School: Losad
- Location:
- Losset, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Úna Bean Uí Laoghaire
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1072, Page 272
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- XML “The O'Friels and Gartan Clay”
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- Garten is the birth-place of St. Colmcille and our old people say that our present River Lennon flowed out from Gartan Lough and followed the saint to Kilmacrennon. There lives in Gartan a family of O'Friels who claim descent from Colmcille's brother. To the decendants of Eoghan O'Friel was given the secret of finding a clay at Gartan which prevents people from being drowned or burned. The clay differs from ordinary clay in that it is white and fine. Folklore says that the clay appears where the people search but nothing is known of how they look or of the prayers they say for the O'Friels have kept their secret. Indeed we hear that once when an attempt was made to spy upon an O'Friel who was lifting the clay it could not be found on that occasion.
- Informant
- James Friel
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 43
- Address
- Bellville or Gartan, Co. Donegal
