The Local Patron SaintThe Saint that is connected with Kiltormer is Saint Patrick. There is a holy well a short distance from the village and it is called Saint Patrick's Well to the present day. When Saint Patrick was teaching the faith to the people of Kiltormer he baptised them at that well and it is said that he afterwards blessed it. He also blessed a tree that is growing beside the well. It is supposed to be a very old tree and it is growing all the time. The only support it has to keep it up is a light thin bark at the butt and the top of it is a big branch. There were two big trees knocked by a storm but there was no damage done to this tree. People come from different districts to do stations around this and the well once a year.Micheal Greaney, Kiltormer, Ballinasloe.

KiltormerThe Kelly's owned Kiltormer. They were an old family. The school and Chapel are built on their land. They founded the Abbey of Kilconnell, the name of the man that built it, and the dates, are to be seen there yet. There was one young man named Charles Kelly and he ran every morning from Kiltormer to school in Eyrecourt. He had nothing to wear but a tanned sheen, skin breeches. When he was finished school he was smuggled to France in wool packs. He came back to Ireland a Friar. People came from miles round to be cured by him. He was living in Bette-ville. One night while he was staying in the Monastery he happened to be out late. There were no candles left for him. When he came in "the maid waited for him". He asked her for candles, but she said there were no candles in, because the other Friars warned her not to give them to him. He asked her for two sods, she got them for him, and lit them. He knelt down to read his prayer book by their light and two moulded candles sprang up.

Councillor Maunsell's son succeeded to the father's property in Slevoyre and Kiltormer. Unlike the father he was a bad, wicked man and a seducer.
He was daring and courageous, and ever ready to fight a duel. At nights when returning to Slevoyre from Kiltormer and passing by the houses of supposed Terries he would whistle the most beautifully fresh airs. This was a

(c.) Councillor Maunsell's son succeeded to his father's property in Slevoyre and Kiltormer. Unlike his father he was a man of wicked habits, being known as a seducer.
He was daring and courageous, and ever ready to fight a duel. At nightime, when returning to Slevoyre from Kiltormer he would stop outside the houses of

challenge to them to come out and fight him. They let him pass. Often times he would get off his horse at Carrigahorig to walk the remaining part of the way home - another challenge to them to come and fight him.
One of the neighbouring gentry offended this man of war. Biggs, the offender, accepted the challenge to a duel, but later on thought better of the matter and refused to cross swords with Maunsell.
Years later when Maunsell died at Kiltormer news of his death was brought to Slevoyre. There was one groom who loved his master dearly, and when he heard the news he set out at once for Kiltormer in order to be the first in the district to see the dead master.
It was late in a summer's evening when he reached Portumna. A huge black dog appeared and walked beside the horse. The rider speeded his beast, still the dog kept pace with him. Before long man and horse were covered with the sweat of fear, but the trying journey was continued.
When a cross roads is reached the dog goes before the horse and rider; he stands in the middle of the road and gives forth a howl so human-like that the horrified groom takes the wrong turning for Kiltormer. He stops at the first house beside the road. He knocks; the people are in bed, but after a while the continued knocking

Lis a BhotharLis a Bothar is situated in the parish of Kiltormer in the Co. Galway. It is about a half mile from the village of Kiltormer. There is a fort there which is supposed to be about 40 feet in height. The people believe that there is gold and firearms hidden there. It is supposed to have been built by the Firbolgs, who were in Ireland long ago.There are many stories told about the fort, and this is one of them. Long ago there was a station in a house beside the fort. When mass was over the priest's clerk went to see the fort; there was an opening to the fort. He forced his way in and he was not able to get out. When he was taken out he complained of head ache, he died later. It is supposed that it was the foul air that killed him.

are to be found there. It opens again at a place called "Cleary's Fort" in the district of Clontuskert.
It is said that the Danes are still watching their hidden treasure and every night at 12 o'clock there are lights to be seen going around the fort and people are afraid to pass by those places after sunset.
"Coen's Fort" is in Gortnarahan about one mile from Kiltormer.
Martin Augustine Lyons, Ardranney, Kiltormer, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. Information received from my father Patrick Lyons.

A Great Burning.About one hundred years ago there lived in a big house at Addergoole a man named Alderman Reynolds. He was an alderman of the City of Dublin. He had great influence. It was said that he could get a man from the gallows. He died in Dublin about ninety years ago. He had all the land about Addergoole, Kiltormer and Baggotsbog. Another man came to live in the house after him. His name was Sheridan. He used to dry logs of deal in the chimney. One day the deal took fire and the house went in flames. When all the neighbours came to quench it he would not let them. It was about sixty years since it was burned. There is no trace of the house there now.Tom Mannion, Addergoole, Kiltormer, Ballinasloe.

on each side, and the first match was played in Loughrea. They played for an hour without a score. It was then adjourned until the next Sunday when it was played in Killimore and they each scored 3 goals 3 points. It was then withdrew until the next Sunday where it was finished in Kiltormer.After a 11 o'clock Mass in Mullagh both teams met, and 278 people marched on foot to Kiltormer. Mullagh scored 2 goals 8 points and Duniry 2 goals, and on that day Mullagh won the county championship for the first time.Tom Kenny of Craughwell a noted blacksmith, and hurler was the referee. John Brien and Michael Finnerty were the two best hurlers in Mullagh.

Long ago there was a famine in this district. I heard that a woman was buried beside a big bush near Mr John Kelly's house, Ballylouge, Kiltormer. It is said

this locality. Tom Daly of Aughrim, Ballinasloe and Michael Donlan, Abbey, Kiltormer. Those two people make and repair boots. Long ago shoemakers were more plentiful in the country places. The trade was handed down to them from their fathers. Clogs were worn long ago but they are seldom to be seen now.

I got this information from my father, John Connolly, Ballylouge, Kiltormer, Ballinasloe. Aged 48 years.
There are two forges in the parish of Killoran. Johnie Manning owns one. It is situated on the roadside near a crossroads between Kiltormer and Kilreekle. It is built of stone with a slate roof and with a double door. There is one fireplace in it. His people were smiths before him.
Patrick Daly, who died about a month ago owned the other forge. It is situated near a crossroads on the road leading from Mullagh to Ballydonlan. It is built with concrete with a thatched roof and a double door. There is one fireplace in it. His people were smiths also.
The smiths tools are, anvil, hammer, rasp, pincers, sledge, iorn

a pig and three pence for cattle. Mr Rothwell gathers the custom in Ballinasloe. When a man buys a horse he puts a mark on him with a scissor or chalk. In olden days a fair was held in Kiltormer but not now. In the finish of a bargain some person steps in and divides the difference between them.

There is a holy well in Kiltormer, a few miles outside Ballinasloe. It is called "St. Patrick's Well". It is said that when St. Patrick was preaching in Ireland the water sprang up here under his feet to baptize

Fairy FortsFairy forts are not so very common in this district, but there are may stories told ab out those that are to be seen.The one I am writing about now is situated about a mile from Kiltormer. It belonged to a man named Patrick Brennan. This fort was on his land. He had a big hump on his back, and was very anxious to get rid of it.There was a tunnel in this fort, and one afternoon when he was coming home from Kiltormer, he broke the wall of the tunnel, and entered it. He saw a whole lot of little men and women. He went home, and that night when he went out to count the sheep, two of them were missing. He then remembered the tunnel. He found the two missing sheep inside. This time the little men and women were eating, drinking,

A Hedge SchoolThere was an old hedge school in Cartron about ninety years ago. Cartron is a little village about two miles from Kiltormer in the parish of Cappatagle. All the children of that locality used to go to the school there every day. It was held in the open air under a big tree, but if the day came wet there would be no school. Every child had to give the teacher two pence a day as wages. He used to stay three days in each house. He stayed three months in each district and he then would pass on to another district. At that time books and jotters were unknown but instead they used to write on slates. Some of the advanced pupils were given paper to write on. At this time there were no pens, but the teacher made them pens out of quills which were brought by the pupils. The ink they used was made out of wild berries. The subjects taught were English, Arithmetic and writing. There was no Irish taught.Laurence Kilkenny, Balyturick, Kiltormer, Ballinasloe.

A Hedge SchoolAbout 110 years ago there were no schools or teachers in Ireland as there are at the present time and for that reason the people were not able to read or write. There were men going around from town to town and village to village teaching the people. Those people were called poor scholars and they were few. They taught out in th eopen air, when the weather was fine, and in Winter they taught in a barn or an open shed. In time the people had some learning and they wished to have more, so they collected together in a district and got up a school but they were very simple. They consisted only of one room which was made of timber and earth and they did not last very long.Those teachers taught but few subjects, reading, writing and arithmetic. The people who attended or sent their children to school paid so much a month to the teacher to support him. There was a school in Pullgorry about three miles from Kiltormer in the parish of Mullagh and many people attended there. They were taught English reading, writing and arithmetic. They had logs of timber to rest their slates on when they were writing. The best pupils were taught writing with pen on paper. The sort of pens they were writing with were made from quills which the pupils brought to the teacher.Augustine Lyons, Ardranny, Kiltormer, Ballinasloe.

Penal DaysThe Penal laws were very strict against the Catholic religion. The Irish people had to practice it in a very secret way. The priests said Mass out in the open air in the fields and in the bogs so that the priest-hunters, as they were called would not catch the. There is a place not far from here the Bishop ordained priests during the Penal Days. The name of the place is Ballyloage bog. It is in the parish of Killoran. On the land there is a big heathery hill. On the top of the hill there is a hole. This is called the Bishop's Chair. It is about four miles from Kiltormer. On the side of the hill too there is a rock on which the priest used to say Mass.Micheal Greaney, Kiltormer, Ballinasloe.The Bishop that gave the sacrament of Holy Orders at Ballyloage bog was a man named Dr. Tadgh Keogh. He ordained a pries in it in the year 1681.

Holy WellsThere is one holy well in my parish. It is in the townland of Kiltormer. It is situated in a field owned by Mr. Duffy and is about twelve yards from the school. All the people of the place go to the well once a year and pray there. The stations of the well, they are called. They begin every year on the third Friday in August and continue till the end of September. The people pray around the well and around certain trees. When they are praying at the well they throw money into it and take three sips of the water. Then when they are praying at each tree they leave paper, matches and pieces of cloth. They put them there as offerings. The prayers which are said at the well are the rosary.There is a story told about a Mr. Eyre of Eyreville who tried to stop up the well. He covered it with stones and gravel. When it was stopped a few hours the water began to break up in one of the rooms in his house at Eyreville. He hurried back again and cleared the well at once and when he had it cleared the water went down in the room again. So nobody ever interfered with the well after that. Micheal Greaney, Kiltormer, Ballinasloe.

A Fairy StoryOn Pat Mannion's land in Adderagool about two miles from Kiltormer village there is a lisheen. It is supposed that there is a grasey leprechaen in it. He was seen by a man named Andy Finnerty but Andy did not mind him. He was dressed in a corduroy britches and he had a green coat and cap on him. He was mending a shoe under a bush at the side of the lisheen. About a week after this another man (named Briscoe) saw the grasey leprechaen. He tried to catch him but he was unable to do so. The grasey had a big iron bar. He struck Briscoe on the leg with it and knocked him. Briscoe began to screech. There was a tinker passing by and he heard the roaring of the man. He went in over the ditch to where the grasey was beating Briscoe. He put a crucifix in his hand. Briscoe held the crucifix in his hand until he reached home. He never went after the grasey leprechaen again.Michael Doorhy, Graveshill, Kiltormer, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.