School: Killmallock Convent School

On this page

1. The Serpent of the Galtees

   

   Share Share Post

   Mr. Abel Buckley, of the Galtee Castle estate heard the story that a serpent inhabited the lake at the foot of the Galtee Mts and he made up his mind that he would verify the story - or rather prove how foolish was the belief of the people. So he sent to England for a famous diver. John Casey who lived in the neighbourhood told me the story as he witnessed it himself.

   "The diver stripped" said Casey, "and a good many of us watched him dive beneath the waters, Buckley with us and a sneer on his face. After a long time - it seemed long anyway - he re-appeared and we saw he was in a bad way. Some of the men swam to his assistance and got him out of the lake. But by then he was unconscious and remained so for an hour. When he came to himself he described his adventure as well as he could for he was terribly upset.

   When he dived to the bottom he saw nothing at first but then, to his horror, in a cleft of a rock he saw a serpent with his tail in his mouth (the sign that he was in torment) and his body, God bless and save us, was as big as that of a horse. Mr. Abel Buckley scoffed no more about the serpent - even when the people said that every St. Patrick's Day he used to come to the top of the lake and say: " A Phádraig, go dtí lá luain, an eadh? "

   They say that the hated land-lord, Dawson, tried to drain the lake but just as he and his men commenced operations they saw his castle in flames and rushing off to put them out they found that there was no fire at all. All the same Dawson gave up the idea of draining the lake.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. supernatural and legendary beings (~14,864)

   Collector

   D. Coughlan

   Gender

   Unknown

   Informant

   John Casey

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   80

   Address

   Galbally, Co. Limerick