Biddy Collins
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leave the bog, but when she got old she was taken by force and put into Scarriff workhouse where she died in 1914.
Bailiúchán na Scol
Bailiúchán béaloidis é seo a chnuasaigh páistí scoile in Éirinn le linn na 1930idí. Breis eolais
Torthaí
24 toradh
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Fairs
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At fairs such as are held in Scarriff and Feakle no tolls are, but at fairs such as Limerick and Ennis they are collected at every fair.
The Bac They Took near the Scairbh
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One day there was a Dursey boat going north to Ballinaskelligs with a boat of fish to sell it. North near the “big Scairbh” (Scarriff) they met a grand big bác about 40 feet long. They had no rope only a couple of fathom so they told Peats Mór to go out and hold the bác there
Ancient Roads
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28
Ancient Roads.
An old Board of Works road made in 1848(telief Work) fromma place locally known as "Lacken" on the Gort -Feakle road.From thence it ran on in an easterly direction through the townlands of Kilclaren, Curraclooon,Currakyle,and from the latter in a north-easterly direction through the townland of Turkenna.Portions of it are still to be seen are used as passages for cattle, the remainder having been taken with the adjoining farms.
About sixty years ago there was no bridge over the Currakyle River.The inhabitants of the district when going to the nearest town (Scarriff) forded the river at a point about 100 yards to the east of where the present bridge stands ,and travelled through the mountain on horse-backuntil the main road (Scarriff- Gort)was reached .The women sometimes rode alone ,at other times behind the men on a pillion.
There were no cars in the district at this time -loads were brought by horses, sometimes in "cleeves "(large wicker -work hampers)when such things as potatoes ,turf etc formed the load,and
My Own District
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called "Cnoc na Ságdíuirí". Which means "The Soldier's Hill". Clounty is situated between Scarriff and Mt. Shannon. The population of Clounty is about fifty people.
There is a pond in Clounty called "The Locan".
Bottle of Brandy for Bottle of Milk from French Boat
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About 65 years ago there was a French boat going to Labrador – fishing cod. She came up off the Mizen and passed off the Head and it was blowing hard from the south-west. She kept going north, but the wind shifted to the north and it blew a heavy gale from the north and it drove her back. She was a sailing vessel.When she came down off of the Kerry Heads she dropped an anchor see would she have any shelter off Bolus Head, but she began to drift. They cut the two masts off her then, but she kept on drifting still until she came to about half way between the big Scarriff and the mouth of the Sound. She held there – the weather was coming down a little. She was seen from the Island the next morning but it was too rough to shove a boat. About twelve o’clock it moderated down a little, and the Baile ’n Chalaidh people shoved a boat and set out for her. When the Cill Mhichíl people heard
Tobar Chaimín agus Tobar na bhFionn
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Tobar Caimín is situated in Ahanish. There is not much history attached to it. The story of the well is that once when St. Caimín was going to baptize a child he had no water anyplace next him. It so happened that a well sprung up under his feet and it was called St. Caimin's well.
There is a well in Belkelly called tobar na bfionn. The well has a cure for sore eyes if you wash them in it. When you go there you must leave something after you such as a pen or pencil. Sometimes when girls forget to bring something they tear a piece of their dress to leave it after them.
The well is situated in the middle of Belkelly wood about a quarter of a mile of the main road between Scarriff and Killaloe on the left hand side. The usual Sunday for the people to go the well is on the first Sunday after the fifteenth
The Parish of Iniscealtra
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a great scarcity of water in the locality when St. Caimin was journing through the parish. He had monks along with him, and when they got thirsty he just stuck down a reed and this well sprung up. The people of this locality use the water.
Glenvanish. There are three houses in Glenvanish, and only eleven people living there. There is a Mass stone in Glenvanish mountain where the people used to go to hear Mass long ago. It is a square stone with a cross on the top of it. It is said that coal used to be got between Glenvanish and Bohatch long ago. The land in Glenvanish is very marshy.
Clounty. Clounty Weenagh and Clounty Connaught are two townlands situated side by side between Scarriff and Mountshannon. There are eight new houses in Clounty and three old ones.
My Own District
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I live in the townland of Knockaveen. It is so called because "Knockaveen" means a little hill and it is on the slope of this hill the townland is situated. It is nicely situated on the south west of the parish of Scarriff and therefore it has a south western aspect. The land of the locality though not very fertile is able to produce crops sufficient for the maintainence of its people.There are five households in the locality, namely, Mrs. Minogue's, Miss Purcell's, Mr. James Minogue's, Mr. Pat Crotty's and Mrs. Tim Treacys. There were twice as many households in it long ago as there is now. The houses are slated and the are all two storey high. There are no old people in the district the last of them passed away
My Own District
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a few years ago a Mr. James Crotty who was twenty-five years Chairman of the Scarriff district Council.There is no Irish spoken in the locality. The ruins of one old house still remains. It belonged to a family called Mac Guiness. The boys and girls of the family with the exception of two of them emigrated to America. The boy and girl that remained at home used to go out working for the farmers to help the scanty earnings of their small holding's. When they died their people in America sold the land and a neighbour called Mr. Griffan bought it.Long ago the boys and girls of the locality went to America or Australia to earn their living. More of them stayed at home and earned their living in their own native land.
My Own Parish
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There are many beautiful places in Ireland where the land is green and fertile and the people rich and well educated but in my opinion the parish where I was born an reared is dearer to me than any of them. The name of the parish is Scarriff and it is beautifully situated in East Clare at the foot of the Slieve Aughty Mountains.
There is a town also of the same name. If derives its name from a rough shallow ford where once stood a castle belonging to the chief of the place called O Grady and around where the present town of Scariff grew up. The castle was built especially for the protection of the ford because it was the great highway for people going to Dublin from West Clare. There was
The Making of Spades
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298 The Making of Spades
Long ago smiths made spades Michael (Mickie) Minogue was a great spade maker.Minogues were great smiths and are smiths for at least five generations.They made them of iron called spade-iron and of old spades.They put temper in them with water and sledging. When the spade was made they would leave it on the anvil and sprinkle it with water, then they would sledge it.They also made sleagháns or turf spades These black smiths lived in Gortvrulla,Feakle Martin Minogue a black smith lives there still.he has three brothers black smiths .One has a forge in Scarriff ,one has a forge in Kilclarn ,Feakle, and the other has a forge in Galway.
Weaving
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32 a man in Scarriff who used weave these.They would make báiníne off the flannel and leave and edge at the end and at the top.
Deying
They used get moss around stones and boil it in water with whatever they wanted to colour.This used put a brown colour on them.When they wanted to colour black they dug black thing in bogs and boiled it with clothes.
A Story
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A Story
In Clonesker there lived some years ago ,a lame shoemaker named Pat Stack .he worked every day in Scarriff with a shoemaker named O Conner and came home every night. One morning as he was going to his work ,he met a man named Michael Mc.Allen with a horse and cart.
Mr Stack fearing he would be late for his work asked a lift from Michael McAllen and he gave it to him good morning saying "I am in a hurry .I'll be late for my work "so he limped away and was a long time at his work Michael Mc Allen arrived at town.
Local Heroes
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Tom Rickard, Corballis was known to be a great runner as he ran a race from Kildalkey to Ballivor, a distance of about four miles. Michael Moore was another swift runner as he won a race from Kilmurry to Trim, a distance of about six miles. Pat Sherlock challenged six other competitiors in a race from Scarriff bridge to Ballivor.
There are not many heroes about Kildalkey. James Terrell is a great walker as he was in the army. He walks about four miles an hour and he keeps his hands shaking to and fro. He has old bugles, helmets and uniforms since he was in the army.
Edward McKenna was a soldier years ago and he is now a delf dealer in Trim. He has an old bugle which he sounds at every house. James Miggin jumps five and a half feet high and nineteen feet along the ground. John Davy was a great jumper and a weight thrower. He was able to
Tales Told by Gerard Gath Kilcormac Offaly
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about his grandparents and great grandparents. Gerard's father was born in Kilcormac Offaly his grandfather in Feakle Co. Clare and his great grandfather in Banagher, Co. Offaly. Gerard's great grandfather took many years to go from Banagher to Feakle Co. Clare because he was in charge of the making of a road which ran from Banagher to Portumna Killaloe Scarriff Feakle and ended at the Galway Boundary.
Some of that road is now disused but the most of it is still in use and is known in Clare as the "Norbury Line." This road was started principally as relief work to give employment to people who were hard hit after the Famine. The famine is never mentioned in this part of Offaly but the part of Clare which Gerard's great grandfather started work in was badly hit by both famine and cholera. The green ridges are still seen in the fields where the potatoes failed in black '47 and the people have a
(gan teideal)
“My address is Aonach and there is a reason why it is called that there was a fair held there long ago, but is not held there now.”
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1314
day, Cattle ,sheep and pigs were sold there .It was an annual fair and it was a great match making fair, because it was held during Shrove several faction fights were carried on there .
There was a Scarriff man married to a girl i Kilkishen. This happened because that man came to the fair and the match was made there.
At this fair there was no toll gathering but the landlords of the place removed the fair and it was then held in an acre of land.opposite my house.It did no good when it was changed.
The cause of its
Ballinaglera
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Not far from Conways & also on the brow of the lake, there lives Pat Ryan and his mother and sister. I remember the generations of Ryans in this house. Old Pad who was killed one night coming from the fair of Scarriff when he fell off his horse about 1815. His wife was one of the numerous Madden family who lived here about at that time or before. He was succeeded by his son John who married a Miss Bugler. John lived to a ripe old age.
There was another family of the Mulcahys near here. Johnys. He went by the name of "Johny Jody" He was a son of Jacks. His mother was another Madden. He married Annie Corry. They had some four or five children all died young except one girl who married another Mulcahy Martin son of the "Leagues" who lives there with his two daughters.
There was a another Mulcahy "Mickey" who lived on a farm adjoining this who married Biddy Mack. Mulcahy died young & old Biddy and a brother lived on for many years. There was a Michael O'Connor & his family some distant cousin came to live with Biddy. They were some relation of hers however. They didn't remain very many years. They went to U.S.A. Biddy then
Ancient Stories
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Ancient stories. 24-3-'38.
over a hundred years ago men and women used ride on horse-back to fairs or markets.The women sitting behind the men on a kind of saddle called a pillon. One day a certain couple were admired for their beauty as they went along the road and also of the fine looking horse they rode.When they reached the town the horse laid down in a stable kicking with pain and died in a half an hour and they had to walk home.
The same couple had plenty money but they could not put it into any bank.They used have a canister of soverigns under a flag in the floor of the room.One day the man went to the fair of Scarriff with one box
Folklore - Mary Egan
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travels.
She was often compared to a snail as she carried her house on her back.
The young boys often vexed her calling her Moll Horse and she used to get very cross.
She ended her life in Scarriff workhouse about 25 five years ago and all Feakle people made up a collection and took her remains to Feakle for internment.