School: Cill Ríchill
- Location:
- Kilreekill, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Mícheál S. Ó Gaoithín
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0054, Page 0185
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- XML School: Cill Ríchill
- XML Page 0185
- XML “Old Castles”
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- There is an old castle in Ballydonelan. It was occupied by the McMahons. It is the local tradition that it was the Lepreachán that built it. It is also said that while McMahon was out hunting one day he saw the Lepreachán, who was trying to cross a very wide drain. He took him to a narrow shallow part in the drain where he could easily cross. The Lepreachán then told him to throw a stone and the stone fell in the greatest swamp in Ballydonelan.
The people then started to dry the swamp and fill it with stones. The castle is now in ruins. There is a big orchard about 400 yards from the castle. Apples grew there during the four seasons of the year. There was a river flowing right through the centre of the garden, and there were apples in one half of the garden and flowers in the other half. Those trees are all cut away now. Anybody who would be caught stealing the apples would be put into a jail which is under the castle.
There is a big pigeon house there also and it has trees planted on the roof for pigeons to perch one. It also has small square holes for the pigeons(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Patrick Pender
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Newgrove, Co. Galway
