School: Drakestown, Ardee (roll number 1554)
- Location:
- Drakestown, Co. Louth
- Teacher: Michael Ó Flynn
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0668, Page 303c
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- Wrestling
This seemed to be a popular sport in this
part of the country, about the middle of the
last century and even later. The venue for
this neighborhood and the only one I ever
heard of was Corracon a hill (633 ft) on
Kilpatrick lands, the top of this hill was
always called the wrestling ring. There are
two rings. They are oblong in shape, one, the
larger one is about 9x3 yds. The smaller
one is 4x3 yds. A peculiar thing about these
rings is, that they are not on level ground
made with an incline to give some advantage
I suppose. These rings must have been at
least a foot in depth when they are so
distinct yet. They might even be described as
pits. It is not so very long ago since a man
known locally as the "Wrestlers Meade" died. He must have been one of the principal gladiators.
The last wrestling matches here took place
about 1872. John Hughes (83 years of age) presently residing in Drakestown remembers the contests well. The contest took place in the month of August. Some of the contests were inter-county between Louth and Meath. The Meath border is only one mile from scene of contest. There was no admission charge and several sweet and fruit vendors with carts came form even as far distance as Dundalk and Drogheda.
