Tankardstown:- Richard Murphy R.C. Pay school 2/2 - 5/5 per quarter. School a stable 10 chn (6 boys - 4 girls)Other schools were at Boolies, Clatterstown, Yellow Ford, Princetown Low Cross (McCourts' hill)

Blackburne of Tankardstown was on what was called the Grand Jury the time of the famine. He got the road changed from the front of his house to the back so as not to have the people passing the door. The men that would have a horse and cart would get sixpence a day for bringing stones to the road. There was a man living beside this school who was working in a place not far from here. One day when he got the people of the house away, he went into the house and he got a few handfuls of meal and wetted it with water. He made a cake of that and brought it down the fields and buried it. He used to be glad to get a bit of it at dinner time.

on, this road will bring us to Castletown Cross where we meet the main Navan - Kingscourt road. Here the road to the left brings us to Navan past the Racecourse at Proudstown. If we go straight on at Mullakeely Cross we enter the "Old Road" or Coghalstown Road which leads to the village of Wilkinstown.
About a hundred yards above Scottstown Cross on the road to Gormonlough is a road to the left which brings you past "Mullach Chorce", Roachestown and Shalvenstown till it meets the road from Tankardstown Cross to Slane.

The Fenians were fairly active in this locality before the '67 rising. They dressed their pikes and made handles for them at Johnnie Walshe's workshop in Tankardstown. However they were forced to shift to houses back Berehaven boreen - but all these houses he long ceased to exist.
The cause of their removal was a spy called "Jack from Nenagh". On one occasion when he was telling that they were dressed at Joyces he forgot the name but said it was a house back a boreen. Johnnie Walsh was sentenced to six months imprisionment and Willie Wall was sentenced to transportation for life in the Rocky mountains and ended his life in Penal servitude. The pikes were a spear pattern and were put on in the same manner as a modern hay fork. Boxes of pike heads were hidden in the ditches and were well used in the Kilmallock barrack attack. Then Fenians drilled in Gortnshane[?] field in Clogher and

were also used for catching salmon. Banding wheels is done in the open air. In front of John Cleary's forges there are two round blocks of cement in the ground, just the size of the wheel, and a holes in the centre of them. There is also a blue-stone banding there, but it is now quite worn.
The forge water has healing power for "chaffed" hands, or "upstart". The seventh generation of smiths had a charm. The had the healing power for "Rickets" - a disease on children. The smith in Tankardstown - Mr. Darcy, who is now dead, had this charm. He never took money, but gold and silver were always left on the anvil. The smith is supposed to be very lucky, and is always present where people are digging for gold.
On a wet day all the people of my district collected into the forge, where they were heartily welcomed by the smith. There all day, the happy folk sat round the fire

reach their native Wexford.
One of those small parties was led by a priest, and was attacked by The Yeomen at the Bridge of Kilshine near Castletown Kilpatrick. The Yeomen fired bullets at the priest, but he caught them in his hand and pegged them back at them, "No one can kill me except on of my own religion" Then a catholic of the neighbourhood named Smith took the gun to shoot the priest but his courage failed him. Then a man named Naulty also of the neighbourhood took the gun and shot the priest as he was standing at the parapet of the Bridge of Kilshine. Some of the priest's blood dashed on the stones of the parapet on one side of the bridge and the mark's of the blood are there to the present day. It is said that the male descendants of these two men Smith and Naulty have red marks on their left arms to the present day. After the fight at Raffan some of the Croppies escaped and made for Tankardstown Hill during the night, and hid in some of the corn fields. for it was now autumn.

The Yeomen found them and surrounded the corn fields where they were hid. Anywhere the Yeomen saw the corn moving they would fire at that spot. In this way many of the Croppies were killed but their bodies were not found until the corn was cut. Three of the croppies were hanged on a gallows in the Big Wood of Tankardstown.
Some of the Yeomen camped on Mullagha Hill and spent their time in rounding up the Croppies in the district. This land was later tilled, and cinders, and ashes were found. These were tracks of the campfires. Some croppies were caught and hanged and were buried in Chamberstown Hill since then locally called "The British Hill".

Pairc na gCapall
Tl of Creewood
Par. of Grangegeith
Br. Of Slane. A person who owned this field kept all his horses in it.Pairc Beag
Tl of Creewood
Par. of Grangegeith
Br. Of Slane. This is a small fieldPíosa fada
Tl of Creewood
Par. of Grangegeith
Br. Of Slane. This is a long field.The Slang
Tl. Tankardstown
Par. Rushee
Br. Slane. Because it is a long narrow fieldThe Forge field
Tl. Tankardstown
Par. Rushee
Br. Slane. There was a forge in this field long ago.

reminder of the tragedies of ninety eight.
Beside us is a wood called the Mullagh wood and there is a sad history connected with it. During the rebellion of ninety eight three crappies were hanged in this wood. Mr. Maurice Hopkin owned Tankardstown at this time and he erected an angle on which to hang them in his own wood. The holes are still to be seen where the angle was erected.
Here is a quotation of a song about

Old GraveyardsThere are four graveyards in my parish. One is situated in Kilmallock, another in Ballingaddy, Kilmallock, another in Tankardstown, Kilmallock, and another in Kilbreedy West, Kilmallock. All these graveyards are in use except Kilbreedy West's one.In Kilmallock graveyard stands the old Protestant Church. Before the year 1594 this church was a Catholic Church but when Sir. John Perrott suceeded Sidney and came to Kilmallock, it was handed over to him, and, ever afterwards it was called the Protestant Church. About two years ago this church was burned.Also in this church stands the tomb of the Knight of the Golden Spur. The slab covering the tomb

Name = Lillie Moore
Age 14 years
Address = Tankardstown, Ratoath, Co. MeathThe most ancient residence I know is the Manor House, it is situated just outside the village of Ratoath. It is a very large and beautiful building it is a three story house, on the third there is an old chaple in which the priests used to say mass in secret and hide from the priest-hunter's in the Penal days. Outside there are two beautiful lawns and on them are many uncommon shrubs and plants which present owner Mr Corbalis brought home when he was a captain in the British War. At the back of the house there is a big wood and in the wood flows a beautiful river.

VII
Our sailors are all scattered now and long ere we'll meet again
Back in dear old Ireland where we were born in
And when we're leaving Ireland tis very few will note
That we'll ne'ar again return in our old Knocksouna Boat. Composed over 100 years ago by a man named O'Donnell. Heard from Jim Moloney Knocksouna aged 60 yrs.
By John Joyce, Tankardstown, Bruree, Co. Limerick

Old GraveyardsThere are four churchyards in the parish namely, Kilmallock, Kilbreedy West, Ballingaddy, and Tankardstown. Kilbreedy West is not in use.The churchyards are rectangular in shape. There are ruined churches in the four churchyards. All the churchyards are level.There are old tombs, monuments, and crosses in all the churchuards. People are buried in the ruins in the churchyards.Trees are growing in all the churchyards. Local families still use distant graveyards.In Kilmallock graveyard is the

Hedge Schools in Ardcath Parish.Arranged by John and Christopher Hand, Cloghan, and collected from R. Dunne, Rath, 90 years of age.The old school at Cloghan was a two roomed building about 50 feet by 17 feet. The larger room, to the west, was the school room and the smaller which was rather dark was called the ward room. The building was stone and mortar with a thatched roof and clay floor. In 1824 the master was George Fleming R.C. Pay school salary £25. There was a Leonard endowment of 6 guineas and a Boylan endowment of 6 guineas. (20 boys - 15 girls in rolls).In 1835 the school was kept by Christopher Domigan. Salary about £5 and payment from children amounting to about £9. Pupils were taught reading, writing, arithmetic and catechism. Larry Hattan was afterwards teacher there. He lived in Tankardstown and came across the fields every morning up Larry Dowling's lane. the children had recreation in a small plot of land at the back of the school. There was a fire grate i the large room, some desks - one large one with drawers. Some pupils paid as much as 3/= per quarter and all had to buy their own books. About 40 pupils attended in 1860. Inspectors came now and then. the school was removed to Ardcath in 1865.

255 A Story. Once upon a time there lived a poor man near Killavullen. He had no wood for the fire. One day he went into Monanimy graveyard and he took a donkey and cat with him he filled the car with the remains of old coffins. As he was coming out of the gate of the graveyard the donkey fell dead. He went to a neighbour and got another donkey, he then started for home. When he arrived home he put some of the boards under the kettle to boil it. After a short time the kettle jumped of the fire and voices were heard all over the house. The priest was brought to the house to say Mass and he said if the voices did not cease the house should be burned down (al)Donal Clahane
Age 13 yrsMrs. McGrath, aged 48
Tankardstown
Kildorrery

of Tankardstown = Major Bower, Agent Frank Dunne. One one occasion he served his tenants with notice to quit but died in the meantime. His wife came over and settled the dispute.
Major Maxwell = landlord of Balgibba. Agent Limping Tommy Sanders.
Lord Longford = " " Dromin
Crozier was " " Clogher
Fuge " " " Ballynaught (Ballyhenaught)
O'Connell " " " Knockmore
Shaughnessy " " Bruree
John Gibbons " " Garrouse (before him Sheldon)
J. Gubbins evicted some tenants and was boycotted by Fr. Eug. Sheehy and Bruree Land League. A dispute over a field near Kilmallock led to the murder of a well liked landlord - Fitzgerald - by two men Walsh + Beckam. These two took refuge in a farmers house. A servant girl spied on them on account of a row over breaking the leg of a pot. They were executed. Clifford Lyod a cruel man was resident magistrate in Kilmallock "Clifford Lyod the spawn of hell; from Belfast town he came".

Riddles
Weather Lore.(1) In Tankardstown the old people say, That if soot falls a chimney you are near rain.(2) If the sun goes down red in the evening, it is a sign that the following day would be be very hot.(3) Every morning a farmer looks out from his bedroom window to see if the mountain is covered in or not. And if it is he says to himself that it will be a day of rain.(4) If swallows fly low, it denotes rain.(5) If the sun rises very early in the morning, it is prophesised that, that day will not be fine.(6) If the weather is heavy and dull it is a sign of thunder and lightning.(7) If the frog changes his yellow vest, rain is due.

The following were the local Landlord's
:- Baron Hussey of Galtrim
Mr. Blackburne of Tankardstown
Sir Hugh De Bathe
Lord Boyne
The Hussey family came to Ireland with Hugh De Lacy. Hugh De Lacy gave Hussey a portion of land in the district near Kilmessan in County Meath, as Hussey helped him to conquer the Kingdom of Meath. Hugh De Lacy granted Hussey the name of Baron de Hussey.
Baron Hussey had only one residence in Ireland and was at Rathkenny, but he also had a residence in Wales. Baron Hussey mostly lived in Wales but each year he used to come to Ireland for the hunting season.
Baron Hussey was a good kind Landlord but unfortunately he brought over an agent named Bund to take charge of his estates in Ireland. This man lived in Baron Hussey's house in Rathkenny. He had very little

CROCHa field in Tom Kelly's farm in Ballgibba (?)MÉADA - a field in P. Coll's of Maidstown
GORTPISÉAN - is situated in Moloneys farm in Clogher
SCEACH-an-TÚRportion of Dineen's farm, South Clogher, where flax was bleached formerly
CARTHÚIN - portion of Troy's farm in BallmuddaughLISÍNÍ - also in Troys
LONG MAN'S GRAVEis the name of a field near Bulgaden
CLUANLÓis a field near KnocksounaCLÚAN LÍNis a field in Joe Lynches farm Tankardstown

Headstones in BrureeHanora Collupy 1786
Hanora Kelly 1806
R Walsh 1797
Luke Hartigan (age 105) 1843
D Nash 1797
John Shea 1786
Mary Morris 1789
Ml Shanahan 1774
Ml Harris 1814
Ml Lyons 1803
[Diagram] This is representation of stone in the ruined church of Tankardstown, formerly a parish of 200 acres. Long ago the last church - which was thatched - was burned by a man who was said to have withered after.