School: Baile 'n Tóchair (roll number 2013)

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1. The Cartronhugh Coal

   

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   Over my townland, Cartronhugh, there appears regulary on misty nights a strange bluish light. It rises from near the old runied castle of Drumcondra and circles slowly over the surrounding bogland. No one seems to have ever got so near to it as to make out what it looks like at close quarteres.
   It travels round an area of about a quarter of a square mile and remains on view generally for about an hour or so.
   When we ask the old people about it they shake their heads and begin to talk about something else. Some enlightened people say it is a phosphorescent light peculiar to the bog and that it is much the nature of the glow worm. The oldest inhabitants of the district say that it has been appearing periodically since their early years and that they had heard their parents and grandparents speak of it.
   One old man of 85 told me a very strange story about its origin. His name is Patrick Gilmartin and he lives in Cartronhugh, Ballintogher, Co. Sligo. One night last winter I went to fodder his cattle and I then came into his kitchen. Pat was sitting alone by the turf fire. He placed a stool for me in the corner and asked me to sit in and warm myself. After talking about the weather and the cattle I made bold to ask him about the "Cartronhugh Coal." He stared at me for a minute and then got up, bolted the door

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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

   Collector

   Séamus Mac Giolla Mhártain

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Cartronhugh, Co. Sligo