School: Lattoon
- Location:
- Lattoon, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: P. Ó Hiorraí
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1001, Page 276
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- XML “Storytellers”
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- Together with wrestlers, long distance runners and jumpers, we had also in Coragh the finest storytellers. There was one man in particular, named John McPhilips. Not - withstanding the fact that he had little or no education he could tell the storied of Ancient Ireland about the children of Lir, Diarmuid and Grainne. He could also tell stories about Geannceannas, fairies and elves. Little children flocked around him to listen to him telling the stories about fairies and ghosts. It is to be regretted that he is dead over 30 years now. If alive to day he would enrich the folk-lore book by many pages. He took a great delight in telling stories about Gobán Saor and his wife Ráimseach Ruadh who was later metamorphosed into a rock in the Co. Wexford. John Mc Philips used to take great trouble in explaining and describing Gobán Saor and his son. He claimed that old Gobán was one of the finest architects of his time. Although he had many rivals no person could compete with him, begin, or finish work with such perfection. After his wife died he and his son, young Gobán, lived together in an humble cot. They went to several parts of Ireland to build a castle or scithing(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Bridget Coyle
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Coragh, Co. Cavan
- Informant
- Mr P. Mc Gennis
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Coragh, Co. Cavan
