School: Corry (roll number 7011)

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   “In reference to the penal times...”

   

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   In reference to the penal times there exists a tradition locally that there was a priest in this parish whose name was Father Heslinin who was wanted by the blood hounds of the law which he succeeded in evading for a long time owing to the watchfullness of his devoted people and to one man in particular he owed his life one occasion this faithful was by name John McCann who was a travelling pedlar selling his wares from door to door and in this way was well acquainted with movements of the military and he always kept the priest in safety. But one day a real renegade promised the military that he would entrap the priest so this informer feigned sickness so that his mother thought he was dying and he was loudly calling for the priest so the messenger found the priest in his safe retreat and he came to attend the sick man and meeting the pedlar whom he knew well he let himself known to

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary Scanlon

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   12

   Address

   Ballygarvey, Co. Westmeath

   Informant

   Pat Caulfield

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   68

   Address

   Ballygarvey, Co. Westmeath