The Long Black Hand

Duchas.ie

Photo: EO’C

1937/1938 – Duchas.ie
Ballyglass West, Co. Galway – collected by Paddy Moylan

Long ago there lived a woman in the parish of Ballindereen in a place a place called Cloughballymore This was a terrible witch who lived in the side of a tree in the night time and in an underground passage in the day time.
She was called the Long black hand because she had a big black hand. She used to kill everyone that would pass from setting sun till dawn and they used to be found dead on the side of the road and their skin used to be black.
About that time there lived a rich man who had a lot of money and land in the same place. The witch was interfering too much with him.
One night he had a great feast and a very brave man was in it called “O Hynes” He said he would kill her if he got a good horse and a sword.
He got them and he went to where she lived and when he arrived at the gates “are you within he cried” “I am and soon will be with you the elf replied”
The she made a drive for him but she caught the horse by the tail but he struck her and cut the hand in two. “Another blow my gallant knight if I survive you’ll die” said the Long Black Hand. “O no he said I think that one will do.”
She followed him home and was telling him to give her back her hand.
She was never seen again by anyone and O Hynes got a lot of money from the rich man, but he died soon after those events