School: Cnoc an Éin Fhinn (Birdhill) (roll number 13991)

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1. Fairy Forts (continued)

   

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   their thrilling experience with the fairies on the road to Cregough. It is on record that between Killaloe and Killestry there is an old forth. Every night at midnight a soldier used to come out of this fort and would walk along the main road for a considerable distance. He used to be dressed in British uniform with a rifle and bagnot attached. He soon became a terror in the neighbourhood. The people would not even venture out after Nightfall. On this particular morning two men went to Atlone from O'Brien's Bridge with two loads of flour. They delivered their flour and when they were coming home it was near midnight. When they were coming near Killestry one of the horses lost two shoes. There was a smith living near the place and the man went into the smith asked him to put on the two shoes and the smith put on the shoes. The other man drove away and did not wait. He escaped the soldier, he went home a different road. The smith advised the other carman not to attempt to go that road to-night as he would surely meet the solider and would loose his life. The car man said "I must go". He started on his journey homewads and when he had gone about three miles he saw the soldier coming out of the fort. The soldier walked on before him. The car man was a brave man and he drove on and over took the soldier and bid him good-night. The soldier said "You're the first man who spoke to me this forty years" and the car man said "Get up here and I will carry you as far as you're coming". They drove on until they came to

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. place-space-environment
      1. legendary and spiritual places (~158)
         1. fairy forts (~5,616)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Thomas Teefey

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Coosane, Co. Tipperary

   Informant

   Michael Teefey

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   54

   Occupation

   Railway worker

   Address

   Coosane, Co. Tipperary