School: Sliabh na Cille (roll number 14513)

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1. A Duel Fought With a Ghost

   

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   In the townland of Greaghnafarna, on the top of Gorrowagh Hill (Garbh-Achadh)?) there lived a man named Seán Ruadh Kelliher. Seán was a born soldier, never feared the living or dead and to question a ghost he was often asked and brought all over the county. In his day poteen-making was the only industry known to the people and at this I have heard Seán was an expert. Seán and his colleagues had to be very cautious when about to run a cast of the mountain dew lest the spies, who were poorly paid for giving information to the Revenue men, would get on their track and have them run down and arrested just when they least expected, and it often happened that their whole work went for nothing - themselves arrested and cast into jail. It was at one of these seizures that Seán got to know the spy and next time Seán met him, he gave him a beating such as he never got before and the spy was so badly beaten that he promised to have revenge on Seán dead or alive. Years passed and Seán was still at his old trade and the spy took sick and died. Soon after his death, Seàn was coming home being late in the night he came a near way crossing the river where Belford's old house is now in ruins. The moon was shining and as he was going up the hill, he could see a man coming towards him until both met in the same field. Seán knew at once the man was not of this world and questioned him immediately. He was told to do for himself as best he could for if he beat him alive he would not do it now. In an instant the two were "belting' each other - Seán

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. supernatural and legendary beings (~14,864)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mr Sylvester Maguire

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Urbal Barr, Co. Leitrim