School: Irishtown

Location:
Milltown, Co. Westmeath
Teacher:
Margaret McNally
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0742, Page 158

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0742, Page 158

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  1. XML School: Irishtown
  2. XML Page 158
  3. XML “Forts”

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  1. Forts
    Fort
    Near my home there is a fort known as cathair na gcaoinig. It is not in view of the others but it is connected with them. It is circular in shape and it is fenced in with bushes. People often hear fairy music. People say that there is money hid in it and is is guarded by a wild cat. There is a hole in the middle of the it and tradition says that any person interfering with it will be be killed by the wild cat.
    There is a stray in the fort. One night as a man named Christy Mulligan was coming home from rambling he went through the fort. He stepped on a the sod where the stray is. He could not get out of it. In the morning his father went to look for him and when he saw them he said "Open that gate and let out these sheep my throat is sore shouting for you" His father led him out of the fort and when he went home he fainted. When he got better he told them what happened to him.
    People say that there was a priest buried there during the famine times.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. place-space-environment
      1. legendary and spiritual places (~158)
        1. fairy forts (~5,616)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Maureen Kelly
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    14
    Address
    Irishtown, Co. Westmeath
    Informant
    John Mullally
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    76
    Occupation
    Pensioner
    Address
    Corkan, Co. Westmeath