School: Cashen, Baile Dubh, Tráighlí (roll number 14992)

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1. Faction Fights - Culeens and Lawlors

   

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   On the 13th May fair in Listowel some time previous to 1830 some Maghera (Ballyduff, Causeway, Ballyheigue, Killahan etc.) men were selling potatoes. A discussion arose as to the comparative merits of the potatoes between the Maghera men and the Cul-na-lin (Culian near Listowel) men. The discussion ended in a fught, where the Maghera men got off the worst, as they wouldn't have the backing in Listowel that the others had. At the Whit Monday fair in Ardfert the fight was renewed. Practically every man in North Kerry took one side or another, and for years after wherever people assembled at fair or market or Sunday after Mass, the fight was renewed. The biggest fight of all took place at Ballyeigh on the 24th June 1834. The North Kerry race meeting was then held in Ballyeigh Strand (opposite the Cashen School) but eventually was transferred to Listowel (1870). The races were held on the right hand side of the river Cashen on the strand opposite where the school is now, and when some of the combatants tried to escape by crossing the river in boats and swimming, they were attacked by their opponents with stones, bottles, sticks, and so on, at the left side of the river. A terrible fight ensued in which about fourteen people were drowned, and very many injured. As far as I know there was only one man arrested for it a well-to-do farmer named Leahy of Ballinorig near Causeway. Many others,

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. people
         1. factions (~230)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Denis Lawlor

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Causeway, Co. Kerry