School: Leamh-choill
- Location:
- Drumsillagh, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Cáit Ní Ghadhra
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0232, Page 045
Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
See copyright details.
Download
Open data
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
- XML School: Leamh-choill
- XML Page 045
- XML “Story (True)”
Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.
On this page
Story (True)
“The ruins of the castle of the OGaras, at Mag OGara, is in quite a good state of preservation as is also the castle of the Mac Donaghs at Ballymote.”
Story - (True)
45
The ruins of the castle of the OGaras at Mag OGara is in quite a good state of preservation as is also the Castle of the MacDonaghs at Ballymote.
A daughter-in-law of the OGara was married to MacDonagh of Ballymote Castle. The OGara was visiting his daughter at Ballymote and before he left the castle the following conversation took place between himself and an old retainer of the MacDonagh clan, who was old and blind and was making ridges in the ashes with his walking staff.
The OGara - Fare thee well sir, why are you brooding over the ashes.
Retainer - I am thinking of all the red roads the MacDonaghs made through the fair.
The OGara - ah, the MacDonaghs never made any red roads except through the ashes.
The OGara mounted his horse and rode towards the direction of his home, but the retainer cried with rage and insult. When the MacDonagh returned home soon afterwards the retainer told him the conversation. The MacDonagh immediately mounted his horse and galloped at full speed to overtake the old man. He overtook him at the ford where Rock Bridge now is, near Buninadden. He seized the plaits of the old man and with one blow of his sword out off with his head and quickly returned with it to Ballymote. He went to his wife's room and flung her father's head on her lap saying, "See how a MacDonagh avenges an insult". The woman was overcome with grief and rage. Silently, she went to where their 3 sons where sleeping. She cut off their 3 heads and brought them her husband saying "See how an OGara avenges a MacDonagh"