School: Kilfenora (C.) (roll number 2156)
- Location:
- Kilfenora, Co. Clare
- Teacher: Mrs Conole
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0620, Page 287
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- An old woman named Mrs. O'Brien and her son lived together in a small house in Liskett a long time ago. She possessed a lot of gold but did not like to leave it all to her son. One day she told her son to go to the garden and dig a bucket of potatoes. When he went she locked the door but he heard her locking it. He turned back and he looked in through the key-hole. She had a carving knife in her hand and as the floor was of mud she rooted a hole in it. When she had put seven fists of gold into the hole she repeated these words while covering it. "Ní bheidh sé i gcumas aon duine an t-ór seo d'fhághail gan ceithre puisíní d' fághail agus íad a chur fé chéacta agus na píosaí seo do threabhadh treasna."
She did not know her son was standing at the door. He told a neighbour and they trained four cats to plough. Soon after the old woman died. When the funeral was over the two men came to the house. They harnessed the four cats to a plough and ploughed across the hole where the old woman had hidden the gold. They found the gold and divided it equally among them. They both became the two wealthiest men in Clare afterwards.
- Collector
- Mary Mulqueeny
- Gender
- Female
- Informant
- Mrs O' Donoghue
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 72
- Address
- Lisket, Co. Clare
