SCHOOL: Clochar na Trócaire, Béal Átha ‘n Fheadha | ADDRESS: Ballina, Co. Mayo
Once there lived an old fisher-man. He used to walk to the shore as he could go in a boat. He used to catch two salmon every day but no more.
One day when he went to the shore a man was waiting for him, this man’s name was St. Patrick but the old man did not know him.
“Suppose” said St. Patrick “you caught a third salmon would you give it to me”
“I will” said the man, so he caught the third salmon, this salmon was a great big one, so the old man would not give St. Patrick so the old man caught another salmon, this salmon was bigger than any of them, so the old man would not give it to St. Patrick. So the old man caught another salmon this one was a very small one, just the same size of a trout so the old man said “I will give you this salmon”.
“You can keep it” said St. Patrick “you were so greedy that you would not give me either of the big salmon so not another fish will you or any other man catch on this shore”. So from that day no man ever caught a fish on that shore.
Bibliography
“The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0146, Page 285” by Dúchas © National Folklore Collection, UCD is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.