School: Béal na Bláth, Maghcromtha (roll number 12458)
- Location:
- Bealnablath, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Seán Ó Cróinín
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0340, Page 271
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- XML School: Béal na Bláth, Maghcromtha
- XML Page 271
- XML “Local Forges”
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- There were two or three forges in our parish in olden times. The nearest forge to us was at Bealnablath. There were three smiths working in that forge Andrew, Jerry and Dan Mahony. Their people were smiths before them and they were natives of Mossgrove.
The forge was situated at the cross of five roads. None of the bellows were made locally. They were all bought in Cork. Those smiths shod horses. They did very little work in the open air except when they were ironing wheels. It is told locally that the eldest son of the smith was able to cure worms or boils and other things.
Some of the smiths were very extra strong. Some of them were famous at weight-throwing and pulling at the tug- of war. In olden times the smiths made ploughs, and they made pikes for the Irish to fight with. When the wet days came the people from the district gathered to the forge story-telling.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Michael O' Mahony
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Ardrah, Co. Cork
