School: Baile Theas (B.), Malla (roll number 4953)

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1. Dónal na Cásca

   

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   Dónal na Cásca was a prince who lived in Duhallow but he had to leave his lands owing to the persecution the English were giving him. He ran away from his castle and spent much of his time going from cave to cave. His chief hiding spot was at Gurtmore caves. He was in love with a girl from Mallow called Máire Ní Ceallaigh. She used to bring him messages from Mallow. This day she saw cards saying there was ten thousand pounds for the head of Keeffe which was another name for him and she sold him. He had brought a bed of moss from the Mountain near (?) while she was away. When she came back he noticed that she was looking very sorrowful and she gave him messages and he saw the note cocking out from her breast pocket and he snapped it and read it. He pulled his knife an drove it through her heart and killed her. He then soaked her blood with the moss. The killing and the bed of moss are referred to the verse of poetry.

   The moss scouts I have brought thee to-day from the mountain

   Has drunk the last drop of the young heart's red fountain

   For this good Scíán beside me struck deep and rung hollow

   In thy bosom of treason Young Máire Ní Ceallaigh

   
   He then ran from Cork to Gurtmore and there was a woman picking sticks at one side of the Blackwater and he jumped across it and she said it was a wonderful jump. He said it was nothing to the running he took. He said that if the English soldiers asked her if she saw him would she tell them that she did not and she said she would. He ran to Gurtmore cave but he only ran through it on to his other cave where there was

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Languages

   Irish

   English

   Informant

   Mrs H. O' Hanlon

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Drommahane, Co. Cork