Once upon a time, there were two celebrated monasteries in vogue; one of those was at Aghaboe, in the Queen’s County, and the other some eight or ten miles distant, at Monahincha, in the County of Tipperary.

Now it happened, that the monks of one of these monasteries had a grey horse, past its labour in the field. But he was a hardy and a knowledgeable old animal, that was yet turned to good account. He had travelled so frequently in his day between Aghaboe and Monahincha, that he knew every inch of the Ballaghmore, or great road.

In those times, there were no postal facilities between the religious of the two houses, and yet they were obliged to keep up a daily communication. At last it was thought, that the Garran Bawn—as the old horse was called—might be trained to travel back and forward each day, with saddle-bags slung on either side of his back to balance each other.

Soon did the animal learn to jog along leisurely, with the necessaries and messages for the monks of both establishments contained in the saddle-bags, and without even a guide to direct him. Nor would any of the people along the road molest him, as they knew his office was to bear only what was useful for the monks.

However, there were three rascals living in the neighbourhood, called Deegan, Dooly, and Dullany, who had not the same respect for the old horse, nor for the requisites he was accustomed to carry. These men entered into a conspiracy to seize the poor animal one day, and to plunder the panniers.

Accordingly, they waited for him on the highway, at a place called Isioghia, near Lismore, where the Garran Bawn was stopped; and the robbers, emptying out the contents of the saddle-bags, decamped with their plunder.

However, after this shabby transaction, they all came to misfortune and sorrow, as the story goes. They even brought a deep disgrace on all those who belonged to their families. A law was passed in both the religious houses, that no person named Deegan, Dooly, or Dullany, should be ordained a priest; nor was any monk of the name ever afterwards admitted into the Monasteries of Aghaboe or Monahincha.