School: Ráth an Tóiteáin (Burnfort), Malla (roll number 11249)
- Location:
- Ráth an Tóiteáin, Co. Chorcaí
- Teacher: Domhnall Mac Óda (Archdeacon)
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0389, Page 247
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- Bottlehill is the name of a large hill situated south of Burnfort. (Marked on Ordnance Map 1904 Edition, Sheet 42, Cork). This is how it got its name.
Long ago there lived in the locality (Bottlehill) a man named Michael Purcell. He was very poor. One day his wife told him to go to the fair in Cork and sell his last cow. The poor people were evidently at the end of their resources. As Michael was proceeding on his journey of 12 miles to Cork and driving the cow before him, a strange thing happened when he was about three miles from home. A small man jumped from inside the ditch on to the road. He asked Michael Purcell where he was going which he told him. He then asked him how much he wanted for the cow which was also told him.
The strange little man then took a bottle from his pocket and offered it to Michael in exchange for the cow. Purcell only laughed at first, but the little man urged him to take it, and then he would never be in want for anything whilst he would have it in his possession. In the end Purcell agreed to take it. The little man told Purcell what to do with the bottle. When Purcell reached home he told his wife to place a clean cloth on the table which she did. He then placed the bottle on the table and said: "Bottle, do your duty." Out of the bottle jumped two little men who put gold and silver dishes filled with all sorts of eatables on the table. Purcell and his wife sat down and ate their fill. This continued for a while and they became very rich. The news soon spread(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Donal Archdeacon
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Teacher
- Informant
- Mrs Creedon
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Bottlehill, Co. Chorcaí
