Dublin Folktales (23 page)
Authors: Brendan Nolan
Whatever was going on inside the building when the club was in session was enough to frighten the daylights out of any civilian that happened to become embroiled in it. A young local farmer was intrigued by the tales of debauchery and wild drinking. He, it seems, thought it a good idea to ramble along that way so that he might see for himself what
was going on. So, he climbed up the hill by himself, one evening, when it was just about time for the shenanigans to begin. One supposes he was a free spirit and like most young men of farming stock, not unaware of the mating rituals of many species of animal both on and off the farm. So he would be able to take a broad view of whatever he witnessed. He may have thought he might just take a peek in through the windows on his first visit, but some members of the club are said to have grabbed him and brought him inside to meet their fellow devil worshippers.
People who knew him said he was found the following morning, wandering around the area in a state of post traumatic shock. The young farmer was unable to speak and he never regained his hearing or speaking senses after that.
Dublin’s Hellfire Club lasted only as long as ‘The King of Hell’ was around; it fell apart following the death of the libertine Parsons in 1741 at thirty-nine years of age. The building burnt down during some bacchanal ritual or another and became a ruin on the top of a hill overlooking Dublin, though it lives on in Dublin folklore. From time to time, there are reports of satanic rituals being re-enacted there. In the absence of the devil himself they are likely to be exciting only to the participants for as long as they remain at the site of the Dublin Hellfire Club.
For the devil is well known to be a liar and a yarnspinner to gullible souls. Still, he has his work cut out for him when Dubliners start to tell stories for everyone has a story to tell if the listener will just draw nigh and hark to a tale well told.
OPYRIGHT
First published in 2012
The History Press Ireland
119 Lower Baggot Street
Dublin 2
Ireland
This ebook edition first published in 2012
All rights reserved
© Brendan Nolan, 2012
Illustrations © Catherine Cox, 2012
The right of Brendan Nolan, to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
EPUB ISBN
978 0 7524 8067 1
MOBI ISBN
978 0 7524 8066 4
Original typesetting by The History Press
Ebook compilation by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk
