School: Newtowncunningham (roll number 11122)

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1. Portlough

   

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   Portlough About one and a half miles outside Newtowncunningham and on the left side of the road as you proceed to Derry there is a small lake called Port-lough. I heard the following story from John McCarron, Ruskey, Newtowncunningham about its origin. Long long ago a castle stood there, and nearby was a well which had to be always kept covered with a big, flat stone. When a person went to the well for water the stone had to be lifted off and then replaced after drawing the water. One day a woman went to the well and just as she was drawing the water he heard her baby scream. Off she ran and forgot to cover the well. The water overflowed until it covered the place around, castle and all. There is a tree in the middle of the lake and people say that the castle is under the tree. It is also said that the lake dries up every seven years for two or three minutes and if you were there at the time you could see the castle and the well. Andrew Houston, Colehill, Newtowncunningham, Co. Donegal

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   Topics

   1. genre
      1. poetry
         1. folk poetry (~9,504)

   Language

   English

   Location

   Portlough, Co. Donegal

   Collector

   Andrew Houston

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Colehill, Co. Donegal