School: Maio (roll number 13119)

Location:
Trohanny, Co. Meath
Teacher:
Máire Ní Chreaig
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0706, Page 405

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0706, Page 405

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  1. XML School: Maio
  2. XML Page 405
  3. XML “Another Old Story - Callac the Robber”

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  1. Long ago, a man named Callac went round robbing the rich people, because he loved the poor. He got his lodgings in the poor people's houses.
    One evening, he came to a poor woman's door, and he asked if he could get a night's lodging. She said he could, and after that night he could stay in it altogether, because the Sherif was coming the next day to put her out. He asked her how much had she to pay, and she said twelve pounds. He gave her the money, and said he would get it back for her the next day. The Sherif came next day, and ordered the old woman out, but she asked him how much had she to pay, and he said twelve pounds. She gave it to him, and he went off.
    As he was going down the road Callac was hid outside the fence. He jumped out before him, and pointed a revolver at him, and said, "your money or your life. So he gave him forty pounds, and Callac went back and gave the old woman the twelve pounds.
    Callac went round the country like this for many years. None of the detectives in Ireland could catch him, and one in England said he would catch him. The Irish detectives did not like the English detectives to be better than them. So they helped Callac.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Language
    English
    Informant
    Brian Carolan
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Druminiskin, Co. Meath