School: Léim Lárach, Carraig Thuathail (roll number 4118)
- Location:
- Leamlara, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Seán Ó Nia (Meville?)
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0387, Page 102
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- XML School: Léim Lárach, Carraig Thuathail
- XML Page 102
- XML “The Fair Field of Ballylea”
- XML “Faction Fighting”
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The Fair Field of Ballylea (continued)
“The following is a description of Fire etc. ...”
(continued from previous page)"Maggie Lanagan" and "Bravo Kate" used dance one in each of the tents. They had a fright of porter. Stakes were put in the ground and a huge fire of furze was lit. People danced around the fire. Young girls were taken by the hand and should jump the fire three times. Old women had shawls and long clay pipes. The young people brought big stones for the old women to sit on and "moguard" was shaken over the fire. The people used keep some of the moguard until the next year, and when anyone was sick they put it on them. Going home the people carried the burned sticks and threw them into the gardens for luck.
- Faction fighting was very common at these fairs. The fights were principally between the Aherns from Barthlemy and the Buckleys and Riordans from Lisgoold.There were in existence 3 powerful sticks used in those fights named Tomás na Fola; [?]Leoga gan Éirighe;(continues on next page)
- Collector
- J.C. Neville
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Teacher
