School: Crecora, Tobar Pádraig (roll number 9668)
- Location:
- Crecora, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Máire, Bean Uí Ainnín
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0525, Page 164
Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
See copyright details.
DownloadOpen data
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
- XML School: Crecora, Tobar Pádraig
- XML Page 164
- XML “Big Eel”
Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.
On this page
- Some years ago a family named O Sullivan lived near Lough Nagira. They owned bogland running up to the brink of the Lough and kept cattle grazing there in Summer. They kept an old hand herding the cattle, as accidents occur where animals get stuck in these soft places. At times this man used work saving turf on the bank adjacent and keeping a vigilant eye on the cattle. After his dinner, it appears, he lay down on the bank of the lake for a brief rest, but being overcome by the heat of the day and hard work he lapsed into a sleep. A noise in the tall sedge growth awoke him, and rubbing his eyes he beheld a monster of an eel swinging through the reeds towards him, In a flash he thought of his only weapon of defence - his turf slane by his side. With determination he seized the slane and awaited the monster's approach. It swung on towards the man who administered an unerring stroke of the implement on the monster's head.(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Seán Ó Cuirc
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 55
- Occupation
- Feirmeoir
- Address
- Ballygriffin, Co. Limerick
