School: Saints Peter & Paul, Balbriggan

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1. The Local Roads (continued)

   

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   robbed of their money. One particular man named Collier was a famous high-way robber and was the terror of the country-side. The government offered hundreds of pounds for his capture. He robbed the rich and gave it to the poor.
   He had a clever scheme to frighten the mail-coach driver and the passengers. He arranged heads of cabbage just peeping over the walls and ditches on the side of the road, at the spot where he decided to hold up the coach. In the dusk they looked like so many robbers waiting to stop the coach. He often did his evil work on the Balrothery to Gormanstown road. There is a bush still out at Bellewstown called "Collier's Bush." It is locally believed that some of his relatives still live out at Bellewstown.
   It is also believed that the Ha-ha river at Gormanstown Castle got its name from Collier. Once when he was fleeing from his pursuers he cleared the river at a bound. Looking back he saw that his followers were unable to cross and he jeered back at them laughingly saying "Ha ha, ha ha." The river has been called the Ha ha river ever since.
   At Stephenstown there is a river which in years gone by was crossed by means of stones. In later years however a bridge was erected. Down on Kings Strand

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. public infrastructure
            1. roads (~2,778)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mabel Purfield

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Folkstown Little, Co. Dublin

   Informant

   Mr John Purfield

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Folkstown Little, Co. Dublin