School: Carrickerry (B.) (roll number 11280)
- Location:
- Carrigkerry, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Seán Ó Conaill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0487, Page 424
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- XML Page 424
- XML “The Ghostly Thief”
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- There was a farmer one time who had two songs one of whom was a fool. The sensible son got married and lived on the land. His young Mrs. did not like the fool and both she and her husband wished to do away with him. There was a ghost in the form of a woman seen on the road to a nearby forge.
This ghost used to appear at a late hour of the night. They sent the fool to the forge in the after-noon one day having arranged with the smith the keep him at the forge until it would be late so that he would meet the "spirit", when returning. On his return home he met the supposed ghost. She attacked him and they fought on the road for a long time. The fool conquered and he took her home.
When he reached home the brother who was in bed was surprised to see him. When he saw the "spirit", he dropped dead. The fool brought the "ghost", into the house, tied her to the crane with a chain and left her there until morning. When the wife heard of the husband's death she also died. The husband and wife were buried and the fool lived happy in his brother's home for the remainder of his life.
The ghost turned out to be a neighbouring thief. She escaped and was never caught but she(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Tomás O Duinn
- Gender
- Male
- Informant
- Thomas Dunne
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 50
- Address
- Knockfinnisk, Co. Limerick
