School: Cill Chóirne (B.) (roll number 8828)

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1. Fairy Forts

   

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   There is a fort in Dan Horgans land called lios na gabhan. Twenty one forts can be seen from it. This is a very large fort compared with others. From small forts seven others can be seen. The fort is round, it is made of earth and stone. A large dyke of water is around it. It is supposed that the enemy could not cross this dyke. There is a large hole for entrance covered with a large flag. Tim Riordan, Con Kelleher and Dan Duggan went into the fort. Each of them had a penny candle lighting. They had to crawl for about twenty-five yards, then the space got larger. They saw what appeared to them two men, and they got afraid. The heard that a man with a knife was guarding it. The saw a jar of water, and a jar of buttons. They went about sixty yards more, and they saw a bedroom, and rotten timber. A big flag was felled across the passage and they could not go any further. A man named Con Ring used to have cattle grazing on Dan Horgans land, he cut the hay of the fort. He gave it to the cattle, and on the road to Macroom Fair they all died. He had some of the hay drawn down to the road, A horse of John Riordans ate some of the hay, and he died a few hours later. A girl named Mary Twomey met a foxy woman when going to school. The woman said come in here and mind my child. The girl was afraid to miss school. The fort was on her path to school. At the same time the woman met the girl each morning. She was going into the fort for a week. The teacher met her mother the following Sunday, and asked what was keeping Mary from school. The Mother said that she left each morning for school as usual. When she went home from Mass, she asked Mary why did she not go to school last week, she told her the story. Her mother said when you will meet the woman to morrow, ask her what would cure a sick cow. The woman said to rub the múnloc of the yard to her. The woman rubbed the múnloc to the girl instead of the cow. When she went to school next morning, the woman came out of the fort as usual. When the foxy woman saw the little girl in the morning, she said "Go away you dirty thing. As clever as your mother is, I will be as smart as her. When you will get married, I will have you first daughter". The girl never married after.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. place-space-environment
      1. legendary and spiritual places (~158)
         1. fairy forts (~5,616)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Domhnall Ó Donnchadha

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Mr Dan Duggan

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   46

   Address

   Kilcorney, Co. Cork