There was a family named Cooneys living in Knockatogher Athenry in the parish

There was once a giant who lived in Athenry and he wanted to throw a stone from Athenry to Monivea and it fell in a place called Ballydavid about a mile from Athenry and it now marks the first mile stone.
The was another giant who

When the Irish heard of it they became certain that what the English said was true and that William Burke was a traitor.
Young Feilim O'Connor was King of Connaught at that time and it was by the power of the English of Athenry and Bermingham of Athenry that he had been restored to that kingship which had been taken from him by his cousin Rory. Feilim gathered an immense army of western chiefs and their followers and marched to Athenry.
At this time the Pope had proclaimed a truce to all between the Scotch, the English and the Irish.
It was read in all the churches in England, Ireland and Scotland – they were all Catholics then –. It bound all the leaders and people under pain of excommunication not to break the truce.
King Feilim was then but twenty two years of age. For a year he had lived in the Castle of Athenry as a friend of De Berminghams where he had

The fairs of this district are held on the first or second Friday of each month and they are always held on the streets in Athenry.
Long ago there were only three fairs in Athenry, they were held in
May, July and October.
Buyers come from all parts of Ireland to Athenry to buy horses, cattle, sheep and pigs.
There is a toll paid on every fair and market day in Athenry.
Patrick Doherty is the toll collector in Athenry.
He collects sixpence per hed for cattle three pence per head for pigs and twopence per head for sheep.
He rents the toll every ten years from Blakney of Abbey.
When the people were selling

Edward Bruce was brother of Robert Bruce king of Scotland. Robert Bruce was married to lady Elizabeth De Burgo sister of the Earl of Ulster and owner of Athenry where a family calld the De Berminghams lived in the Castle of Athenry. The De Berminghams were the hereditary senechals of the De Burgo family and managed all local affairs during the absence of the owners.
The principal commander of the De burgo forces was Sir William Burke and he was cousin of the Earl of Ulster and the Queen of Scotland. the De burgos were defending Ireland against the invasion of Edward Bruce. Because of the blood relationship the English were suspicious of the De Burgos. At the battle of Connor in the spring of thirteen sixteen Sir William Burke (or De Burgo) was taken prisoner by the Scotchmen.
He was a great soldier and the Scotch let him free and he came back from Scotland to Galway and from Galway to Athenry early in the month o fJuly 1316.

Esker Monastery is situated about fourteen or fifteen miles east of Galway, or if you travel on the main road from Dublin to Galway you’ll see a white sign which leads you to the monastery. Esker Monastery was built by the Dominicans over one hundred years ago. These Dominicans were first hunted out of Athenry by the English soldiers at the time of the battle which occurred there in the year 1316. When hunted out of Athenry some of the Dominicans fled to the Abbey of Holy Cross at Louvain and the remainder hid in the woods around Athenry. For many years they lived in the roughly made houses scattered here and there through the woods. All the friars met in common at night for prayers.About the seventeenth century the Dominican Provincial asked the Earl of Clanricarde for same place of refuge, he was granted a patch of

Landlord StoriesBlakeney was the owner of Abbert Estate, and one day in a rage because his tenants would not pay him his rents promptly he shot himself in his room.There was another landlord living near Athenry who was very cruel to his tenants. He evicted an old man who was unable to pay his rent. This old man died by the road side and his son returned from America to avenge his death. He shot the landlord outside his own door and ran to Athenry railway station to escape. He managed to catch the train just in time and escaped to America. He was brought back again and put on trial for murder. He was acquitted however, as it was shown no man could cover the distance between the scene of the shooting and Athenry in the time elapsed between the murder and the arrival of the train at Athenry. He did on account of his fleetness of foot.The usual stories are told of Blakeney's system of raising rent on his tenants for any improvements they may have done to their houses or lands.Blakeney and his wife used to drive out in coach-and-four. When passing tenants' houses all doors had to be closed and blinds drawn. If the smoke from a chimney blew across the road

Lady Matilda Birmingham's TombIn the old Dominican Abbey in Athenry there is a tomb on which this is written. Sacred to the memory of the honour Lady Matilda Birmingham forth daughter of Thomas earl of Lought baron of Athenry and premier baron of Ireland. Margaretta third daughter and co-heiress of Peter Danaesq of queen Mary in the county of Galway. Lord chief justice of the common please. She died on the 31st of may 1788 aged 20 years and ten months endowed with every virtue

The local fairs are held in Athenry and also in Loughrea. The fairs are held in the Square and also in the principal streets in Athenry. The fairs are held in a large Fair Green in Loughrea.
Toll is paid on the stock to Mr. Doherty in Athenry, a half-crown for a horse, one shilling on a cow; sixpence on a lamb or a sheep, and threepence on a pig.
When the animals are sold luck is given to the buyer. When the bargain is made the parties agree by striking hands and the buyer says "Will you agree". The luck is reckoned by the value of the beast.
When the animals are sold there are different marks put on the beasts. The cattle dealers mark the cattle with raddle or by clipping hair of the side or

1. Patrick Doherty
2.North Gate st Athenry
3. 73
5. Athenry10. 25-10-38
Old ruins
Around Athenry there are a lot of old ruins. First there are walls of Athenry. The walls are still standing. No trace of the north wall is to found except the north gate. The gate is a big square building with an arch underneath. The old castle is also standing. It is built on high ground so that it overlooks the town.
Feilim O Connor fought outside the town. The Normans had possession of the town and O Connor tried to enter. He won the battle but he himself was killed. Larger gaps are still to be seen where the

My father told me this story. There was a blacksmith living in the outskirts of Castleblskeney long ago and his name was Thomas Qualter, and he was a famous walker. Every morning he used to walk to Athenry and work all day in a forge and walk home again in the evening. He used to walk also to Winfield where he worked and both of those places are fifteen and ten miles respectively. He died the time of the flu which is about twenty years ago. His forge is still in Castleblakeney but is not used and his daughter and grand-daughter live in a little house nearby. His grand-daughter is also a good walker. She often walks to Athenry where she was born.

Story
One night a number of years ago there was a man named Ruane of Vermount going to a fair in Athenry. On his journey to Athenry he met a small woman on the road and he gave her a crack of his whip. Then she said to him "that is the worst blow you ever struck" and after that night he was lame for ever

There are no tailors in this half-parish but there are two in the half-parish of Athenry.

There are five graveyards in the parish of Athenry. The Old Abbey, the New Cemetery, the Athenry Churchyard, Tamplemoyle Graveyard and there is one in Lisheen Kyle. The Tamplemoyle graveyard and the Old Abbey are the two oldest graveyards in the parish and there are people still buried in the Tamplemoyle one. It is surrounded by a cement wall now but long ago it was a stone wall and sheep and cattle used to knock it every night. In this graveyard there is a large tomb which belongs to a family of Kelly's who are thought to be dead now and there is nobody buried in it. There are two white headstones made of marble in the Tamplemoyle graveyard also and there is a more beautiful one erected to the memory of Major

There was about five holy wells around here long ago. There was one on Clough, one in Athenry one in

"Bucky" Hynes
"Bucky" Hynes was born in Athenry about the year 1820. When he was young he was a very fast runner he never trained because he was a natural runner and jumper. He was one of the best athletes in Europe. and He did many wonderful things. He wrapped fox skins around him and ran before the Galway blazers from Oran more to Athenry. He did this many times and succeeded in beating the hounds. He made a bet that he would run before a train for a mile. and he won his bet, One day he was running before a train and he jumped a big gate about six or seven feet high. He was asked by showmen to travel the world and make his living as a runner but he refused. He said ''I would rather one run before the hounds than to go away''. He spent most of his time in the district of Athenry and it is stated that he died there. His son is still alive but he is not a runner like his father was. He is often seen walking in this district.
Billy Kelly. Kilcornan. Kilcolgan. Co Galway.
Told by, Denis Kelly, Kilcorana, Kilcolgan, Co Galway
Aged 42 years

taken refuge when all his own followers had deserted him and when Rory was king seeking to kill him. Feilim demanded that Sir William De Burgo (Burke) be expelled from Athenry at once.
De Bermingham appeared on the guard tower on the Northgate entry to Athenry and he then said as follows.
'You demand that I should expel and turn out of this De Burgo town a great leader of this royal line De Bermingham serves; you misguided boy, you come with the very men who sought your own life but eight months ago when I sheltered you here; with these my own hands I slew in the battle of ––– near Dunmore the man who seized your kingship, murdered your kinsmen, burnt your haggards, carried off your cattle. Was I afraid of your enemies of eight months ago who are here today your friends? You come here in defiance of a truce of God binding you not to break it or be excommunicated. Nay, I would not

Athenry AbbeyThere lies in the town of Athenry which is the oldest town in Connaught an ancient Abbey. It is now in ruins and being built in the thirteenth century. It was Myler de Birmingham who offered land for the foundation of a Dominician Friary. He died about fifty years afterwards and found a resting place in the abbey.
The friars of the new foundation played their part in the religious movements of the time. The sons of St Dominic preached from the lofty pulpit of the abbey and were collecting alms throughout the country for the support of the soldiers of the cross.

Cloughalahard 13.1.38
Cloughalahard is my native village.It is situated one mile north-east of Clarinbridge on the main road to Athenry. This place derived its name from King Art. Art fought in the battle of Athenry.During the battle the head was cut off Art,and the horse ran off in the direction of Clarinbridge with the headless body.The body fell off the horse beside a big stone in the present village of Cloughalahard. Cloughalahard in Irish is Cloc-leath-hAirt which means the Stone of the half of Art. Heard from my aunt Nora Linnane Cloughalahard,Clarinbridge, age about 40.Aindriú Mach Giollarnáth.Cloch-leath-hAirt

This Castle and its precincts are haunted. There is a field in Moyode and every night after twelve o’clock a headless coach is heard and seen driving around there.
On another occasion a man named Pat O’Hagan was on his way home from Athenry one night. When he was passing through the yard in the neighbourhood of the Castle, he saw what he took to be a big black dog with eyes as big as saucers.
A man named Jerry Galvin was a workman in Moyode several years ago. He went to Athenry with a horse and cart late one evening, and it was after twelve o’ clock at night when he returned home through Moyode.