The Old Graveyards.There are five graveyards in my parish (Ashford) Killoughter graveyard in Killoughter,Killiskey in Killiskey, Trinity in Ballyhenry, Killfey (Kilfea) in Glanmore and Glenealy in Glenealy.
Killoughter graveyard is not level. It is sloping towards the West.There are trees growing in it. There are some very old tomb stones in it. One is dated 1738 and the other 1757. There are also the ruins of of a Church in it. People are buried within the ruins.

This is a large field in the townland of Cronroe in the parish of Ashford, Co. Wicklow. It is on the land recently owned by Admiral Casement - kinsman of the Roger Casement of 1916 - but now owned by a Mr Bradshaw, a neighbouring farmer.
From very olden times up to 80 or 100 years ago a fair was held once a month in the place. For days previously, tinkers, pedlars, thimblemen etc of all classes gathered, and fair-day beheld a crowded scene. Squabbles and fights were the order of the day, & it is said that young men cut their "shillelahs" (or stout oaken sticks a week or two before, and put them up to season in the chimney - so that a useful weapon could be ready to hand - in case of emergency. This field has never been ploughed up in living memory until this year (1834)
Another tradition is that a toll of 1/- per head on each beast sold at the fair was collected at the gate.

In Ashford and flows into the sea at Wicklow. Killiskey (Cill Uisce) means the church of the water.These four graveyards which I have mentioned each contain an old ruin of a church except Trinity, but Killiskey is the largest one. The walls on the Killiskey church are three feet thick. Both gable walls are down, half the south wall and a portion of the north wall. The doorway of this church is shaped like an arch. The following is its shape.The walls of this ruins consist of small stones and slates. Here and there are to be found large lumps of granite. This building is very old, and still, inside the door there is a baptismal font cut out of a block of granite. There are graves both inside and outside of this ruins, and there are dates as far back as 1798, and some older still and they cannot be read. A few years ago this graveyard was cleaned up, old trees were cut down and the ivy that was clinging to the old ruins was removed.

There are three forges in Ashford Parish. There is one in Ballyduff and Mr. Lawless is the smith. There is another in Ballycurry, where Mr. Byrne works. There is also an old forge in Killiskey, Mr. Lawless used to be the smith there many years ago, but he is in Ballyduff now. Mr. Lawless was the last smith in Killiskey forge, but it is not in use now. The forge is situated on the roadside. It is very near a little river and there is a spring well just above it. There is a crossroads a few yars above that again. The forge is joined on to a dwelling house. It is very big. It has a slanted roof of slates. It has a square door, not of any special shape. There is only one fireplace in it. There is no bellows left, Mr. Lawless must have taken it to Ballyduff with him. The following are the implements the backsmith uses - pincers, rasp, sledge, vice, file and chisel. The smith shoes horses and asses, but he does not shoe cattle. He does not make farm implements. There is not any part of the forge work done in the open air. The forge water cures warts. We never heard of any special privileges that a smith had. People never send

Mhélac (ó [?]) siar agus leanann sí ar a turas fada go sroiseann sí an fairrge ag Dun na mBárc agus san áit sin dréir Dómhnall tháinig Ceasair agus a lucht leanamhna idtír.
Ritheann an Aidhle ó dheas agus míle ar an dtaobh thuaidh do Drom DháLiag impuigeann sí siar. San áit ceadna geibheann sí taobh-aibhne. Ar an abhainn san do bhí át sa tsean aimsir agus Átha - na - Fuinnsion a tugadh air. Is mar seo a tugadh an t-ainm sin air
Bhí ingean ag Corr Luirgneach darb ainm dí Siomha. Ban-draoí abheadh í agus nuair abhí sí marbh do caitheadh isteach san abhainn í. San áit in ar caitheadh í bhí an áth. Bhí slat beag n-a láim aice agus do sháith sí an tslat san insan dtalamh in aice an átha. Dfhás sí ann agus dá déasgaibh sin tugadh Átha-na-Fuinnsion (Ashford) ar an áit
Dá míle ar an dtaobh thoir de Dhrom-Dhá-Liag tá Áth eile ar a dtugtar Áth-na-Fola.

At Glenquin in the parish of Ashford, the barony of Glenquin, County Limerick where the late James B Reeves lived is now William Delee's farm. It one time belonged to the Cussens. They were very rich people who owned a lot of property in the barony of Glenquin. There is some of their successors living in the neighbourhood of Newcastle West.
This farm at Glenquin was originally owned by a land lord named Willis who was an English tyrant and got many of the white boys captured and executed.
At the same time there lived a man named Parker who at a place known as the Rectory, Kileedy, who was also an opposition to the white boys movement, and they had so many spies out and some of them were in the white boys organisation and through them those old tyrants were in a position to send word to British headquarters and the white boys suffered very heavily. The white boys got wise to the spies. So one night in the nineteenth century Willis and Parker and their families went to dine in some gentleman's place near Ardagh. While they were away their houses went on fire and were burnt to the ground.
The old people used to say that their servants got drunk and burned them but the government suspected the white boys for the outrage and their soldiers ransacked the district for miles all round and all the young men had to take to the hills, and the soldiers smashed

Hurling and football matches were played in the district in former times. Hurling and football matches were played in every field. There is an account of a match having been played at Ashford.
Hurling and football matches were also played in the surrounding townlands of Monagea, Ahawilk, Meelin and Killeedy.
To the preset day matches are played at Killeedy. Two or three hundred people met in a field. The ball was thrown in amongst the crowd, and the winning party took the ball to their own Parish. In those days there were no goaling posts.
The teams played twenty one on each side, in former times but since the population has decreased the number has been changed to fifteen and it is the same to the present day.
In former times there was no Referee. The ball

John Hanly Ashford, Charleville
Wm Herlihy do doand holy vessels are buried. During the Penal laws in front of the tree mass used to be said by the priests. For four months of the year the tree keep its own colour green. At the western side of the tree there stands a great hole, call "Poll na Righ[?]i. Nobody knows what is the name of the tree. There was a priest giving mass at [?] an aífrínn in the parish of Monega and in the County Limerick. It is now a (l) glenand it is covered with trees and bushes. It is said that the priest went around as a beggar asking the people he taught that they would come to mass he asked a certain man he told him to come and he promised that he would and he was only a spy and he told the soldiers, and the soldiers came in the middle of mass and killed the priest and broke all the holy things. Since the priest gave mass at [?] an aifrinn, every Saint Patricks night since there is light seen there and a voice screeching out of this glen is enchanted. There two men looking at it one night and after they hea[] the screeching, they saw a woman

On the side of the hill above Ashford there is a spot which is said to have connection with the Penal Days. Tradition has it that on those days a Priest named Father Scanlan celebrated mass there. He got an altar cut out on the rock. Great numbers flocked there to hear mass. While the priest read mass some of the people went to the top of the hill to keep watch fearing the English would spy then and murder their Priest and themselves. He was often hunted from there and took flight to "Clais An Aifrinn" a glen in the parish of Monegay.
On one occasion he took with him a chalice which he hid on the journey from the two places mentioned. This holy article was found a couple of years ago by a man making a ditch.
Another Priest was hunted from there and went to some place at the foot of the Commons. While in this place he was shot and buried coffinless near the Sewal river in the parish of Tournafulla.
One day the soldiers came to Poll Na Ríthe while Father Scanlan was reading mass. They tried to shoot him but fortunatly the bullets turned back on (themsel) themselves and killed them. Another time while the same priest was reading mass and the watchers were looking eastwards the soldiers came southwards and killed the priest who was buried where he fell.

Wilde distinctly states - 1. O'Rourke was on a pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick and not at Lough Derg as has generally been sated (p.19) Derv. died in the monastery of Mellifont 1193, 85 years of age.
2, Enfield should be Innfield - the field of the Royal Oak Inn (p.21).
3. Boyne rises near the village of Carbery Co. Kildare... touches Meath near Castlejordan separates Meath from Kildare from there to Ashford below the bridge of Clonard. Length 70 miles.
4. Beautiful tale of the origin of the Boyne in the Well of Neachtain now called the Well of the Blessed Trinity. Neachtain King of Carbery 1st century. Fairy well in his garden caused blindness in all who should approach except Neachtain and his three cup bearers, Fleag, Leag and Luam. But Boan the Queen defies the charm - (makes the ????) goes three times round leftwise. At the third turn the well bursts forth in three mighty waves bursting one of the Queen's eyes. She flies

There are no tailors in this district now as formly. A man by the name of Mog Byrne long ago used to come here, and tailor for my Grandfather. He used to get up on the table and sew with his legs crossed. He sewed with a big needle and a thimble with no bottom.
When the people of this district want any tailoring done they go to Mr "McCormac" of Ashford. He works in his own home only. And more get them made by Miss Saidie Doyle, Ballinastowe, who is said to be a very good dressmaker, and coatmaker.
My Auntie Isabella who is dead used to make mens' shirts. She used to buy the linen in shops.
Mrs. Aurther Sutton knits all her own

In olden times people never went to a doctor to be cured but they made ointment out of herbs that they grew themselves.
There is a Holy Well at a placed called "Trinity" near Ashford and there is a cure in it for headaches.
A lot of people come from Dublin and other places for to drink at it. There is dancing at it every "Trinity Sunday"
A woman named Mrs. Timmons of Coolharbour Roundwood has a certain cure for ringworm and the shingles for which she makes ointment from herbs called houseleeks and marsh mallows.
The late Mrs. Carney of Mullinaveigue used to have a cure for warts. She would

J Quirke, J Roice, Paul Cullen, Patrick Fortune,
Avoca, A Merrigan, (captain) E Bolger, (goal) M Clarke, T Whatley, R Merrigan, M Fortune, P Bendice, J Troy, J Doyle, B Brady, J Brady, P Gaffney, J Byrne, T Byrne, E Murray, Jas Doyle, A Grant, M Foley, James Foley, J Foley, Pat Foley. Castlebridge and Clare next took the field but owing to the roughness which was being shown by both teams the referee and committee refused to allow them to play any longer than ten minutes.
The final match was between Kilmannon Wexford and Conoree Wicklow. Owing to darkness setting in, the game was abandoned after five minutes of the second half hour had been played. The scores at the interval was 3 forfeit points for Conaree and 2 points for Kilmannon. The latter would have had the advantage of the wind had the game continued. The teams were. Kilmannon Richard Joyce (captain) J Brady, (goal) J Simpson, P Cogley, W Whitty, Jas RTochford, Jas Goff, D Goff, R Tracey, R Roche, James Power, T Sinnott, P Byrne, Nicks Walsh, Jas Curran, N Doyle, Thomas Connors, Jas Somers, P Whitty, R Rochford, and P Browne. Conaree. J Doyle (captain) J Woloham (goal) T Byrne, T Regan, T Barry, P Moore, D Fox, D Byrne, T Byrne, J Byrne, P McDanial, J Byrne, N Bennett, M Howlett, J McDonnell, W Murphy, C Brien, W Bergin, H Ashford, J Kavanagh, and P Arthur.

There are four graveyards in Ashford Parish, namely, Killiskey, Trinity, Killfea and Kiloughter. To all appearance Killfea seems to be the oldest. There are not many being buried in it now, there might be one funeral in the year. The are tombstones in it. Some of them are new looking, and you could read the writing that is on them. Others are very old, and you could scarcely read the name son them. There are other stones over graves and they are worn down to half their real size, they are so old.Trinity graveyard is about one and half miles from Ballyduff School. It is better kept than Killfea, and it is much bigger.Kiloughter graveyard is very far away from us, and for that reason we do not know much about it. Only that it is very old, and there is talk about it being closed down.Killiskey graveyard is about a half mile from Ballyduff School. Killiskey got its name because there is a small stream of water flowing close by the graveyard, and later on it joins the river Vartry

to grow at the "holly rocks", and the fairies would tip the plant and it would change into a white horse and off they fly. This is how they got their horses.There was a boy named Jim Doyle who lived in Carrick Na Mae, near Ballyduff school. One day the fairies took him away with them. They kept him away for a week. His people were looking for him everywhere, but could not find him. One morning his father, Mat Doyle, was crossing the hill to work, and his son Jim was left at his feet, as if he came out of a cloud. His father took him home, but, they were all afraid of him. They brought him to Father O'Doherty, who was priest in Ashford at that time. After the priest had prayed for a long time over the boy, he became alright again.Years ago people were afraid to go to bed without leaving a bucket of clean water and a clean hearth. They used to say that the fairies would come in when everyone would be in bed, and enjoy themselves all night. The people thought it a good thing to show them a welcome by having those preparations made.

ata inaiche le Cill Brighdhe. B'éighin do na dáoinibh sgillingh a ioc le dul threasna an droichidh ar dhtús.
Hannrao: Se sin Mitchell Henry ag a raibh an chaisleán i gCoill Mhóir.
Arthur Guinneasaigh: Fear ag a raibh Caislean Cungha Ashford Castle.
Cill Bríghdhe: inaiche leis an bFairche tá tobar beannuighthe annseo.
Sheanafearachán: ceithre mhíle fichead o Bháile An Rodba.
Binn Átha (soir) Cnóch inaiche le Pairch-a-Doire i Sliab raon Partraigh agus sé mhíle o Tur mic Eadhaigh.
Braon (bruíon): Aith 'na mbíonn sídheoga.
Sean Na Sagart= Fear a bhíodh ag marbhú na sagart le linn na dlighthe Peainaideacha beith i bfeidhm Marbhuigheadh é ag Partraigh inaiche le Baile an Rodba.

Cong (continued)
This is a proccessional cross which was made at Roscommon for Tuam by Turlogh O'Connor (as the inscription relates) to enshrine a portion of the true cross sent to him from Rome in 1123 and brought to Cong by Roderick O'Connor or Archbishop O'Duffy who died at Cong in 1150. It is made of plated (-) with copper and covered in the most beautiful tracery of "Celtic Art" pattern. The shafts and arms are studded with precious stones.There are also the remains of an Augustine Abbey and an ancient cross - the Abbey was founded by Turlough Mac Connor in the 12th century. There is a subteranean stream connecting Lough Corrib and Lough Mask and in one place where it is accessible is the "Pigeon Hole" about 60 feet deep - at bottom of the hole there are several caverns extending from the river. Round about the caverns are seen the blessed white trout which frequent the spot and to catch which is considered an act of impiety. Near Cong is Ashford's castle the residence of Lord Ardilaun. Rory O'Connor retired to Cong Abbey in his old age.
Castlebar
One of the chief towns of Mayo. It first came into prominence during the war of 1641 when it was captured by the confederate

There is a certain spot in a hill above Ashford which is said to be connected with penal times. It is said that a priest named Father Scanlan used to say mass there. He got an alter cut out in a rock. While the priest read mass some of the people went to the top of the hill to keep watch lest the English should come and kill their priest.
One day they ran the priest and he carried the Chalice with him which he hid on the way. This holy article was found in the year 1933 by a farmer.
One day the soldiers came while he was saying mass and tried to shoot him but the bullets turned back and killed themselves.
Another time while the watchers were looking eastwards the soldiers came from the north and killed the priest and he was buried where he fell. There is an old tree growing in that spot out of a rock. This tree is covered over with ivy and it is said that if you touch this ivy a goat would appear.
One day a man cut off some of the wood and carried it home to make a fire. When he put it on the fire the sticks started flying about the house - in such a manner that the people of the house had to leave or they would be burned.

sell the hat for any money. The man offered him two thousand pounds for it. He gave it to them for the money. What harm,but the hat was not worth a half crown. The man gathered a crowd and went into a shop. He called for a thousand drinks, he got them and he said, you know the hat. The woman threatened him with the guards, and he would not pay. She summoned him. He was fined one thousand pounds. When he went out he tore the hat to ribbons, and flung it as far as he could.John Hanly (Pupil),
Ashford,
Charleville.From Wm. Herlihy,
Same address.

Swift Walkers and Runners.Years ago there lived in Ashford, two swift walkers named John Hanley and Michael Cregan. One day John and Michael walked to Limerick. They started on their journey at six o'clock in the morning and arrived home in the evening at half-five.James Kirby of Mauricetown, walked from Cork in one day to his home, and arrived home in the evening at six o'clock.
Good Runners.Con Murphy of Maurraban, was one day on top of a hill when he saw a mountain hare in Mallaca Riarc on the "Hill of the Horns". He took off his shoes and followed him a distance of seven miles when he caught him.Another man named Thomas Forde of Mount Plummer ran in ten minutes from Drumcollegher to Charleville. On one occasion the minor Sullivan took him across to England to run a race for some Lord.The best runners in this locality and the most talked of are, Maurice Hourigan of Ballingarry and Davy Hogan