School: Cloonarrow (roll number 8376)
- Location:
- Cloonarragh, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Eibhlín Ní Mhaidín
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0242, Page 457
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- (continued from previous page)It was a common thing for people to walk to Drogheda and Dublin on their way to England for the harvest work. Men from County Mayo used to walk this distance, too. There was a road near Ballaghaderreen through which those travellers used to pass and on the roadsides many oak trees grew. Hence, the name of the town, Ballaghaderreen, or the 'way' (in Irish bealach) of the Oak (doirín in Irish). Great walkers walked to Westport and Croagh Patrick.
Thomas Flynn of Cloonrea can jump a river twenty-one feet wide.
About forty years ago there was a walking contest in Cloonarrow between John Harte and Michael Kearns to see which of them was the better walker. Michael Kearns is about seventy years of age now and John Harte is eighty-five. There was a quarter of tobacco for the winner and the measurement was one hundred and fifty yards. There were four men making the rules and watching that both men got fair play. There were two at the beginning and two at the end of the measurement.(continues on next page)
