School: Graystown, Killenaule
- Location:
- Graystown, Co. Tipperary
- Teacher: Robert Hall
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0564, Page 287
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- XML School: Graystown, Killenaule
- XML Page 287
- XML “Gobán Saor”
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- (continued from previous page)(3). 4
The old man taught him to fashion things for himself from the marl clay on the edge of the bog, to make bird decoys, flowers, etc just as boys make mud pies nowadays. When he got older he used a hammer and fashioned things from stone and his power with the hammer became famous.
Many great masons visited the island and each one gave the Gobán a new idea but the old man would not let him seek his fortune until he was over 21. Then the old man planned to get him married to some young clever wife which he must choose in accordance with the old advice and code of rules
(4) The masons who came from time to time to visit him, taught him some of the masons language signs and secrets of the craft, gave him what may now be called "intendures" They recognised a master in him and knew that they could not keep out the guild for long even if they wished. It is said the Gobán developed collected and codified the Masons language (signs tokens and words) and brought it to such perfection that no one could understand masons when the were speaking among themselves(continues on next page)
