School: Donnycarney (roll number 10950)
- Location:
- Donacarney Great, Co. Meath
- Teacher: P. Ó Cadhain
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0682, Page 159
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- Maiden Tower
There is a large building at the mouth of the River Boyne. It is called the Maiden Tower. The top of it is battlemented. It is eighty feet in height. The tower might have been used to carry a beacon for the ships coming into the river on their way to Drogheda. There are two stories in connection with it. One is, there was once a lady who husband was a soldier. One day he was called away to the war he told her that if he returned dead they would hoist a black flag and if alive he would hoist a white one. When the day came on which he was about to return the lady went up on the tower to see the boat return. At last it came near and the soldier was safe but for a joke the sailors hoisted a black flag. Then the lady seeing it jumped from the tower and broke her finger, that is why the other little building is there. It is called the Lady's Finger. It is seventeen feet in height, both are in excellent state of preservation. There was once a girl put out of her home she was sitting on some stones sewing, she wished that she had some place to shelter for the night. While she was asleep the Tower sprung up over her.
