School: Ballymore (C.) (roll number 7444)
- Location:
- Ballymore, Co. Westmeath
- Teachers: K. Kavanagh Mrs Kearney
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0743, Page 336
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- XML “A Story”
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- There was once a town in the Midlands which had an unenviable name from the fact that it was the rendezvous of a nortorious robber who went by the name of "Petticoat Loose."The name was conferred on him by his wearing a woman's petticoat. There were many bad deeds to his account, and people had vague suspicion that he was not a man or a woman but a spirit. On more than one occasion death resulted from his attack. His object was to terrify helpless beings coming home in the twilight hours of the night, or the more advanced parts of the night particularly if they had any money on them made by the sale of wheat and barley in the neighbouring towns.The name of this outlaw became a byword in the county and children were put to bed by threats of the dreaded "Petticoat Loose" coming for them if they were not obedient. He was in short the bogey man of the Midlands. His many exploits have been recorded in one of the interesting story historics of Ireland, compiled by T.D. and A.M. O'Sullivan. The fact that he was captured by the police took much away from the glamour that surrounded him as a spirit, as he was really a man dressed in women's clothes. His capture was due to an old(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Delia Harrington
- Gender
- Female
