the abbey.
Towards midnight the man sauntered in and picked up the first skull. Alas! however, he soon let it drop when he heard a groan and a voice said. "Drop that skull it is my mother's."
The man was frightened to(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Patrick J. Moylan
- Gender
- Male
