School: Naomh Bríghid, Blackwater (roll number 7036)

Location:
Blackwater, Co. Wexford
Teacher:
Diarmuid Ó Súilleabháin
Browse
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0886, Page 077

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0886, Page 077

Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.

See copyright details.

Download

Open data

Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

  1. XML School: Naomh Bríghid, Blackwater
  2. XML Page 077
  3. XML “Hurling and Football Matches”

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

  1. On the teams of long ago there were 21 men a side. The goals were then called "bows" and besides those there were two point poles and so in places like these the 21 men had their part. There was a great match in Carrigmannon near Barntown three miles north west of Wexford between Ballyvaloo and Castlellis but Ballyvaloo were victorious by one goal to nil.
    There was another great match between Blackwater and Killisk on the "slob" on the 3rd of May 1863. It was a custom to have the linesmen on horseback so on this occasion William Scallan of Ballyvaloo and Matt Brennnan of Kilnew Blackwater were the linesmen and were armed with clubs. Some of the men that hurled that day were as follows. A local poet named Ned Reilly commemorated the event in rhyme thus:-

    On the 3rd day of May in the year '68
    To my satisfaction great sport I did see
    The hurlers from Killisk we did overthrow
    On the mudlands of Wexford our valour did show
    Pat Kehoe, bowman, he had a pleasant day
    Three Briens and Mogue Shiggins supported the play
    And brave Bill McGuinness the pride of my song
    I hope you'll excuse me if I have said wrong
    John Sheil, Thomas Bolger, and Anthony Roche
    Caused Killisk for to tremble when they did approach
    And brave Thomas Sinnot who drove on the bow
    In the presence of thousands John Roche he laid low

    The ball that was used in those matches was as
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
        1. entertainments and recreational activities (~5,933)
    Language
    English
    Informant
    Mrs Cash
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    60
    Address
    Inch, Co. Wexford