Thread by @MeaveofConnaugh

If we can’t visit the mountains today, where Petticoat Loose ‘lives’, because of the weather it shouldn’t stop us talking about her. Here’s her story #HauntedRoad

She is associated with the Vee Pass in the Knockmealdown mountains in the border of counties Tipperary and Waterford. The old people say her name was Mary Hannigan and she lived there about 200 years ago #HauntedRoad

Mary Hannigan was a farmer’s daughter whose great strength marked her out at an early age as someone of more than ordinary ability - she didn’t, of course, put this ability to good use, in fact, the opposite #HauntedRoad

If she started bad, she got worse. She killed a cow with a punch. She was mad for dancing - indeed acquired her name from whirling in the dance floor, catching her clothes on a protruding nail which exposed her underwear to the scandalised audience = Pettycoat Loose #HauntedRoad

She ran her own shebeen (illegal whisky house), refused to go to mass and acted generally in a fairly unorthodox manner. She killed her husband and maybe a second -all in all a great enemy of respectable society #HauntedRoad

At last, to everyone’s relief she died. But relief turned to dispair when she appeared on the road following her death. She had everyone terrified. Farmers heading over the mountains often met her at the Vee Pass “Howya””Yikes!” #HauntedRoad

A typical encounter involved a traveller noticing that his horse was tiring as he approached the Vee Pass. On turning to investigate the horrified traveller found Pettycoat Loose sitting behind him on the cart. Poor old horse straining under her great weight #HauntedRoad

Some times she chased the traveller who refused to give her a lift. The traveller, despite getting an awful fright, was not injured. Alas for the poor horses they were often found dead in the morning. Pettycoat Loose was a nuisance to people and an enemy of horses #HauntedRoad

In the end, the people reported her to the priest. “I’ll put an end to her antics” he promised. The parish priest of Clogheen - for it was he - approached the lonesome Vee Pass after dark “Come out, ya divil” he shouted “Howya” replies the ghost #HauntedRoad

“Why are you appearing here?” Asked the priest. “I’m a ghost” replied the ghost “that’s what I do - also I killed my parents”. “That’s not a good enough reason” said the holy man.”I killed my husband” ventured the ghost “Not good enough” countered the priest #HauntedRoad

“OK” said the ghost “I killed my unbaptised children” “Aha!” said the priest “An excellent response, albeit a very bad thing to do, but a plausible explanation for your unwanted and, if I may say, your frightening appearances. “So what are you going to do about it?” #HauntedRoad

“I am going to banish you” said the priest boldly. “I don’t even know what that means” replied the ghost. “Using my Christian powers (Please didn’t allude to the obvious pagan associations of this act) I am sending you to the bottom of this nearby lake” #HauntedRoad

“What if I don’t want to go?” Said the brazen ghost “You have to go” said the priest “Why?””Because I am a parish priest””oh, right” said the ghost “how long must I stay there””good question” said the priest “I need to think of an appropriately obscure answer” #HauntedRoad

“Having considered a number of ancient Irish precedents for banishing ghosts, I a sending you to the bottom of Bay Lough until such time you can make a sugan from sand”.”Wha?””You know.. sugans.. straw ropes””From sand?” Asks the perplexed ghost”Yep” #HauntedRoad

“Right” said Pettycoat Loose heading off to the lake “Oh father” says the ghost “Yes””You think there are no consequences for this outrageous banishing””What are you talking about” said the priest “trees!” Said the ghost “trees?” “Yes” “I don’t understand” “you will” #HauntedRoad

Folklore collected in the area says “the priest was afterwards killed by a tree falling on him”. On 14th of October 1870, local newspaper carried a report that Fr. William Shanahan, parish priest of Clogheen was killed when a tree fell on him during a storm [really] #HauntedRoad