School: Cromadh (B.)
- Location:
- Croom, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Dáithí Ó Ceanntabhail
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0507, Page 421
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“There was this old woman and one day she was working in a field between two lisses.”
There was this old woman, and one day she was working in a field between the lisses. I think it was gathering boirtheain (buirthean) - dried cowdungs - to make a fire she was, because she had a bag with her. Well anyway she captured a leipreacan and demanded of him to show her where his gold was hidden. He insisted that he had no gold, but she would not release him, and she all the time bawling for Jack, her husband, to come and help her.In the heel of the hunt, Jack came to her assistance and the two of them proceeded to "bag" the leipreacan. When the boyo saw that the game was up, he thought it best to make a bargain with his captors. He offered them three wished, or rather he offered the old woman the wished, because she insisted that he was her captive, and anything she would wish for would be hers on the moment.When they were satisfied that he was genuine, they let him off and decided to start themselves for the big town for a supply of things in general, that they needed, and which with their power of wishing, they felt they had command over.As they jogged along, they agreed(continues on next page)