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School: Killmallock Convent School

Location:
Kilmallock, Co. Limerick
Teacher:
An tSr. Dimpna
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0528, Page 226

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0528, Page 226

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  1. XML School: Killmallock Convent School
  2. XML Page 226
  3. XML “Legends of St Patrick”
  4. XML “The Serpent of the Galtees”

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  2. The Serpent of the Galtees

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    Mr. Abel Buckley, owner of the Galtee Castle estate, heard the story that a serpent lived in the lake at the foot of the mountains. He made up his mind that he'd verify the story or rather that he'd prove how foolish was his belief. So, he sent to England for a famous diver. A man, who witnessed the scene, John Casey, who lived in the neighbourhood told me the story.
    The driver stripped, and in the presence of a good many on-lookers dived beneath the waters and disappeared for some time. When he re-appeared they saw that he was terribly upset and they helped him out of the water. He was unconscious and remained in the fit for over an hour. When he came to himself he told them of his adventure: When he dived to the bottom he saw nothing - at first, but then, by his horror he saw in the cleft of a rock a huge serpent with his tail in his mouth (a sign that he was in torment) and his body, God bless and save us, was as big as a horse. Like that the old people used to say he looked, when he came to the top of the lake and said each year: "A Pádraig igo dtí lá luain?"
    The hated old land-lord, Dawson, tried to drain that lake also. He went with his men to the lake and as they were about to begin their work a cry of alarm burst from some one, for below them the land-lord's home was seen to be on fire! Dawson & the men rushed to put out the flames which rose higher and higher, but on arriving at the spot, they found there was no sign of a fire anywhere.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    History Edit
    Topics
    1. agents (~1)
      1. supernatural and legendary beings (~14,864)
    2. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Denis Coughlin
    Gender
    Male