In Doon townland, in the Co.Limerick, a man by the name of Mr.John Quigley was anle to leap a valley sixteen feet wide and about twelve feet deep. In Copparoe, townland of Rear Cross, parish of Newport, Co.Tipperary a man by the name of Mr. Thomas Kerby, was able to leap a river about eighteen feet wide NO one else about that place was able to keep it. Any time he used to go to leap this river alot of people about the place used to g to see him leaping it.
Material obtained from ;-
Micheal Mackey, Slanbally, Rear Cross, Newport, Co.Tipp

Patrick Quigley, Rear Cross, Newport, Co. Tipperary
Material obtained from:
George Russell, Rear Cross, Newport, Co. Tipperary

It is said that there was an old school in Rear Cross. It was situated where George Russell is living now. It is in the townland of Rear Cross, in the parish of Kilcommon, Co.Tipperary. It was inside in the houses the school was taught. The teachers that taught were Matt Flood and William Scully. These men were local people. The teachers used to stay in the farmers houses. The people of the parish used collect money and give it to the the teachers for teaching their children. It is said that it was English that was taught in that school. The people were trying to get out of the Irish because the pupils were not properly able to speak English.
It was a slate and a quill pen that was used in that school. Each teacher used to stay about nine months.

townland of Rear Cross, parish of Kilcommon, Co.Tipp. The only name people called this school was Reid(h) Noize Mor lesson. The hedge school in Rear Cross was situated in an old cabin. The ruin of that school is still there. The pupils were taught on fine days in the yard of the school and on wet days they were taught in the old cabin. It is not known who the teachers were who taught in these schools. The teachers who taught in these schools were strangers. The most of them were from Limerick city. School at that time was carried out in the farmers' houses. The people of the house employed the teachers to teach their children at night. The teachers who taught in the schools lodged for about a week in each pupils' house in turn. The teachers were were paid by the pupils' parents, and sometimes kept in the pupils houses as payment. Irish, Arithmetic, Geography and Writing were taught in these schools. Irish was spoken by master and pupils. The teachers were very fond of Irish and encouraged the pupils to speak it. The "Reedma-daisie", the Primer and spelling books were used. Writing was done on a slate by a sandstone, and was sometimes done with a quill and ink. The ink was made fron the berries of the elder tree. There were old planks and stones used for seats. There were no blackboards used at that

If a person was cross we say, "As cross as two sticks". If a man sees something, and the moment he sees it he wants it, we say "A hungry eye sees far". If a man was drinking whiskey and had a pain in his head, he would take another drop of whiskey to cure the headache. We say "A hair of the dog that bit you". If someone asked me had I my lessons done, and I had not, I would say "I have them before me, like the man with the wheelbarrow".
If you saw a person rearing a child badly you would say "As you rear your put you have your dog". If a person was contrary we would say "as contrary as the hind leg of a dog". If a person was complaining about a trifle, you would say "The sore lip and the loud cry". If a person was working for a couple of days, and did not work any for the next couple of days we say "He works in fits and starts like as laughing

There are many old roads in this district. Some of them are supposed to be made during the famine period.
There is an old road in Ballymounteen, Ballynoe, Tallow, Co. Waterford. It is called the "Tow Road". It is a most dreary and desolate road. There is an old belief that it is haunted.
One night as a man returned home from Ballynoe he was suddenly overtaken by a large coach. The coach travelled unaided by horses, and it startled him to a great extent. He was paralysed with fear for a moment, and the coach passed him by. As it did large sparks of fire flew out of a door at the rear of the coach, and at that moment it disappeared from view. He struggled home to bed. He was speechless and not until next morning was he able to tell what he had seen.
There is a road leading from Glenlane Cross to O'Shea's Cross. It is supposed to be

There is a boithirín leading from John Connor's field in Shanacluan to Jer Sullivans house where it is led out on the Keel road.
There is an old custom of throwing a stone over the grave of any person who was buried on the roadside and they say The Lord have mercy on the dead.
There is a big heap of stones on the side of sgregg mountain formed from stones thrown there by people passing that way. The people had a great number of old paths. There is a rear way to Tuogh Chapel from Leary's cross Keelohane through MacGills field and out at the chapel cross.
There is a ford ford crossing the Laune from Gort - na scarry.

Peter "Nanny" Kennedy
[This account was given by Mr. Patrick Devitt, aged 83, who lives in Foilmahonmore]. Peter "Nanny" ( Blacksmith), first lived in Gallivane, Rear Cross, near where the present Kennedys live. He had some land there and he got evicted out of it. He was related to a man called Brian Kennedy, Foilaclera (Michael Ryan's grandfather). After being evicted he had no place to go, so he asked a place to build a forge from Brian Kennedy at Foilaclera cross. Peadar belonged to the seventh generation of blacksmiths. He and some of his sons worked at the trade at Foilaclera cross. The "Nannys" it is thought cursed those who evicted them from their land. Their curse was known as the "Claoin Ceardthan". It was supposed that the seventh generation of blacksmiths had power to curse anyone who interfered with them. Since that time the cross is known as "Nanny's Cross". A short time ago the block of wood where the anvil used be was to be seen inside where the forge was at "Nanny's Cross".

Long ago there was many poets. William Scully a schoolman who lived in Rear Cross was one of the most noted. He made a song "The Barrock in Red". The songs were all in English. Songs were made about "Hurlings" etc. which were held in the district. Some of the songs are sung now.

were "The drawing of Frawleys hay" and "Martin Shearys Ball". Mickey Kennedy Lackamore made a song called " The Road between newport and Rear Cross". He was a labouring man. He died in Lackamore.

1. There was a hedge school often held in Rear Cross. Sometimes the teachers taught in the farmers' houses. Matty Flood and William Scully were the two teachers. They were local people. The children used to sit on stones. They had primer books English was spoken in school. They had no blackboard. The teachers used to stay a couple of months in each district.

There was an old woman who lived in Rear Cross, parish of Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary.One day she went for a ride on a tiger. They came back from the ride with the old woman inside and there was a smile on the face of the tiger.

in Michael Rya's field in the townland of Tipperary. Michael McCarthy of Gurtavalla, Doon, Co. Limerick jumped the Dead River which is 24 feet wide. It runs through Pallas and the Limerick direction. One Burke from Drombane, Upperchurch. was able to jump 24 feet in a long jump in Patrick Carey's field in Baurnedomeeny, Rear Cross, Newport.

One time a man named George Russell lived in the townland of Rear Cross, parish of Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary. He had no horse nor car and he was going to the fair in Limerick. He

John Russell, townland of Rear Cross, parish of Kilcommon, Co Tipperary, ran from here to Limerick one time in three hours. That same man often walked from here to Kilkee, Co. Clare.

Long ago a man named John O'Coffey, Garavane, Rear Cross, Co. Limerick was able to mow an acre of corn or hay in the day from six o' clock in the morning until six at night. This field which he used to mow is near the house.

The best singer in this locality is Edward Benton, Coonmore, Rear Cross, Newport, Co. Tipp. His favourite song is "The wrongs of Limerick." Also he is the best storyteller. The stories he tells are " The Knight of Glin", " The Island of Cats" and many others.

About fifty years ago there was a great snowfall in Rear Cross about the 17th of October in the year 1888. There was a very old man living by himself in a thatched house and there were trees all around. While the snow was falling heavily the wind was blowing terribly severe and one big

Before the national school was built they had a school in an outhouse of George Russell's , Rear Cross, Newport, Co.Tipp. The scholars used to come

Hedge schools existed in this district. There was one in an outhouse where George Russell now lives, in the townland of Rear Cross, parish of Kilcommon. The local name for those schools was hedge schools. In out houses the hedge schools in the district were carried on. English, Arithmetic and Geography were the subjects taught. The name of the teacher was Mr Scully. He was born in the parish and died there also.