School: Westland (roll number 8428)
- Location:
- Donore, Co. Meath
- Teacher: Mrs E.J. Roberts
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0706, Page 298
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- XML “St Patrick at Moybolgue”
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- When St Patrick came to Ireland, he came to a place called Moybologue near Tierworker, Bailiebro', Co. Cavan. The ruins of St Patrick's church are still there. There is a very old grave-yard there too. A woman named Mrs Gargan was going to the little church to get communion from St Patrick. She had to go fasting, but when she was going along the road she saw a lovely bush of blackberries so she got down off the side-car and began to eat the blackberries. When she had eaten some she turned into a huge monster and she ate the side-car and the horse and the man that was driving. The people ran for St Patrick. When she saw him coming she ran at him and he knelt down: It is said that the mark of his knee is there still. He hit her, and she burst into three pieces, one bit went into a lake, one went up in the air, and one went down in the ground.
St Patrick said that when ninety nine generations of the Gargan's would cross a stream into the graveyard she would rise again as a monster.
Mr W Mc Whirter who told me the story said that when the Gargans were following a funeral into that graveyard, they always(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Olive Mc Whirter
- Gender
- Female
- Informant
- Mr W. Mc Whirter
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Cormeen, Co. Meath
