School: An Ghráinseach, Mainistir Fhearmuighe (roll number 12700)

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1. The Penal Days

   

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   During the Penal Days there lived near Ballyhooly, Fermoy, Co Cork a family named Grimes who were noted as priest hunters. A poor fool was employed by them. One day three men of the Grimes family were talking of hunting and capturing a priest named Father Connors (OConnor) who lived on the other side of the river Blackwater and the fool overheard the conversation. The men went out to saddle their horses and when they were out the fool decided to go as quickly as he could to warn the priest. He determined to cross the river knowing that it was his only chance of success as the horsemen would have to go to Fermoy to cross over the bridge.

   When the fool came to the river bank he said - "Rivery, Rivery don't drown me, for the fool is going to save the priest".

   He walked on the surface of the water and crossed safely to the other side and he wasn't even wet. He told the priest to hide as quickly as he could as the priest hunters were on his trail. The priest told him to go back the same way as he had come and he would be quite safe. Then the priest saddled his horse and went out to meet the Grimes. He passed them on his way. He was invisible to two of them but he was seen by the third. The three of them

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. time
      1. historical periods by name (~25)
         1. penal times (~4,335)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Hannah Coleman

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Castlehyde, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Mrs Taaffe

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Castlehyde, Co. Cork