School: Birr (Mercy Convent)

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1. Poltergeist (continued)

   

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   He was a tall sinewy man, hardy and courageous. He stoked the fires and later on had some supper. Around or after midnight he was visited by a powerful looking man, dressed in an old fashioned garb. This visitor viewed Kenny intently and said you are the new fireman here. Well I'll come and help you every night, but be careful of two things, one is, never allow anyone else in here at night under any circumstances nor for any cause, secondly never tell anything of this to a priest either in or out of Confession. Kenny after carefully considering the matter, and seeing nothing wrong in either of the conditions readily agreed. Whereupon the spectre, having cleared out the stoked both fires with fresh coal and vanished.

   Though Kenny was a powerful and courageous man, yet he was somewhat daunted and disturbed.
   He took courage after a while and seeing that no harm was done, or likely to happen, he worked through his appointed task and continued to do so for some time. I think that he had more than the one visit every night, but however, after his supper or towards morning if he fell asleep yet when he awoke, the both fires were in great conditions and he actually got used to his visitor.

   There came a night of terrible rain - bitter and cold when a poor boy not quite right in the head found

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. genre
      1. poetry
         1. folk poetry (~9,504)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Michael Carroll

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   65

   Address

   Birr or Parsonstown, Co. Offaly