School: Irishtown
- Location:
- Milltown, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: Margaret McNally
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0742, Page 176
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- Folklore Old Roads
Old Road
About two hundred and fifty perches from my home there is a road known as the Botharín Sean. It was made by a man named Dalton two hundred years ago.
It leads from Paddenstown to Milltown. The mail coach went by this way long ago. It had to pass by a fort in which there lived fairies. The driver of the mail coach was in the habit of daring the fairies. One evening as as he was coming up the road he began his usual daring. He drove by the fort very bravely, and as he was just past it, the horse stopped and he beat him. The froth covered horse began to go back. Then he driver said "I shall do your fort harm if you do not let me pass". The horse fell dead and the man was instantly killed by a tree. The fairies then took the treasure from the coach. It is believed that the treasure is still in the fort.
This road is very seldom used as people are afraid of the fairies.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Maureen Kelly
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 14
- Address
- Irishtown, Co. Westmeath
- Informant
- John Mullally
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 76
- Address
- Corkan, Co. Westmeath
