School: Presentation Brothers' School, Cóbh
- Location:
- Cóbh, Co. Cork
- Teacher: An Bráthair Ó Doghair
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0385, Page 377
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- The Headless Coach on the Tea Road
Some years ago it was widely believed in the Cuskinny district and in various areas near the seashore that the headless coach used pass nightly along the Tea Road from Cuskinny to Ballynoe Bridge. Several people said that they had seen it and children were terrified lest it should appear to them at night. On more than one occasion the people who lived on this road said that some kind of unearthly vehicle was known to have passed along the road at night. This was really true but the people were not aware of the origin of the apparition or their fear would not be of the supernatural. The headless coach was a smugglers ruse. Cuskinny was a very suitable place for landing contraband at high tide and local smugglers availed themselves of the opportunity to the full. In order however to have the coast clear they gave rise to a rumour that the headless coach was often seen to pass along the Tea Road at night. In order to substantiate this rumour they caused some kind of a horse drawn vehicle to be driven rapidly along the road and to terrify the natives. This ruse succeeded well.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Bro. W.J. O' Carroll
- Gender
- Male
- Informant
- Mr Denis O' Flynn
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- c. 35
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Marloag, Co. Cork
