HSSC- The Drowned Bells

The Drowned Bells of Kilstaveen:
The country folk say that between the Cliffs of Moher and the Ballard Cliffs, there used to be a hugh stretch of land that hads lots of towns and farms. The biggest of the towns was Kilstaveen. It was located on the west coast of Clare county. In the town was a big a very important monastery. Even though this was a holy place, there was great evil in the town itself. For instance theives and rogues ran the local market, these ruffians stole from the villagers with overpriced goods. There was great drunkiness and lewd behaviour going on in the streets daily. The monks were full aware of the happening of the town but, with shame, they did not stop this at all, nor did they speak up against the crimes.

Then one day, there was a hugh earthquake in the area, lots of land slid into the sea because of this. The shockwave split the ground between Moher and Ballard, the land between these to places collapsed in the murky depths of the sea, together with Kilstaveen and their monastery. The quake hit when all were sleeping and many died drowned in their very own beds. Some say God passed His judgemnet on unholy Kilstaveen and it's denizens that night. I heard the old people of the area say that the damned town is still beneath the water, in the bay south of Lahinch and on a clear day, you can sometimes get a glimpse of the walls of the houses or the spire of the monastery directly below the waves, but to see this, means an evil omen will befall soon on the seer. For Kilstaveen is a haunted place filled with the agonized ghosts of those who died that night many years ago. Many a fishermen of the area still are afraid of the Clare coast and live in dread to see the ruined walls or the weed cover bell tower of that evil abode. sometimes at night the bell in the monastery can sometimes be heard ringing across the waves. To hear such a sound means certain death.

Once there was a fishing vessel that sailed out of Doonberg up towards Galway Bay. It was a clear day and the seas were very calm. The boat sailed to some rocky outcrops where supposedly there was a big score of fish to be had, and the lay out the nets, when suddenly the crewmen Joseph heard a faint sound, like a bell toll, very far away, then it stopped. Suddenly Joseph on the sternside of the boat cried out, "Kilstaveen! Kilstaveen! Oh dear God protect us!" There was big commotion on the deck now and many other crewman came over to see what has happened, the older crewmen, who knew the story, stayed well away from the edge of the boat, and tucked their heads down, fearing that the might see. Joseph kept pointing out into the deep "Can you see it?" he shouted wildly "Look, there are the walls of the houses and their is the spire of a church. Oh God it has to be Kilstaveen!"

In an instant a freak wave came up out of the ocean and swept over the stern of the boat, carrying trembling and panic stricken Joseph over the side but, leaving the rest of the crew still on the boat. He vanished beneath the waves never to come up again. Some of the crew thought to se poor Joseph being pulled into the deep by spectral hands. The wave passed as fast as it came about, leaving the sea calm once more. Joseph was gone alright although the crew serached foe him for hours. He had been taken to dwell with the undersea ghost of Kilstaveen!

The crew sailed back to port in sorrow for the loss of their buddy. When the crew went home and told the story at the tavern several fishermen told that sometimes whole boat crews had been lost and that they were lucky the spirits didn't take them all. Some of the fishermen told that their boats were surrounded by this weird fog. When this fog lifted some of the men were gone, perhaps fallen into the depths of the sea or carried off by the malevolent ghosts. ghostly hands tolled the monastery bell to announce the arrival of a new sould to their befouled dead and watery world. Clare fishermen to this day, if they think that they heard that bell-note, they will not even sail that day. not even if the ocean is calm and the weather fine, for they know if they did go out, they may never return again to port. That is the curse of Kilstaveen, the drowned town.


There you go, next time your out on the waves and you hear the ghostly bell toll, say you prayers and hide, for you might be the next permanent residence of the evil town!