SCHOOL: Barratitoppy | ADDRESS: Barratitoppy Lower, Co. Monaghan
It is five miles across the mountain to Altagowan where St Patrick is supposed to have converted the people of this district.
Altagowan is supposed to be the glen of devil, “It is in a hollow in the middle of the mountains. There is a rock the shape of a chair, and also a large stone with a hole in the middle of it.
When St Patrick came to Altagowan first, the wood at it was full of serpents. He is supposed to have banished them all. The hole in the large stone is supposed to be the track of St Patrick knee. It holds about a pint of water.
When St. Patrick was preaching in Ireland he was supposed to have banished many serpents through the country. He banished them all except one.
He followed this serpent from the South to the Isle of lough Derg.
The serpent made to cross the lough and St Patrick followed it and he stuck it in the middle of the lough and the lough turned red.
It was said that if you would see the light of this serpent after sunset you would die immediately.
Bibliography
“The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0954, Page 211” by Dúchas © National Folklore Collection, UCD is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.