Local Landlords(B Donnelly, Dooras, Laurencetown)The O'Maddens were the original lords of the soil. Their territory extended from Clontuskert to Portumna, they owned all the present Barony of Longford and some of the barony of Clonmacnowen. They had several strong castles and it is a tradition that they once owned Ballymore, and it is said that they built a chapel east of Laurencetown as it was too far to have to go to Clonfert. The Irish name for Laurencetown is Baile Mór Síl Anmcadha, which is rather incongruous as the little town consists of only a few dozen houses and there is no sign of it every being any larger. The old people always

Sarsfield, when retreating after the 'Battle of Aughrim' passed within half a mile of Laurencetown. A man - Pat Kelly - is able to trace the way he passed, near Ochil and through Belview on to Limerick.We have two bullets which were fired at the battle of Aughrim. They were found by a man recently while digging his field, which is near the hill of Aughrim. This man gave them to his nephew, Thomas Dolan, Sycamore Hill, Laurencetown, who brought them to the school.

night and wakened up by great noise caused by things being thrown about and broken. This caused great disturbance so they called in the Parish Priest, Fr. Nagle and he stopped all the noise, and it was not heard since. This cottage belongs to Jimmy Pardy.Part of the road between Laurencetown and Clonfert was also haunted. Patrick Stanton and Tom Kenny both of Ochill Big, Laurencetown, say that they saw the 'dead coach' pass by the corner on different occasions. At one time it used to pass every night. It used to come down the Redmount Hill Road, and sometimes come part of the way up to

Pollock was one of the worst landlords that ever came to Ireland. He came from Scotland to East Galway where he evicted the people from their houses and homes from the village of Laurencetown to the town of Woodford. Whereas he said it was little enough for himself and his steward and that Ireland was only like a cabbage garden. He carried out evictions very quickly. Pass by a man's house in the morning at the time of this landlord

In the village of Laurencetown stands the remains of a Preaching House. Here in olden times the poor collected to get food, clothes, soup, etc, while wanting lectures or sermons wee preached to them, hence the name Preaching House.

The Laurences. ContdTommy Connolly LaurencetownThe Laurences, after whom Laurencetown is called were a very popular family. When the Admiral before mentioned, was coming home he brought rare specimens of tree from India and other countries, and planted them in Belview. There are still some maples and cedar trees there. This Admiral was very friendly with the royal family, and the Prince of Wales that once stayed in Belview, was afterwards George IV.Before the big Belview house was built the Laurences were living in a small house after they were put out of Ballymore by Cromwell. One day while they were in the small house Lord

well closed up, but it sprung up again inside his own house, so he had to have it opened up again, and he never interfered with anybody going there again. He was supposed to be a bigot and also a non-catholic.St. Patrick was supposed to have blessed that well on his way through Laurencetown.

Patty Pardy, Laurencetown.Candles were made from goat's tallow. The rushes which were used were gathered between two Lady's Days - 15th August and 8th September. They were peeled and

Some years ago a Thomas Tobin from Laurencetown grand-father to the collector of these stories went to help a friend of his cutting the hay near Tipperary. He carried Thomas Bullman with him. When the hay was cut my grandfather and Bullman late one night started the homeward journey. On their way way home they went under a tree to take shelter from the torrents of rain. It seemed that they dozed and when they woke up they were standing at the entrance of a house and funny looking people dancing in the kitchen. All of a sudden it stopped and they were to come to the fire but a girl who was different from the rest said let them where they are and they were left there. Then they were asked to partake of food and drink which was placed before them. The same girl whispered to my grandfather and Tom Bullman not to touch anything and they did not. They remembered nothing until next morning when they awoke the road was covered with floods and

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About forty years ago there lived two men in Laurencetown named John and Joe Ruthledge. It was a very severe winter and they had not much fuel so they went to a local wood to cut timber. They cut branches off a fallen tree. Having enough cut, Joe went back to the roots of the tree to rest himself and the tree sprang up and caught Joe under the roots and left his head and one arm free. John went in search of help and while he was gone Joe, getting exhausted, took a pencil and paper from his pocket and wrote "Not dead but very near it". Joe Ruthledge.

Local FairsThere used to be a fair in Laurencetown about seventy years ago, it was got up by the Laurences when the village was built. There was an old market house in the village until recently. The fair was not of much importance at any time and it fell away and there is not anything of note about it. There was a fair held in Clonfert which was a great place for faction fights and there is a story told that at the last fair that was held there a fierce fight took place which was started by a woman, because she heard someone saying that it was one o'clock and not a blow struck yet. The fair was condemned after that and it was not held since. Eyrecourt is a village near here which has kept up it's fair since olden times. It was a great place for buying

Hurling(From B. Donnelly, Dooras, Laurencetown)James Smyth (Dooras) told me that the old people used to give glowing accounts of matches played long ago in Rooghan - games in which the ball was not the only objective of the players. There was a match played in the locality in which his grandfather lived when he was only a boy. He also says that my own grandfather was playing that day. The match was between a team collected by Seymour of Ballymore and a team collected by a gentleman from Co. Roscommon. The match was won by Seymour's team. It was finished up at Seymour's hall door after a long struggle through the fields from Rooghan. The hero of the match was a man called Madden nicknamed "Steel", presumably for his toughness. He played a great

The Lisheen(B Donnelly, Dooras, Laurencetown)John Rutledge, an old man who did about four years ago had a store of knowledge concerning this grave yard. It was an old old burying ground, and was much larger than what was fenced in some years ago. About sixty years ago when he was working in Ballymore he was sent to the ground adjoining the Lisheen to dig clay which was put out for top-dressing on a field nearby. He averred that in the course of his work that he dug up human bones of which he was careful to collect and inter again. He was working at this for some time. One night after such a day's work he had a remarkable experience. He had

Cruc na MearThere is an old hill of furze situated where the parishes of Laurencetown, Kiltormer and Fahy converge which the old people used to call Cruc na Mear, but that name is almost forgotten. There is an old stone there with marks on it like the impression of the fingers of a hand, hence the old name Cruc na Mear. Long ago when giants lived in this country, as the story is told, one of them lived in the castle of Longford and another lived in Ballymore Castle, and whatever spite was between them the giant in Longford threw a stone at Ballymore Castle - the distance between the two is about five miles. The stone was not able

museum. There was also a vast library, but the contents were sold about thirty years ago. There were also frescoes on the walls of the house. The house was since taken down and all that now remains of their splendid house is a facade which has not been disturbed, that contains their coat of arms and their motto, "Pro Rege Sape Patria Semper". They had a very great love of trees, and the beautiful sylvan setting in which the little village Laurencetown stands is a silent monument to their memory.The Seymours who got Ballymore from Cromwell were said to be some of those land hungry adventurers who followed in his train. They never were of much importance and always said to be in debt, they carried out eviction in their land about 80 years ago but still they were not able

was a branch house of Meelick monastery. There is a chalice in Laurencetown church now which belonged to that old Monastry of Ochill. This chalice is three hundred years old. The traditional name of the Ochill Church is "Kilcraobton". This parish now called Lawrencetown was formerly the parish of Ochill. After the destruction of the church Mass was said in what is now known as Mullin's field Ochill. Convenient to the old monastery in Connor's field there must have been a graveyard. Human bones and broken tombstones have been found there. The field is not tilled on that account. Near the monastery was a Blessed Well in Colohan's field (Dalys) now covered up and no trace remains. Near the monastery it is said a fair was held, and ceased to be held about 150 years ago.

to a relation in Ballyhoose. They asked "Did you hear us crying at home in Ballyhoose". No wonder Lismany house is roofless today. Pollock was considered the hardest landlord in the locality. He expected his workmen to support themselves, their wife and family on 10/= (shillings) a week.The De Burgas owned the town land of Ochill in this parish. In fact Ochill was the village in this locality long before Laurencetown ever existed. Laurenctown was built by the Laurences, for their workmen. They tried to build it in the form of a dumb bell. There was a Franciscan Monastery in Ochill at the time of the Reformation. A member of the De Borga family was bishop of Clonfert. The Ochill monastery

Laurencetown, other times it used to turn round the corner and go over the Clonfert road. The coach was one like those used by the aristocracy long ago, drawn by two horses without heads, and driven by a coach man without a head. It was said to come from the Eyre's castle in Eyrecourt. That castle is said to have been seen lighted up from Red Mount Hill, but when the people in Eyrecourt were asked about it they said that no lights were seen from Eyrecourt. So they must have been fairy lights.The road on the way passed Hart's cottage was also a great place for fairies. People would not

The Old Market HouseAt the East end of the village there was an old market house. It is now being taken down and the stones used for the building of labourer's cottages. It was built in the form of an octagon. When it was being removed the shapes of 4 Arches were to be seen. On enquiry I found out that there were arches in it, so that when a car load of hay, or turnips, etc., came in one arch to be weighed it could go on and out the arch opposite. Laurencetown was then noted for it's markets. Those arches were afterwards built in and the place was used as a dispensary and court house. The building has been called the court house for a good many years now.