School: Cullahill (C.), Rathdowwney (roll number 13137)
- Location:
- Cullahill, Co. Laois
- Teacher: Mrs Baird
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0830, Page 210
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- Long ago the people in Ireland were much stronger and far braver, than nowadays.
I have heard of a man, who was remarkable for throwing heavy weights a long distance.
His name was John Ryan of Bawnmore, Johnstown, Co. Kilkenny. When men came over to Ireland from foreign lands to weight throw, John Ryan defeated many strong men, in throwing cwt weights. He threw a hundred weight at least twelve yards.
He was so famous, that afterwards he went over to England, where he defeated men, who were stronger than himself, and by so doing, he earned a big amount of money for himself. This happened within the last hundred years.
We are told, that he walked five miles in twenty-five minutes, from Bawnmore to Johnstown.
I doubt, if in any other locality, accounts of such feats can, with truth, be related, albeit we are now and again regaled by such, by people who like to boast about their own townland.
- Collector
- Lily Daly
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Cooloultha or Moneynamuck, Co. Kilkenny
- Informant
- Mrs Daly
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- c. 60
- Occupation
- Farmer's wife
- Address
- Cooloultha or Moneynamuck, Co. Kilkenny
