School: Rathowen (2) (roll number 14645)
- Location:
- Rathowen, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: Matilda Scott
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0741, Page 100A
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- XML “Stories - A Grim Story”
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- Once upon a time there was a rake of a fellow who would do anything for drink.
One night he was in the village public house, which was beside a graveyard, and he hadn't a penny to spend on a drink for himself.
The other boys drinking there made a bet with him that they would give him a half-gallon of beer if he would go up to a tomb in the graveyard and bring back a skull from it.
He went put and into the graveyard and made straight for the tomb.
He lifted a skull and was just making off with it when the skull spoke and said to him, "That's your great-grandfather's skull and leave me back", and he left it back.
So he lifted the next skull and it too spoke and said and said, "That's your poor grand-father's skull and leave me back", and he did so.
Next he lifted a third skull and it spoke too and said, "That's(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Robert Scott
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Killinagh, Co. Westmeath
