School: O'Brennan, Baile Mhic Ealgóid, Tráighlí
- Location:
- Tonreagh Lower, Co. Kerry
- Teacher: Pádraig Ó Loingsigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0444, Page 379
Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
See copyright details.
DownloadOpen data
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
- XML School: O'Brennan, Baile Mhic Ealgóid, Tráighlí
- XML Page 379
- XML “Local Heroes - Strong Men”
- XML “Local Heroes - Strong Men”
Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.
On this page
- (continued from previous page)and with one outstretched are taking hold of the weight, then raising the weight clear of the body until it is chest high when the hand is to be raised quite vertical to its full height (the wt. still held) above the head. O Leary cocked 12 stone weight in this manner as a result of a challenge. The venue was a quarry adjacent to the parish church and the contest was witnessed by at least 100 men who had attended Mass on this Holyday. There were 9 men engaged in the challenge - all of powerful physique. O Leary's nearest rival was John Reidy, Ballymacelligott, who "cocked" 9 stone. The weight was 2 crowbars and one "lifter" lashed together tightly by ropes. These are but a few of the performances of those men who have since passed away - O Leary in 1936, was predeceased by O Neill some 30 years earlier.
- (c) References to strong men would not be complete without mentioning the performances of Mic. Reidy. Reidy who livid with his widowed mother on her holding at Knockavinane and followed farming pursuits. At the age of 19, in 1914 he entered the Athletic arena in weight-throwing events. The venue was Tralee sportsfield where the annual county championship sports were held(continues on next page)
