Faction Fighting was general about eighty years ago. A parish was divided into two factions and leaders of these were supposed to be the strongest men in the district. They were always bitter enemies and fought with blackthorn sticks which were seasoning for months. The fights usually took place at fairs, races and markets.
In this parish the factions were the Cooleens and the Mulvihills. The leader of the Mulvihills was Daniel Kean, Libes, Duagh. On one occasion the Cooleens decided to prevent the Mulvihills of going to Mass so they lined up along the road. Sean Burns happened to be absent this morning and Kean and his men fought their way through them.