School: Carrickerry (B.) (roll number 11280)
- Location:
- Carrigkerry, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Seán Ó Conaill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0487, Page 393
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- XML Page 393
- XML “The Grinning Skull”
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- Once upon a time there lived a farmer in a shabby old house, so he decided to build a new house. When he had built the house he found that it was haunted. He had a vision that if he got anyone to live in it for three successive nights it would be free from the ghosts. Several people went to live in it but they were all dead in the morning.
A tramp offered his services to him and went to live in the house. He made a good fire and lit his clay pipe. At twelve o'clock he heard a football being kicked down stairs. The football came near him, he kicked it and it disappeared.
The second night came and at midnight the door got a stroke, it opened and in came a horse with a rider on his back. The rider beat the horse until dawn and then went away.
The third night came and the tramp saw the figure of a grinning skull on the hob. He took no notice of it and it disappeared.
Then a tiny man appeared and said, I have a pot of gold under a certain tree near the house. Let you go and find it and you can keep it. The tramp found it and gave it to the farmer. The little man was angry. He told the tramp that he was very brave and kind and he would not(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Dáithí O' Conncubhair
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Knockaunnagun, Co. Limerick
- Informant
- Michael O' Connor
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 50
- Address
- Knockaunnagun, Co. Limerick
