School: Eiscreach (roll number 13945)

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1. A Story (continued)

   

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   story when still young from her mother and after heard it and retold.
   When John Coughlan was a young man there was a magistrate resident in Castlebar named Denis Browne. He was a Shaking old man at the time and was almost doting. When "Criminals" were brought before him he would say (According to tradition) "hang him!." Of course his veidict was always carried out. One day John Coughlan attended the Assizes of Castlebar to witness the trial of a comrade (I don't know his name) he knew. He expected to hear the usual pronouncement of Hang him!." He went there with no malevolent intentions. Denis Browne as it was the opening day of the Assizes, was escoiteld to the courthouse by constabulary amid all the splendour piculiar to the time. As he was passing, John Coughlan incited by some inherent urge, snatch a sod of turf from a passing "lord" of turf and hurled it is at the magistrate. He struck the old man between the shoulders with the sod of black stone turf, and felled him to the ground. There was commotion everywhere. Nobody knew (or would tell who through the sod of turf. There was a baten charge. The court was adjourned and Denis

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Seán S. Ó Raghallaigh

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Múinteoir

   Address

   Eskeragh, Co. Mayo

   Informant

   Mrs Margaret O' Reilly

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   56

   Address

   Ballina, Co. Mayo