School: Cill Mhíde (C.), Caisleán Nua (roll number 7959)
- Location:
- Kilmeedy, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Eibhlín Ní Bhraonáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0496, Page 268
Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
See copyright details.
DownloadOpen data
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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
- We are proud of the fact that a famous weight thrower lived in our locality in bygone days. His name was John "Stretch" Walsh of Heathfield, Kilmeedy Co Limerick. We are told that he was seven feet high and broad in proportion. He has many records to his name, and won many a challenge. He used to sling a fifty-six lbs. weight to a distance of twenty four feet. He gave up his weight throwing in Ireland, and emigrated to America where he joined a circus as a weight lifter.
One of his most remarkable feats was the lifting of a pony and cart containing four people. The cart was placed on a scale, with two straps attached, which he placed around his neck, and then lifted the whole thing. He could also poise a two hundred lbs weight above his head with one hand. He was last heard of in Boston city.
- Collector
- Kitty Donegan
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Ballinruane, Co. Limerick
- Informant
- William Donegan
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 85
- Address
- Kilmeedy, Co. Limerick
