School: Burrane, Inis (roll number 13738)
- Location:
- Barrán Uachtarach, Co. an Chláir
- Teacher: Mícheál Ó Tuama
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0600, Page 043
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- (continued from previous page)or on the contrary get good news. His prophecies always proved true. His neighbours in consequence studiously avoided going him any offence lest he may get his friends "the good people" (as he was reputed to have done several times) to chastise them. This belief in his occult powers incidentally helped him in his avocation. His forge was well patronised and his charges for his services never questioned. While away from home he was supposed to be in residence or travelling with the "good people". He could tell any of his neighbours if they got another blacksmith to drive even one nail in their horses' hooves while he was away and punished them by telling them that they wouldn't do so again. Their horses then "ran lame" on the very legs shod by the other blacksmiths who were powerless to relieve the animals. The owners had to wait until the "Gabha Ruadh" was pleased to treat the afflicted animal which he did when he considered that they (the owners ) were sufficiently punished for their forgetfulness of him. The horses were quite useless while under this spell. The belief was that although the horses were "dog-lame" they suffered no pain as he was passionately fond of horse-flesh and incidentally a great judge of same. He could tell to the penny the amount his patrons' horses would fetch at the next fair and whether they would accept the price offered or not. He used tell the day following people who lived miles away from his house how he passed by their houses in his nocturnal journey with the fairies adding for example (as proof of the truth of his statements) that they had a certain white cow or horse in a certain field that night. It is related that after several visits from his Parish Priest that he abandoned his connection with the unseen powers and lived the life of an ordinary citizen steadfastly refusing to discuss the occult with anybody and died a good Christian death.
