School: Cromadh (C.) (roll number 9307)
- Location:
- Croom, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Bríd, Bean Mhic Eoin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0507, Page 520
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- XML “The Banshee”
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- The banshee is not supposed generally to be heard atall by the relatives of the dying person. But when I was young I heard of one instance where a mother heard the crying on the death of her son. An old woman named Peggie Morrissy (She was Mrs. Morrissy of course, but the women in my place never called each other "Mrs" up to the time at any rate that I left it sixteen years ago) lived with her son in the smallest little house you could imagine at the foot of a hill.It was a very sheltry place, so in our wind-swept mountainy district it was eagerly seized upon as a dwelling place, and eight or nine families lived "withing a pelt of a stone" of Peggie. Peggie had one other child, a gay, good-natured, rather wild boy named Paddy, who had "taken a heifer off of the hill" to pay his passage to America. Little more than a year before that. Though sober hardworking John was probably worth two of him. the prodigal was the mother's favourite nor did John, so far from resenting it, seem to see anything atall strange in this fact. However, one night the little scattered village woke to the cry of the banshee. Everyone knew what it was and everyone wondered whose death was being foretold. When the wailing(continues on next page)
