School: Clonmacnoise

Location:
Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly
Teacher:
P. Ó Maolmhuaidh
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0812, Page 062

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0812, Page 062

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  1. XML School: Clonmacnoise
  2. XML Page 062
  3. XML “Will-O'-The-Wisp”

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  1. (continued from previous page)
    he brought an armful of hay through hell wihtout burning a rib. This he agreed to do and he went down, but when the devil inquired who was there he said "it is I the Cloniff blacksmith", and when they heard this they said "O begone you did us enough harm so we dont want you here". He said "all I want is to get is an armful of hay, and then I'll be gone. He did so and he went and St Peter met him at the gate and said again " I can't let you in yet because you are not good enough".
    "Take a wisp of this hay and go to hell and get it lighted, and you may wander around the world until the last day, and then I can let you in and you will be ever afterwards called Will O the Wisp.
    This is quite true for many people have seen him wandering about in the form of a lighted goal of hay.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. agents (~1)
      1. supernatural and legendary beings (~14,864)
        1. Will-o’-the-wisp (~74)
    Folktales index
    AT0330A: The Smith and the Devil (Death)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Angela Flannery
    Gender
    Female
    Informant
    Terry Callery
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    65
    Address
    Clorhane, Co. Offaly