School: Stonetown, Louth (roll number 16431)

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1. Norman Steele (continued)

   

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   Norman Steele. This Steele kept about 100 fighting men - "for he was a Yeoman himself" - about his house. If he caught one out after dark 'twas his custom to "arrest" that person & tie him with chains to the nearest tree, and squeeze the chains until the person bled to death
   One day, Steele met a boy carrying a box: "what have you in that box" said Steele.
   "The Priest's vestments" said the boy. So Norman opened the box and dirtied all the vestments. Next day he met the priest himself. Said the priest "Why did you dirty my vestments? Go down on your kness and beg my pardon"!
   "What"? said Norman "I'll not beg your pardon but I'll fight you with a sword or pistol, if you like" So the priest got vexed and BLINDED Norman. When the wicked bla' g'ard reached home, he began to root in the field with the pigs. He died soon after in a few days.
   After his death his ghost was often seen at his own gate, in blazing fire and people used to hear the ghost calling on his hundred men to help him. Some time after the ghost left the gate and no one knew where it went till one night, fishermen, fishing in Dundalk Bay, saw a large box floating in the warer, and flames coming from it as if it were burning. when they drew near they saw the name Norman Steele printed on the box.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Peter Marron

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Tully, Co. Louth

   Informant

   Peter Marron

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   c. 60

   Address

   Tully, Co. Louth