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19 You cannot judge a book by the cover.
20 An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
21 He who loveth the danger shall perish there in.
22 Fortune favours fools.
23 Do not be a slave to fashion.
24 He who rises late never does a good days work.
25 God is nearer than the door.
26 No matter what you do never boast.
27 Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me.
28 It's easier said than done.
29 Man proposes and God disposes.
30 Home sweet home there is no place like home.Kathleen Farrelly

This story was told to me by my father. It was told to him by his father William Lowe who died October the 6th 1934 aged 83 years.

The Old Woman and the TurfA man named John Gilbert King lived in a mansion near Ferbane, he got a lot of turf cut each year and would set the saving of it to an old woman who had a great influence with the (farmers) fairies. When the turf was dry enough to stook she would go to the bog early in the morning and she would make four stooks, one on each corner of the bank with seven sods in each stook, four in the bottom and three on the top. Then she would shout "Four in the bottom and three on the top come me boys and hurl it up," and immediately the whole bank of turf was raised in a stook.Annie Lowe
Carrowkeel
Clonfanlough
Athone

the calf came along he gave such a jump that Tim shouted "My Goodness, I never saw such a jump for a calf in all my life." Just then he found himself sitting at the edge of the river and he had to find his way home which took him three days.Lizzie Edwards
Carrowkeel
Clonfanlough, Athlone
Above story was told to me by my grandfather Patrick Cloonan Carrowkeel, Clonfanlough, who died December 1935 aged 92 years

Funny Stories
Tim Scully and the Fairy Men.Some years ago a man named Tim Scully lived at the Ridge Hills near Birr. One night when Jim was coming home from rambling he passed by these Hills, he saw a lot of little men playing a game of hurling. Tim stood for a while to watch them and they threw him a hurly and asked him to join in the fun, they kept him a couple of hours and nearly killed him hurling, the next night the same thing went on. On the third night Jim was told to meet them at a certain bush , when he came all the little men were waiting with a horse each. They gave Tim a big calf and warned him never to speak until they would get back again. The leaders went in front and Tim and the calf kept beside him all the time. At last they came to a very large river and the leader's horse jumped over the river, but when

Off to the rath and the man died afterwards. The shape of a pigs head is drawn on the tomb stone. There was also a pigs head put into the coffin with him.

Kilmacahill
Before the time of Cromwell Kilmacahill was a catholic church and when he came they fought for it and Cromwell won and gave the church to the Protestants and that church was seen up to about a hundred years ago.
There is also a graveyard attached to it and in one corner of it there is like the shape of a window or door which is now built in with stones.
When the Church fell the people that lived around it got the stones and built houses with them. There is also a Church yard attached to it and in it are a number of Catholic people buried and only a few Protestants, Barton was buried in it , he was a very bad man. Before the funeral left his house, there were four horses under the hearse, and they could not move it. Since he died there was the shape of a cat seen in the house, and a friar put him into a room, some man that was working in that house opened the door and the cat flew out by him

be thrown off.
(This story was told by my father Matthew Lawless, Santry Demesne, Santry, Co Dublin)

be thrown off.
(This story was told by my father Matthew Lawless, Santry Demesne, Santry, Co Dublin)

A Ghost Story
Some people around this locality believe that Santry Demesne is haunted. One legend is told like this.
On the main road to Swords there is an entrance called the Black Gate which is now closed up. On certain nights a large black dog carrying heavy chains runs under the gate and across the park and disappears through the railing on Santry Avenue. Some people say they have seen this dog and have heard the rattling of his chains.
Other people say that noises can be heard inside the wall of Santry Avenue at night, although nothing can be seen. It is said to be a funeral or dead coach. And if anyone happened to be on the wall at this particular time they would

When Sir Charles coachman died he had him buried in the church ground. Consequently the lease was broken and a rent had to be paid.
(This story was told by my mother Annie Lawless, Santry Demesne, Santry, Co Dublin)

Old St. Pappins Church
The old chapel or Church of St Pappin was situated just beside the pump on the west side of Ballymun cross-roads. It was propped up with sticks. Its roof and walls fell in and then the present church was built. There was no priests house and the priest used to come on horseback from Fairview to say Mass once a fortnight. The school teacher was responsible for getting the priest's breakfast, and it was cooked in the vestry. There were stations at Christmas and Easter and each farmer brought the priest breakfast in turn and my grand mother cooked and served it.
When the present Church of St Pappin was to be built the Domville Estate gave the ground free on condition that it would not be broken for burial

Dublin)

Sir Charles
One day Sir Charles was going to the city in his carriage. He gave orders to the gate keeper not to allow any carriage in but his own. When he arrived at his destination he changed his mind and came home in a cab. As soon as he came to the gate the driver knocked, but was not admitted. The woman said that she was told not to let in any carriage but Sir Charles's. The driver said "I have Sir Charles in the cab." However she would not let him in, and he had to go around to another gate to get in.
Next day Sir Charles gave the gate lodge keeper some money for being obedient.
(This story was told by my mother, Annie Lawless, Santry, Co

would give you a shilling if you stopped these bill posts from being put up. The child replied "No sir you promised me sixpence.
The Sir Charles gave the child ten shillings for telling the truth.
(This story was told by Edward Redmond, Santry Demesne, Santry Co Dublin)

Sir Charles
About sixty two years ago Sir Charles ordered his coachman to bring the carriage and six ponies around o the front of his residence. when the carriage arrived at his door Sir Charles called on his wife Lady Margaret to go to the city. She said that she was not ready yet. He then went in for his gun and shot the ponies under the carriage because they were her favourites. He said that she would be ready the next day.
Another day Sir Charles passed the forge at Santry. He called out one of the children that were in it. He told him that he would give him sixpence if he stopped the bill posts from being put up.
Next day Sir Charles met the child again and said to him "Didn't I tell you that I

and the front gate and brought the funeral through the opening to Santry Church yard.
(This story was told by my father Matthew Lawless, Santry Demesne, Santry, Co Dublin)

Sir Charles
At Santry Demesne about one hundred years ago Sir Compton Domville gave orders to all gate lodge keepers on the estate not to allow his son, Charles, to gain access to any part of the estate under pain of instant dismissal.
One day, as Sir Compton was walking down the avenue, he met his son, Charles on a hackney car driven by a Dublin Jarvey. He stopped him and asked how he got inside the walls. Charles made answer and said "I got in, the way you will not get out when you die," (meaning through the gate of course) When his father died Charles remembered what his father had done to him. He locked all the gates so that the funeral could not pass through. He broke down the wall between Santry

send back the turkeys" When the man was going back with the turkeys Sir Charles called him, took back the turkeys and paid the price.
(This story was told by my mother Annie Lawless, Santry Demesne, Santry, Co Dublin)

The Turkeys
Some time after Lord Santry dies, Sir Charles Domville became landlord. He resided at Santry HOuse. He was a good landlord, and was good for giving employment and putting up tin houses for those who paid rent to him.
One day about 72 years ago he rode on horseback with his wife Lady Margaret Domville through McKenna's yard and saw some turkeys. He asked Mr McKenna for them. The turkeys were brought to Sir Charles's house and Sir Charles asked the price of them. The man who brought the turkeys said that they were one pound each, which was an enormous price at that time. Sir Charles said that was too much.
"Very Well," said Mr McKenna, when he heard what Sir Charles had said "there is no harm done

Lord Santry
About two centuries ago Lord Santry was very much afraid of being shot, and for protection he put holes through the out offices, and erected guns through them. He left men there to fire them. No one came to shoot him, and the holes which he made for protection are in the walls yet.
(This story was told by Edward Redmond, Santry Demesne, Santry, Co Dublin)

estates at Santry, and leave Ireland altogether. He died in Norfolk in England and is buried there. He was the last of the Barrys. There has not been a Lord Santry since.
The estates of Santry then passed on to the Domvilles with whom they remain to the present day. Santry HOuse in which Lord Santry lived does not now exist but the present building, Santry Court is built on the same site. It was built in the year 1702.
(This story was told by Patrick Farrelly, Santry Demesne, Santry, Co Dublin)

his ways. Apparently he did not.
One day he visited an inn in Donnybrook. There he met some of his companions. After sometime a quarrel arose in which he lost his temper and as he was coming out, Lochlann Murphy who was porter of this inn came into his way. He passed some insulting remark to Murphy who answered back. Lord Santry drew his sword and wounded him. He then went away and sent back four pounds to compensate Murphy. Lochlann died three days after and Lord Santry was arrested for murder. He was tried in Dublin and was sentenced to be hanged.
At this time Sir Thomas Domville his uncle of Templeogue, threatened to stop the Dublin water supply which rac through his estates if they carried out the sentence on his nephew Lord Santry. So by this means he was reprieved, but he had to forfeit his title and his

Lord Santry
Henry Barry, the first Lord Santry lived in Santry House early in the sixteenth century. He died in 1664 and is buried in Santry Church yard. There is very little known about his life.
HIs son, the second Lord Santry also resided at the Santry House. He married a Miss Domville of Templeogue Co Dublin, sister of Sir Thomas Domville. He had one son Henry Barry, who, after his father's death became third Lord Santry. He was then twenty years of age. He was very good for giving employment and putting up tin houses for the people who paid rent to him. He is believed to have been a reckless young man and indulged in gambling and drink. He was also a member of the Hellfire Club.
During this time he lived with his mother at Santry House. She advised him to change

could stop him.
(This story was told by my father Matthew Lawless Santry Demesne Santry Co Dublin.)

Collier the Robber
The robber’s bank is situated on the Dublin-Belfast road between the village of Santry and Turnapin Little. It is so called because it was there that Collier, the famous highway man held up the mail coach on various occasions and robbed it. He did this by means of tricks one of which was putting rows of sticks with hats and clothes on them into the ground and putting pikes in their hands. Then he stopped the mail coach and told his men to get ready to fire although there was no one there only himself. The people in the mail coach thought that the rows of sticks were men with guns and so Collier was able to rob it.
His motto was ‘Rob the rich and serve the poor’ and he often brought a cow to a poor man’s door. He was a great athlete, an expert at pole jumping and no ditch or wall

Grace Adieu
About 7 miles beyond the Boot Inn there is a place called Grace Adieu. Years ago there used to be a nun’s convent there, Cromwell drove the nuns out of it and when the nuns were going out they cried out “Grace Adieu”. To this day the place is known as Grace Adieu.
This story was told by my mother Elizabeth Fields Coultry Cloghran Co Dublin.

she brought in a bucket of milk instead. The milk stayed in the well until the woman’s children got better. The correct name for this place is Tobar-Bainne.
This story was told (to me) by John Nagle Tubberbunny Cloghran Co Dublin.

Tubberbunny Well
There is a place called Tubberbunny between Collinstown and Cloghran. In it there is a beautiful well.
There is a story told about the well. Years ago a poor widow with a lot of children lived near it in Tubberbunny lane. Her children were all sick with fever and nobody would give her milk. One day the priest came in and the woman told him that she couldn’t get any milk for her children. “Never mind my good woman, God will send you milk” were the priest’s words. Next morning the woman went out to get a bucket of water at her well but she found that the water had turned into milk. So

Had the Missioner not told them a number of people would have been killed.
This story was told by my mother Elizabeth Fields Coultry Cloghran Co Dublin.

The Devil breaks the Church Window at Swords
Years ago there were very few missions in the country and people used go many miles to attend one. Once it happened that there was one in Swords and my grandmother was there. The church was thronged to the door, so that there was not even standing room in it. It was the closing night and the Missioner told the people that the devil might try to raise a panic among them. He told them not to mind if a pane or two of glass got broken or if the whole window came in. When the Missioner was in the middle of preaching a sermon a pane of glass dropped into the church but nobody stirred. Just an odd person could be heard saying, “There it is.”

‘Blessed Sacrament’.
This story was told by my mother Elizabeth Fields Coultry Cloghran Co. Dublin

The Priest and the Ghost
One night a priest named Father Stafford who lived at Swords was called out on a sick call. He brought his servant boy named James Caffrey with him and together they drove on an outside car the priest on one side and the boy on the other.
When they had gone some distance of the road the priest asked the boy if he had seen anything. The boy replied “No Father,” The priest then told the boy that he had seen a big dog the size of a horse coming towards them, and when it came close up it passed on the boy’s side and its back must have touched his boots. The priest said that he could not pass his side because he carried the

This story was told by my mother Elizabeth Fields Coultry Cloghran Co Dublin.

had not. He baptised the one that was not baptised and both went off carrying lighted candles. Then he went on to the sick call. It was an old man that was dying and he gave him the last Sacraments.
Then he started for home. He found the gate open and the hall-door only closed so he went in.
The next morning the Parish priest called him and asked him how he had got in the night before as he said that he had locked the gate and door and had brought the keys to his room. The curate replied that he had found the gate wide open and the door only closed. SO the parish priest said that he would never again stop him from going in or out at any time he liked.

The Priest and the Babies
People say that a parish priest and a curate were living together at Swords. The parish priest was a very stern man and he would not allow his curate to go out after a certain hour at night.
One night a sick call came vert late. The parish priest would not go nor would he let the curate go. The curate said that he would go as it was his duty. “If you go you won’t come back here,” the parish priest replied. The curate went. When he was crossing Killeek bridge near St Margaret’s he met two little children one was carrying a lighted candle and the other wasn’t. He asked them why both had not lighted candles. They said that one had got ‘Private Baptism’ and that the other

his room had to be built up, as no one is allowed into it.
This story was told by my mother Elizabeth Fields Coultry Cloghran Co Dublin.

The Spirit in the Bottle
Years ago people by the name of Wall lived in Corbalis at Collinstown. The old woman of the house who was a widow got married to a very young man, the same age as her sons. Her sons were very fond of the man. After a time he disappeared. The sons used to ask the mother about him, but she would not tell them anything. At last they climbed up from the yard to the man’s bedroom window and saw his dead body on the floor and he was some days dead. It was found out after that his wife had poisoned him.
Every night after the funeral the man used to haunt the house. The priest had to be called in and he put his ghost in a bottle. All the windows and doors of

-ped at Owen’s the next farmer’s house in Coultry and put up his horse there for the night. The poor horse was teeming sweat with the weight of the ghost when Mr Owen went to unyolk him.
This story was told by my mother Elizabeth Fields Coultry Cloghran Co Dublin.

The Ghost and the Plough
Many years ago a farmer’s man named John Nangle was coming from Dublin late at night with a horse and cart and a plough. The plough was carried in the cart with the handles pointing to front.
When coming along the road between Ballymun and Coultry a big animal in the form of a bear jumped up and caught hold of each handle of the plough with its two front paws. Its fiery eyes kept staring the man all the time. It carried on for half a mile of the road and then dropped off while crossing the bridge under which flowed the stream called Harristown River at Coultry. It is supposed to be that a bad ghost cannot cross water. The man got such a fright that he stop-

dying. He lived in a little thatched house on Santry Avenue.
This story was told by my mother Elizabeth Fields Coultry Cloghran Co Dublin.

fly over the cart in the form of a bird,
Later on if he only looked out of the window at night he would see her. At last he made up his mind to tell her two brothers about it. They told him that he would have to speak to her and see what was troubling her or else she would kill him. He said that he was not able so they agreed to link him out. They did so and they had only to walk a few yards from the hall door. The two men saw or heard nothing. They only could see the man’s lips moving. It was a secret she told him and he was never to tell anybody. He went home and went to bed and was dead in six months. My great grandmother went to see him when he was

The Ghost at Ballystruane
About eighty years ago a lady named Kathleen Coughlan lived in Ballystruane House. She was engaged to be married to the carter although her people knew nothing about it. In the meantime the lady got ill and died, and every night when the man used to be coming home late with the carts she used to appear to him in the ‘Green Lane’. He used to be terrified and one night he said that he would lie down in the bottom of the cart and let the horses go on themselves as they knew their way. When he came to the narrow part of the lane the horses stopped still and he had to rise to drive them on, and there she was standing in front of them. Other times she would

This means that if you build a house or a wall on this spot the fairies will throw it down.
This story was told by my aunt Mary Murray Collinstown Cloghran County Dublin.

A Fairy Tree
Years ago my uncle James Murray had a sow which always rested under a lone tree that grew I a grove. One day my uncle cut down the three. He put it on the fire but when he did so it jumped off. He then put on the pot to keep it on, but the pot jumped off and broke to pieces on the hearth stone. Next he put on the pan which did the same thing and broke also. When he got up in the morning he found his sow and her ten young ones dead. The fairies always have something to do with a lone tree and no one is to interfere with anything belonging to them. There are certain fields that have what is called ‘a fairy pass’ in them.

crying to his door for the comb. He was afraid to give it to her so he had to put it on a tongs out under the door.
This story was told by my mother Elizabeth Fields Coultry Cloghran County Dublin.

the banshee stopped too, and when he went on again she went on. She kept crying all the time until she came to the end of the man’s land where she stopped.
Another time she was crying a woman named Mrs Quinn who lived in Ballymun House. This time it was early in the winter’s morning and it was dark. One old man called Hairy Terry was going to his work and he was very nervous. She was crying over at Sillogue and he was hurrying to get past the field before she came to the road. Before he got up she was leaning out over the hedge crying. So he ran back and did not go to any work that day.
I once heard of a man who stole the banshee’s comb. Every night she used come

The Banshee
The Banshee is supposed to be a little old woman who is crying and combing her hair together. There are certain families she cries when they are going to die.
One calm frosty night my uncle and grandmother were coming home in the milk car from Dublin. When they came to the Charter School hill near Ballymun. My uncle heard the Banshee crying and old man named Mr O Reilly who had broken his neck at the hunt and was dying nearby. The cry started in the field right along the road where they were driving. My uncle heard it all the way but my grandmother never heard it all. Then my uncle stopped the pony and then

devil to whom he had been speaking.
This story was told by my mother Elizabeth Fields Coultry Cloghran Co Dublin
Harristown, Townland St Margarets

woman is heard hushing a baby to sleep under a bush in it. There is another field called ‘March Hill’ and that is where the men of ’98 used to be training with their pikes on moonlight nights. Other people have heard the hunt go up through it late at night and Mr Daly who was freemason met the devil at the Stepping Stones. The Stepping Stones are large stones laid down in the Harristown River so that a person can cross to the other side without getting wet. This river divides Harristown from Sillogue.
One Friday night Mt Daly was coming home late after playing cards. He had lost heavily anw the stranger offered to make him a rich man. Suddenly he looked down and saw the cloven foot so he realised that it was the

The Leprechaun
One evening at dusk a man by the name of Jack Butler was coming through Sillogue when he saw a very tiny little man sitting under a bush hammering shoes. He wore a little red peaked hat and a little green suit.
Other people saw him in Sillogue also, but when they tried to catch him he ran away. It is said that if you ever catch this little fellow, he will show you where the crock of gold is hidden, but nobody seems to be able to catch him.
There are several other things seen in Sillogue and Harristown. My uncle named Joseph O Connor was coming home one night across the fields, when suddenly a little dog covered with chains ran out in front of him and disappeared. There is one field in Harristown called the 'Eleven Acres' and a

made an attempt to dig for it since, so that it is there to this day.
(This story was told by my father John Fields Coultry Cloghran County Dublin.
Boot Inn, Townland Pickardstown.

The Crock of Gold
There is a crock of gold supposed to be hidden to this day in a field called the Lawn at Pickardstown near the Boot Inn.
People say that two men and a woman having dreamed of the gold three nights in succession went to dig for it one night. In order to get the gold they were not to speak to each other while digging. When they were supposed to be near the crock the British Soldiers would pass by but they were not to mind them but keep on digging.
Having dug for a long time they came at last to a big flat stone. They were just going to lift it up when suddenly the woman shouted out “O here are the soldiers’ and immediately the gold went jingling down into the ground. All was lost. Nobody has ever

father John Fields, Coultry, Cloghran, County Dublin.
Knocksedan Townland Brazil.

nuns used to go through it to Mass I Malahide. As a light they used candles and sometimes the light would go out, so they knew that was a sign of bad air.
Another story is told that a man living in the locality once lost his cow and went to look for her on the mound. After some time wandering he came to a door in the fort, which at his coming opened. The man stepped inside and the door shut. H walked along the passage which was brightly let up. Farther down the space was a number of bridges under one of which was his cow, both man and beast came out safely. Nobody can ever find the door now because it is all covered up with earth.
This story as told by my

The Mound of Knocksedan
The Mound of Knocksedan is situated on the main road to Naul about five miles from Ballymun. It lies to the right hand side of the fort. It is fairly high. The little river Pill flows to the east of the fort and meets the sea at Malahide. Every Hallow Eve a fairy boat comes sailing down the river. The fairies disembark go up on to the mound and dance there all night. The local people pronounce this word Knock-shee-dan perhaps on account of the story about the fairies.
There are the ruins of some old buildings on the opposite side of the road. People say that it was a nun’s monastery long ago. There is a tunnel in the mound leading to Malahide and during the troubled times in Ireland the

-out seeing it so that he had a path made. When he got tired of walking he sat down and waited until somebody came to look for him with a lamp. He then discovered that he had been sitting right beside the gap.(This story was told by my mother Elizabeth Fields, Coultry, Cloghran, Co. Dublin
Green Blakey townland of Ballystruane

The Stray Sod
There is a field in Ballymun called ‘Green Blakey’ where there is supposed to be a stray sod. This means that if you step after dark on this sod you will wander about unable to get out.
My grandfather used to cross this field every night for years on his way home from his work so that he knew every inch of it. One night coming home as usual he happened to stand on the stray sod. He walked round the field for hours but he could not find his way out. Towards morning he turned round and walked in what appeared to him to be the opposite direction to home and this brought him home all right.
Another time my uncle was coming home in the dark across ‘The Wild Field’ in Killeek. He stepped on the stray sod there and lost his way. He walked up and down by the gap for hours with-

Go dteíghidh mé go Baile Cruaic cun Ui Eagra An fear is aille faoi eadaigh Críost
Tá talamh maith réidh i gCreagán agus níl aon cuid de faoi choill. Níl aon sean-bothar ann acht tá sean-bothar ag dul ó Gort Breach go Creggán. Tá sean-bothar eile i Faitche a bhíodh ag na daoine ag dul go dtí relig faithche. Rinneadh na sean-boite in 1846 + 1847.
Rinneadh na boithre urá i gCreagán uiairim si ocht bliadhain ó shoin.
Níl aon cnoc nó sliabh no loc ann.
Roíse Ní Íachair
Se Faithche an t-ainm atá ar an baile a bhfuil mé in mo ?choinnuidhe? ann. Sá Baile Cruaich an Parráiste agus is ins an barúntacth Iorrus atá sé.
Tugtar Faitche ar an áit mar tá sé go breagh réidh. Deirtear Baile Cruaidh no Baile Cruaich.
Baile Cruaidh - mar tá an talamh cruaidh le romhar agus
Baile Cruaich - mar tá go leor cnoc iart air.
Tá ocht tighte ann anois acht ní raibh ann acht cuig cinn fadó. Bí cuid de na sean tighte le céile acht anois tá siad scaipte amac ins na pairceanna. Níl acht triuir sean daoine ann ós cionn 70 blia..?