School: Doire na Creiche

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1. Béaloideas

   

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   Over a hundred years ago there lived in the mountains a long way back of Glengarriff a man who did so many bad deeds that he was considered an outlaw. The poor people who lived near him loved him because he robbed the rich and helped the poor.
   The Earl of Bantry offered to give a substantial reward to any one who captured or who gave any information about the outlaw. There were no police in those days and the Earl of Bantry tried to keep the law in force over this district. There lived in a little cottage away up in the back of the glen a poor old woman, and the outlaw often paid her a visit.
   One day he was on a visit to her and three strong men came in. One of them had a grubber in his hand and he pretended to be firing the handle of it. All the time he was advancing closer to the seat where the outlaw was sitting. Suddenly he swung the grubber and brought it down with great force on the outlaw's head and he became unconscious. The old woman began to scream and the men rushed out thinking the outlaw was dead. After a while he returned to consciousness and he asked the old woman to help him to the door and he'd show her where she'd get money enough to do her for the rest of her life. It is said he had a lot of money hidden somewhere. Just as they were going to the door a neighbour came in and the outlaw told the old woman to put him back where he was. After a short while he died.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Patrick Galvin

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   54

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Derrycreigh, Co. Cork