School: Boston, Tubber (roll number 10763)

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1. Story - Jack the Tinker (Origin of Jack of the Lantern or Will o' the Wisp)

   

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   Sean was a very poor tinker, who lived near Loughrea, and he was told that the tinker trade was great in America. So one day he started off to walk to Cobh [?] with the budget on his back, and when he was passing the bridge of Portumna he said "The devil will be with me when I come back here or I will have money." He worked his way across to U.S.A. He hired with a farmer for a year, and at the end of twelve months, he was only worth one shilling. He was very much disappointed, and hired for another year. He had the same story at the end of the second and third years, namely, he had only a shilling saved. He concluded that if he stayed for twenty one years he would only have twenty one shilling, so he concluded to return home. So he worked his way back again to Ireland. He reached Ireland safely

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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)
         1. Will-o’-the-wisp (~74)

   Folktales index

   AT0330A: The Smith and the Devil (Death)

   AT0332: Godfather Death

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary Noone

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Rockvale, Co. Clare

   Informant

   Patrick Mullins

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Rockvale, Co. Clare