Cahill, Shanbally, Craughwell, Co Galway.

Near Athenry is a place called Craughwell. It is only a small village. It was in Craughwell; Daly was tried for a murder he did not commit. Daly was fifty years old and a farmer. One night three men shot a man named Daly. This Daly was a tramp, and he swore it was Daly that fired the shots.
The soldiers arrested him and he was sentenced to death. He was to the be hanged in Craughwell. At the hanging his mother arose and said "born a man and die a man" which meant not to tell on the three men that commited the murder.
There was an old Presbyterian at the hanging and he was going around saying in Irish "may the same fate befall you all" A man named Lynch rose on one knee and hit the man on the side of the head with a cutting whip. The man escaped through the crowd.

The ruins of this Castle are in the townland of Strongfort, in the parish of Craughwell and about a mile from the village of Craughwell on the south-eastern side. The ruined Castle is on the left side of the public road which leads from the village of Craughwell to Derryhoyle and Isser Cleran and thence to Loughrea.
Mick Burke, a relative of the Marquis of Clanricarde, had his residence at Strongfort, or "Cathair na Daingean". It was a curious combination of the Norman keep and the modern dwelling. Mr. Burke loved the hunting field and felt strongly that the manly sport should be reserved exclusively for those who could boast of particular blood.

There are three forges in the parish. The Smiths are Patrick O' Grady, James Tannian, Thomas Kenny. Their people has not been Smiths for many years.
Patrick O'Grady's forge is situated in the townland of Rooe in the Parish of Craughwell in the barony of Dunkellin. James Tannian's forge is situated in the townland of Cregg in the parish of Craughwell in the barony of Dunkellin. Thomas Kenny's forge is situated in the townland of Rockfield in the parish of Craughwell. The forge is about a storey in height. There are two windows in it. It has a slated roof. The door is of a

The above song was composed by Peter Callanan Craughwell. He was a labouring man, and he died in the year 1850.

only one of them can speak Irish. He can tell Irish and English stories. His name is John Conelly Ballymana, Craughwell co Galway. The houses were more plentiful locally in former times in the district. Long ago from the cross of Ballymana to Seefin there was a row of houses and the people were evicted out of them and some of them went to America. The land is fairly good in the district.Bernie Ruane
Ballymana, Craughwell
Co GalwayI obtained the above from Thomas Ruane, Ballymana Craughwell, Co Galway.

The townland of Ballylinn is situated in the parish of Craughwell, in the barony of Dunkeltin, in the County of Galway. There are five houses in it. The approximate number of people in it, is twenty-eight. There is one slated house, and four thatched houses. There is one old person in the district. Her name is Mrs Shaughnessy, Ballylinn East, Craughwell, Co Galway. She can tell stories in English. Houses were not more numerous formerly. Some of the land is hilly, and more of it is good. There is no wood growing

Carheen, Craughwell, Co Galway which was previously related to him by the late John Murphy, Ballyshea, Kilchrenan Co Galway.,

county; he tells us in his poem "Condae Mhuigheó".He died about the year 1838 in the barn attached to a house owned by a man called Diarmuid Cloonan and he was buried in the graveyard at Killeeneen which is about three miles west of Craughwell. About forty years ago a headstone was erected over his grave by the late Edward Martyn of Tullyra, Lady Gregory of Coole Park, and the late Doctor Cawley of Craughwell, as well as others.
Patrick Callanan, the poet, lived in Caherdivane, about two and a half miles west of Craughwell. He composed many poems and he translated some of Raftery's poems into English.He used to be invited to the house of teachers and others to tell them old Irish stories and to compose poetry. One of his most well-known poems is "Fataí Bána" about the blackening of the potato crop in the Famine year, 1846. He lived during that period and saw all the misery caused by the famine.He married Brigid Feeney of Killeeneen. He had four sons and two daughters - Michael Patrick, John and Marcus were the names of

Mary Kate Kelly, Caherdine, Craughwell, Co. Galway.
Told by: Patrick Kelly, Caherdine, Craughwell, Co. Galway.
age=56 yrs.

in 1928. The seats they had in this school were big long seats that they got from the Christian Brothers school in Clarinbridge. These schools were where the Church is now in Clarinbridge. They never used copies in this school they used to have slates and pencils. This school was thatched with straw and a floor made of sand and lime. This floor was called the "mood floor."Peggie Forde, Killeeneen, Craughwell, Co Galway
Told by Michael Forde, Killeeneen, 52 years, Craughwell, Co Galway

Raftery's Burial
Raftery died in Cloonans in Laught a village about two miles north of Craughwell. It was on Christmas he died. He died in a barn belong[ing] to the Cloonans where they used to keep lodgers who were going from house to house. When the people brought him to Killeeneen the grave was dug before them and old man from Killeeneen named Terry Turey held the candles while the people buried him. It was in the evening when he was buried and it was dark and that is the reason were lighted when he was buried. The evening was very cold but the candles did not quench because there are ivy trees in the graveyard and they sheltered the candles. The people were poorer that time than they are now and that is the reason there's not such a good head-stone over Raftery's grave. Told by Patrick Kelly, Caherdine, Craughwell, age 58 yrs.

who are buried in it were not natives of the parish. The last person to be buried there was a man named Patrick Donohue, who was a blacksmith and who lived in the townland of Kilquaine, parish of Craughwell. The graves are like those in Kilconieron. There is one tomb. As far as is known, no important person was buried in either one, and there is no monument.
Unbaptised children used not be buried in thse graveyards but in a "liss" or "lisheen".
A local family named Buckley, in Garracloone, use the graveyard at Killora in the parish of Craughwell for the burial of their dead.

The Castle of Mannin is the only De Burgo residence in the Barony of Dunkellin, or north - western district of the diocese of Kilmacduagh. It stands less than a mile north of the Castle of Cloghcroke. It is within the present parish of Ardrahan. It is, as it stands at present, but a square keep, partially ruined and but little interesting. It is about two miles from Craughwell. Mannin Castle, at the close of the sixteenth century, was in the possession of Shane Oge Burke.The family is long extinct and the lands of Mannin are part of the St Clerans property - more correctly Iser or Dysart Clerans - a remnant of the old De Burge possessions. The Burkes of St Clerans were its owners within our time, but at present the property has passed to a daughter of Mrs Maxwell who was a descendant of the De Burge family.The village of Cahirforvace is situated in the present parish of Craughwell and perhaps not more than four miles from the Castle of Dunkellin and here the distinguished family of the Burkes of Cahirforvace once lived. There is no trace of their dwelling now.

parish of Craughwell
Leabaidh Nora -
Leabadh Nóra is situated in the townland of Killquain in the parish of Craughwell. It got its name from a queen that was buried there by the name of Nora.

"Kilquaine"
21-6-1938The townland of Kilquaine is situated in the parish of Craughwell in the barony of Dunkellin. There are two families living in it. The exact number of people in it is ten. Both houses are slated. The first slated was built in the year 1758. There are two old people over sixty years of age living in the district. One of them can speak Irish and tell stories both in English and Irish his name is Thomas Finnegan, Kilquaine, Craughwell. The townland got its name from a church which was situated there in former times. The ruins of this church can still be seen. Houses were not more

The only poets heard of or mentioned in my district were Raftery "the blind poet of Connaught" and Callanan.Calanan the poet lived in a village called Shanvalley in the parish of Craughwell in the Co. of Galway. The story of his lifetime is unknown to the old historians in the district. He is buried in Cilínín graveyard, where Raftery is also buried and over whose grave Lady Gregory had got a headstone erected long after Raftery's death. Callanan composed a poem relating to a priest who lived in Craughwell by the name of Father Ryder. Henery the eight

There lived a man named Tom Larkin in Boorin Glass near Craughwell. He heard that there was a pot of Gold hidden under a tree that was near an old castle. He went to dig for the gold but when he went near the tree there was an old woman sitting down under the tree. He got

The old priests was giving a Sermon on the day of General Judgement. He described how all nations would be assembled to hear the last great Judgement. Returning home on horseback he overtook an old woman slowly making her way home.
"God save you" said the priest, and "Mary bless you" answered the old woman. "You look thoughtful" continued the priest "what is troubling you" "Musha Father" said the old woman "I am just thinking of the Sermon you gave and wondering at all the people that must be together. And will all the English people be their." "Yes" said the priest and "Cromwell and red Hugh O'Neill will they be there" "Yes indeed" he replied. "Musha Father I am just thinging that all the devils in hell wont keep these two from tearing one another.Kathleen Glynn, Killeeneen, Craughwell, Co Galway
M Told by: Michael Glynn, Killeeneen, Craughwell, Co Galway
Aged 55 yrs

Over near Craughwell there is an old "lios." There is a wall all around it. They say that there is a big black cat minding it, and if anyone tried to go near it the cat would tare them asunder. One day a man went in but he was never heard of again.