386
About a mile and a half from my home on the roadside to Ennis there is an ancient withered tree.This tree is very remarkable as there was a holy Friar hanged on it in the dreadful penal days,when it was a heinous crime to be Catholic.,not to speak of a blessed Friar.The Cloundaree as it (was) used to be called,was to be seen up to a few years ago ,the trunk and branches all so white and bare like a poor skeleton but now it is gone to dust.Many people that knew its history brought little pieces of it for relics and it was said (may) many found relief from toothache when the relic was applied .It was said that one time some travelling gypsies took it to burn ,but try as they could ,it wouldnt burn so in fright they brought it back again to its former place and there it remained until it crumbled into dust.