School: Leamh-choill
- Location:
- Drumsillagh, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Cáit Ní Ghadhra
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0232, Page 051
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- (continued from previous page)saw a man flying a kite and swimming a 100 yards while doing so. "Any man could do that" said Shannon, "I bet you never saw a man swimming the distance from here to that rock and back again." "That is impossible" said Murray. "I will do it" said Shannon. "I bet five shillings you won't" said Murray. Both men handed the money to John Beirne, and Shannon started to swim. He swam out to the rock and rested there for a few minutes. He then swam back again. John Beirne handed the ten shillings into his hand and said "You are a great man to swim one hundred and fifty yards.
In the last century, before the train was invented, a young man named Tom Staple, was employed on the Rockingham estate by the owner, whose name was Lord King Harmon. He was so great a runner that the greatest horse could not outpace him. On that account he was a general favourite with the visitors. People believed that he had wings on his heart.
One day a man was visiting in the castle who did not know about Tom. He wished to send a message to Dublin. Lord King Harmon offered to have it delivered and an answer brought back in four hours. The result was a bet amounting to a hundred guineas. Tom ran to Dublin with the message and was back with the answer fifteen minutes before the time.
When he got home he lay down under the shade of the trees and rested, without delivering the answer. Lord King Harmon thought he was going to lose his money and was very annoyed. He went out for a walk and found Staple lying under the trees. He brought in the answer much to the surprise of the visitors and received his hundred guineas.
