More peculiar tales and customs

Folk Tales collected by Ms. Greene

J.K.A.S. Vol. III Pg. 368-371

How Tom Daly saw the Dead Coach coming down Sal's Hill

Concerning the sighting of the dead coach. It made a buzzing noise, had no lights and the horses and horsemen were headless. Sometimes it wouldn't be seen, just heard.

Mowing the Rath

Concerning some men who were to mow a rath, but one who tried first had his thigh broken. This was said to always happen if you tried to mow a rath.

The Murrain Animal

Concerning one mans account of his sighting of the murrain animal when he was a young boy. It was the green colour of a slug and had a brown streak down his back, he looked like a cat. It was said that the murrain would walk across the fields in the dew, the cows would lick it and thus get the murrain.

How the Dead Cock showed who stole the silver

Concerning the account related to a young boy. It happened at Grangemellon House when a Mr Clerc lived there. He had three servant girls. Spoons and other items went missing, so in order to find out who stole the things he killed a cock, put it in a basin of water in the hall and called in the three servants separately. The first servant entered, she was told to touch the cock, nothing happened. The same happened the second girl. The third girl, however, came in, and when she touched the cock it came back to life and splattered blood all over her. This was a sign of her guilt.

J.K.A.S. Vol. III Pg. 254-259

How the Mahers of Kilrush got the Money

One day a boy of about eight walked into the house of the Mahers, nobody knew who he was. Old Maher was advised to keep the boy as a worker and he did. Old Maher told him to mind the cattle but the boy fell asleep under a bush and the cattle got into the corn field. Maher was furious, however, he gave the boy another chance. The same thing happened. On the third occasion it happened again, this time Maher told the boy he was to leave. The boy told him to dig under the bush where he had been falling asleep before he went. Old Maher did this and found a pot of gold. He then asked the boy to stay, and to take as much gold as he wanted. But the boy wanted none and said that it was not necessary because he might be gone soon. He died shortly afterwards.

J.K.A.S. Vol.. IX Walter Fitzgerald Pg. 199-201

In ancient times there was a remarkable pile of stones called 'The Giants Dance,' so-called because the giants brought it from Africa. Certain stones exactly like at Salisbury Plain are still seen on the Curragh. According to legend, Aurellius Ambrosius, King of Britain, caused these stones to be transported from Ireland to Britain by the divine aid of Merlin.