The stories told on these pages are from  a collection of folklore compiled by schoolchildren in Ireland in the 1930s. 
The children recorded (over&nbsp740,000 handwritten pages) of this material from their parents, grandparents and neighbours.

These are their stories in their own words.

A Man Who Spent Seven Years in the Fairies


SCHOOL: An Scairbh | ADDRESS: Scarriff, Co. Clare


The Fighting Irish Fairies.
The “Good People”.

Martain Murphy of Roslara, Tulla was taken by the good people every night for seven years.

They used to hurl on Roslara lake and used to fight so hard that he thought the water would be blood instead of water in the morning.

He went to Limerick once for a cwt. of meal which cost £1 at that time.

There were sports in Tulla the same day and there was a Scotch man there and he got 1st prize for jumping. He boasted that there was not a man in the field, in England or in Ireland to beat him.

Martain stepped in and said there was and bet £30 – 1.

The first jump Martain took he came on the Scotch man’s tracks the second he beat him 4 inches with his over coat on.

The Scotch man then took up the money and handed it to Martain.

He went to Limerick and ate and drank enough and returned home with the meal and plenty money to put himself over the famine.


Bibliography

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0591, Page 031” by Dúchas © National Folklore Collection, UCD is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

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