Hedge SchoolsHedge schools existed in this district about eighty years ago. One of these was built near Derryoober mountain in the parish of Woodford, and the other on a hill known as King's Hill over looking the little town of Woodford. These schools were built of stone and mortar and roofed with wattles and thatched. Some of the walls of the school in Derryoober mountain still remain. Tradition tells us they were taught for subjects - reading, writing, arithmetic, catechism. Slates were used and burned charcoal for a pencil. Mr. Carroll was the teacher in Derryoober.Somewhat later about sixty years ago school was carried on in private houses. One school in particular was held at Turner's House in the village of Woodford. Another house is now built in it's stead and is occupied by people of the name Hennessy. Robert Turner was the name of the old schoolmaster. He was a Protestant and is supposed to be a relative of the present Turner family that lives in Woodford.

them.
Many families were evicted by Louis the landlord, in the village of Drimkeary, one or two in Tulla, near Woodford, and a great number in Woodford, and outside the little town. Houses were not burned except those on the south-east side of Woodford village.

The Landlords
There were three landlords in this district about fifty years ago--Sir Henry Burke, Leuce. and Clonrickarde. Their estates were divided amongst tenants. These landlords demanded much rent from them so there was a method started for the reduction of these rents amongst the tenants. It was known at that time as the Plan of Campaign and was introduced by Mr. John Dillon M.P. at a monster meeting at Woodford.
The landlords then issued processes for the non payment of rent and the first eviction was carried out by Sir Henry Burke on a man known as Francis Farrell of Allendara, Woodford. The Sheriff was resisted there at Farrells house and Burke's bailiff a man the name of Tony Carroll surrendered after the eviction and gave Farrell back possession of his house and land again. The process server Pat Finley that served the process on Farrell was shot dead in Derrycragg, Woodford

were met with a flat refusal. The Portumna tenants in November 1885 decided to send in their demand for a 25% reduction. The Woodford tenants fell in line with them and reduced their claim to 25%. This also was refused for Lord Clanricarde would not give even 5%. "Time he would give, but reduction never."
The tenants in the Woodford and Loughrea numbered about 316 in each. When their demands for abatement were refused, all of them refused to pay any rent. From November until midsummer, the struggle went on without any result. The agent then decided to bring matters a head thirty eight tenants owed more than 20 pounds, and against these he proceeded in the high courts "to strike terror" as he said himself for the costs were seven times do high as for an ordinary ejectment process. Seventy eight of the latter were taken out but were rendered void through failing to comply with some formalities. Thus began the campaign of terror in Woodford and in Loughrea.An account taken from the Fenians of the district.

Patk. Leahy, Lowertown, Woodford, Co. Galway
3. 53 yrs. 4. Laborer
5. Lowertown, Woodford
6. Ml. Leahy 7. Twenty yrs. ago.
8. 50 yrs.
9. Lowertown, Woodford
10. 8/12/37
About a quarter of a mile to the south of the little town of Woodford, Co. Galway is Derrycrag Wood. There is a lake in this wood in which, the old people say Patrick Sarsfield did away with his canon. This lake once covered about twenty acres. Now it is a mere pond.
In the medieval ages water horses were often seen here. Once however, a man managed to catch one of them, but no one knows how. His name was Patrick Leahy, my great grandfather. His name was Patrick Leahy. He tried in vain to train the horse. When this failed him he put him in a stable, but he broke out. The man captured him and tied him up.

Fairs in Woodford in olden times
There were only four fairs held in Woodford in olden times. The first fair was held on St Stephens Day Dec. 26th; the second was held

My grandfather John Devereaux of Woodford told me that when he was young that he used to go hunting every evening.

In the year 1860 in Woodford, Co. Galway, in the townland of Derrygill, two men named Mahon and Moran lived. Moran heard that his brother Tim in Tipperary was dead. He said to his wife he would like to go to the funeral. His garments were thread bare and bad.
He went down to Mahons to borrow his coat to make a better appearance at his brothers funeral. Mrs. Mahon told him her husband was gone before him to the town of Portumna.
He met Mahon coming out from the town and the exchanged clothes in full. The evening came wet, and Mahon delayed in Woodford drinking intoxicating drink. There were no bridges in Woodford or stepping stones at that time and he had to cross a river on a plank. He fell into the river and was carried away with the flood and was drowned.
When the flood abated the dead man was discovered entangled in branches. The police were notified and his features were so disfigured they had no way to recognise him only by the clothes he wore. All the neighbours thought that it was Moran was drowned. They carried him home and held an inquest. They following day they took him to his family burial ground in a donkey's car to Doorao, and his newly married wife was the principal mourner.
She was prostrate with grief and wanted to be shoved down along with him. NO one could bring her to be conciousness until her former sweet-heart arrived, and said he is as dead now as ever he'll be, and proposed marriage to her again, and accompanied her on her home ward journey.

1 Denis Malone, Lowertown, Woodford Co Galway
3 72 Yrs
4 Miller
5 Lowertown Woodford10 2nd February' 38Hidden TreasuresThis is no hidden treasure spoke on in this district with the exception of cannon which is hidden in a lake in Derrycrag wood on the outskirts of Woodford. After the battle of Aughim, Sarsfield was falling back on Limerick, but begin followed by the English. He spiked his guns & threw them into the lake. there is an old legend that the echo of the cannon can still be heard in the wood in the dead of night

HeroesIn Woodford there were men who were famous for riding horses, strength, and running.A man named Mr. Edward Fahy was the strongest man that everr lived in Woodford. he lives in Allendarra. His address is: Edward Fahy, Esq., Allendarra, Woodford. He is living still.He could do almost anything with his teeth. He could carry a wheelbarrow with his teeth, cut nails with this teeth, and could catch a stick with his teeth, and defy two strong men to take it off him. He could lift an anvil tied to a rope, with his teeth and leave it down again.There was a man named Michael Burke, who lived in Rosmore, near the Shannon, who was a great runner. There was not a man for miles around who could run with him. There is a story told, that an excursion was to start at the jetty, Rosmore, and M. Burke was there. When all the people were on

Long ago Woodford had a good lot of industries. There was iron one in Upper forge, salt manafactuered in Woodford village, and also weaving and a tannery in the woods.In Upperforge, there were iron mills. They were owned by Welsh people, who settled down here and whose decendants are here yet. Some of them are Seymours, Tamplens,Walshes and Cannings. There is a big bar in the Woodford Mill, which was made in Upperforge with the date 1681 stamped on it. Salt was manufactured here also. A lot of salt was made and sold to people from other places. The factory lasted a good while and then broke down.Tanning was done on a very large scale here. In all the woods around there are big holes about five yards long and four yards wide. In these holes the leather was tanned. A large amount of leather was tanned here.

The Land War
From the old people in the districtThe first Shock Throughout Ireland during the ‘Eighties’ the names of Loughrea Ballinakill and Woodford were spoken of with pride by men whose hearts were with the oppressed. The tenant farmers within our shores in daily dread for the safety of their homes, saw in the Loughrea.
Ballinakill and Woodford fights the making or marring of their fortunes. So when they looked for a lead and the men of those districts did not fail them. The struggle at Ballinakill between Sir. Henry Burke and his tenants decided the action of the Landlords, while that of Clanricarde in Woodford disclosed Landlordism at its worst; to this also, we can trace the “Plan of Campaign”, This was the tenants best means of defence. The Cause of the Land War.
For two years immediately before 1879 the pieces of stock and farm produce had been declining owing to the increased importation of foreign meat and corn into England, and this fall particularly affected the big farmers in Ireland, as Galway was

There are five forges in this parish. The smiths are Calanans, Conaways, Minog's, Cahanan and Egans in Woodford. there are two in Anash, one in Derryoobev and two in Woodford. They are near a cross roads. It has a thatched roof. The door is of no special shape. There is only one fireplace within. The fire is on a high table of stone. There is a pipe in the side of the fire. The air goes in that pipe under the fire. The smith uses a hammer, a pinchers and nails. The smith shoes Asses and horses. Conn Tully of Kylenamally drew turf with a bullock. The smith makes gates. He repairs ploughs and grubbers. The smith shoes wheels in the open air. The forge water is said to cure warts but you have to steal it. Mrs. Fahys father in Clonoon had a forge in Rossmore. He lived where Joe Saunders is living now. The stone on which he used shoe the wheels is on the side of the bog road. His name was Rooney.

Penal days in the district of Woodford.
There is a legend amongst the old people that there is a cave known as the scalps in the Derrygoolen Mountains. It is about six miles from the town of Woodford. An outlawed priest was often known to hide here in order to offer up the holy sacrifice of the mass for the people. There was a secret service agent in this part of the county at that time. He was known as "Probera" Page and was always on the trial of outlawed priest's. On that account the mass was often offered in private houses. One house in particular that the priest was often known to hide himself in belonged to the landlord class- the Burkes of Cloncoe. Another house now in built in it's stead. It is known as the Whitehall house, Cloncoe.

In olden times one hedge school excisted in this district. It was situated on the side of the Ben Hill which is situated to the north of Woodford, Co. Galway. The school was carried on in a two storey thatched house. It belonged to the school teacher - Master Power.
This man was a native of Powers Cross, Woodford. Each schoolar had to bring threepence a week. If they forget it on Friday they had to bring four pence on Monday. That was the only salary he had. His wife had a shop in a room in the house People said that he

They used to tan in this way. First they would dig the whole and then lay in the hole with the bark of oak trees. Then, when this was done they would lay a row of cow skis on top of the bark. This they would do until the hole which was about two and a half feet high, was filled with skin and bark.They would then leave it there for about three weeks. At the end of this time the skin will be made into brown leather. The wood of the oak trees used by the people who were tanning the leather, was most likely sold to the iron ore smelters to smelt the iron ores. There was a weaver who lived on top of Bark hill, where our school is nw built. He used to maake the cloth for the people in Woodford, who bought it from him.There was also a weaver about three miles from here in a place called Loughatorick. His name was Allen, but he is not there now. Henry Mc Mahon Woodford got from Ms Mc Mahon.

"We have one holy well in the parish of Woodford. It is situated in the townland of Woodford in Derry brag wood. People visit this well on the last three Saturdays in July. Three rounds are performed, each Saturday. The people can say any prayers they like when doing the rounds. The people take off their shoes and stockings and go around on their knees, praying.This well has been visited for a number of years by people from all over the parish. Over a hundred years ago a blind man was in the wood searching for his cow. He heard a voice that told him to go to a certain place in the wood where he would feel a cow track. When he would feel the cow track a well would spring up. He was told to wash his eyes in the well and he would be able to see and he would"

It is said that this is how the Nugent family first came as landlords. Nugent was out in the Williamite war and [ ] gave him a map of Pallas district. He followed the
{pl ] in the map and it bought him to Woodford. On his way from Woodford to Pallas he met a man whose name was Hannrahan of Anaghour. He knew Hannrahan because they were together in the war in England. Then the two of them set out for Pallas and when they reached it they broke in the door and hunted the Friars.
May Kelly

A long time ago there was a crock of gold hidden beneath a rock in Ballyhogan, Kilrickle.
On a certain November night Joe Fahy left Woodford and walked all the way until he came to Kilrickle. So when he came to the spot where he dreamt it was, Mick Devine was there before him. He did not know how he would tell Mick his story. After a while he told the story to Mick. The latter listened to him for a while, the he said to him, "Go home my decent man I had a dream the same as you." "I dreamt: said Mick, "of a crock of gold that was hiding in Woodford, in your own garden.
Joe Fahy said nothing only started

Continuing my Folklore talks with John Maxwell Carrickmakeegan he says around the time of the time of the battle of the Boyne "The Gores" who lived in Woodford were exofficers of the British Navy, perverts, and blood relations of King James. After James's defeat at the Boyne his son Prince Charles second in command went on the "run" and knowing the Gores address thought perhaps there was one place in Ireland where he might be safe. Seven days after the battle he called at Woodford disguised. The Gores were away fishing when he arrived, and he refused to tell the servants his name. He knew the Gores kept a small "zoo" and in it was one of the ferocious lions in captivity. The Prince asked to see the lion, and when shown jumped into the cage, took a silk handkerchief from his pocket, tied it around the lion's neck and got out unharmed to the amazement of the servant. Then the Prince told the servant "Now your master will know who called (Tradition says lions will not harm members of a Royal Family). and if now friendly disposed let him leave a letter beside the entrance gates before 12 m.n." The Prince now left. When the Gores and their visitors returned the servant told the strange story. The senior Gore immediately hit the table and cried "Prince Charles". Now a cowardly letter was written, i,e, - extending