There is no forge in my native parish, Dromin. The nearest forges to me are in the towns of Bruff and Kilmallock. There are three forges in the town of Bruff. The owners are Mr. John Higgins, Mr. Frank Caulfield and Mr. John Hehir. Two or three smiths are usually employed in these forges to cope with the large amount of work undertaken. The forges in Bruff are situated near or in the town. Mr. Higgins' forge is situated on the banks of the Morning Star river which flows through the south-west side of the town. Mr. Caulfield's forge is at the northern extremity of Bruff and on the main road to Limerick and

Bruff.The town of Bruff is situated in the barony of Coshma, twelve miles south-east of Limerick. It was a place of importance at a very early period for its name shows that a chieftain's residence existed there.Bruff is a composition of the Gaelic Brug, which signified "palace". The old brug or fort is still to be seen just on the out-skirts of the town on the banks of the morning star river.The ancient fort measure 150 yds in diameter and is surrounded by a double rampart in some parts 12 feet in height and more than 440 yds. in circumference. The peasantry of the district call the old earthen rath Lisin a brogha as in the old song "Binn lisin Aerach an brogha" or "the melodious airy little fort of Bruff".About a mile south of Bruff on the old road leading to Kilfinane is another fort, 5 yds. in diameter, called by local residents Dunmonsheen.

There are seven graveyards in the parish of Bruff, one at Teampailleen and one at Tullybrackey, one at New Church a few miles to the north of Bruff, two alongside the Church one of them within the church grounds itself. There are two more, one at Kyle and another at Uregar. All are still used as burying places. At New Church there are the remains of an old church, the walls of whcih are still up.
Trees are found growing in almost every churchyard and graveyard in the parish of Bruff. There are several old tombstones in the above-mentioned graveyards but the oldest date that can be found is in Uregar. The date of it is 1718 A.D. In Tullybrackey there is a tombstone dated 1795 A.D. and there is a man's head engraved in the rock at both sides of the tombstone. The oldest date in Tullybrackey is 1718 A.D. The tombstone on which it is, was dedicated to the memory of a Mr. Patrick Quilty of Ballydaheen Bruff. All the crosses are made of either iron or stone.
The ground of the graveyard in Tullybrackey is uneven and rough, and

Bruff, the name of my native village, comes from Bugh, and is so-called from the ancient and picturesque moat on the banks of the Morning Star. The Irish form of the name, Brúgh na nDéise signifies, the kingly fort of Decies and shows that our humble, but hospitable townland was a place of conseqience in teh dim and distant past. The historic mound which was presented to the people of Bruff by the Earl of Limerick, is known in English as "Bruff's Fairy Rath" and is often, but erroneously referred to as the "Binn Lisheen". The real "Binn Lisheen", the subject of Brian O'Flaherty's song, is situated, also near the banks of the river, but is farther up and to the south-east of the hamlet.
With the coming of the Normans, the town and district fell into the hands of the De Laceys and the Geraldines. These Gaelicised with the passing of the years were soon fighting side by side with the native Irish. During the reign of Elizabeth, Pierce De Lacey held a castle at Bruff. His allies, the Geraldines being vanquished, this gallant warrior destroyed his castle and fled to the woods. Later, in 1617 he was captured and hanged in ignominy

32. The Building of Bruff Castle Once upon a time the land between Knockaney and Bruff was covered by a lake. At that time Bruff castle was being built. The stones for the castle were carried from Knockaney hill to Bruff in boats.One of the boats, when going across, sank, with five men and two tons of stones in it. The stones are still to be seen near Bruff.Iron bars were got in the same place a few years ago by a man called Mr. O. Meara.Told to Jack Byrnes
By Mr. Corman,
Knockaney,
Co. Limerick.

One of the largest series of evictions ever carried out in this locality was carried out by the Gubbinses in 1775. They cleared twenty-five or thirty farms in the vicinity of Maidstown. There was a family of Tierneys living about half a mile north of Ballgibba cross, in the townland of Ballamuddagh, and Gubbinses party came to evict them. The house was barricaded before them and this was in the dead of night. The soldiers outside fired in through the windows and doors and killed Mrs. Tierney - a young mother. In this foul deed there was a boot-blackner from Mitchelstown castle who was in Maidstown castle at the time. Some time after this he was in Bruff. That same night a party of Yeomen came into Bruff, amongst them being a soldier called Flaherty who was a brother to the wife of one of the evicted men. Flaherty recognized Frazer and

He impounded numerous cattle and people were continually moving their stock to outwit him. A certain James Slattery - mounted on a gray horse gave word of his coming always. Lyod had a fine lot of "land grabbers" & "emergency men". People going to Bulgaden Mass on New Years Day saw an evicted family sheltering from fierce snow under a bed. Clifford Lyod arrested the following noted Landleaguers :- Fr. Sheehy 1st priest arrested in the Land Wars, Henry Gilberton P.D. Clery, James Joyce, Mike Mc. Carty etc. Lyod went to the fair of Bruff in a carriage surrounded by police and military once, and arrested 43 men. One of the arrested men was placed on the dicky between two soldiers. Going through Bruff he threw one of the soldiers down on crown of his head and injured him. Clifford Lyod was small in stature and had a lame step.

The Bruff line is one of the local roads in the district. It runs from Newcastle to Bruff. Several cars run there but there is no bus service on it. The Ramhorn line is another road. It joins Feenagh with Frankfort. It is compared to a ram's horn for being so crooked. It was made during the famine times to give relief to the poor. Booreen a Throntha a road that was leading to Rathkeale was the main road long ago. It is now only a boreen leading to a field. There is also a road from the tinkers Cross about a mile from Ballingarry meeting the main road to Croom.

of Bruff. It was well into the night when they started and they had no knowledge of the time as there were no clocks then. When they were shoving near Bruff, they passed by a fort and just beyond it they noticed a big sgeach all on fire. The sgeach was on the land of some gentelman and one of the men said to the other "we'll be arrested for setting fire to the bush". "Setting fire to what bush/" said the other, who had not seen the bush burning at all. The man who had first spoken first, then recognised that i wasn't a right sgeach at all, and sure enough, when they were returning the following evening, the bush which had been burning the night before was there as complete as ever it had been, without any trace of burning on it.

Once upon a time a soldier was killed in Bruff. He began to appear sometime afterwards, and he used to come riding on horseback along a double ditch, and anyone whom he used to meet there, he used to sweep him away with him to the Co. Clare.There was a wise woman in the neighbourhood (Of Bruff) and she told the Brown's, whose brother was swept away by the mulcach (That was the name the soldier was called) that he would be coming of a certain night

The local fairs are held at Bruff at different times of the year. The two most important fairs are held every year on the 18th October and the 28th November in the street and the fair green. In a neighbouring parish called Dromin fairs were held regularly during the year but they have been discontinued now for over forty years. The reason for fairs being discontinued is that in older times the farmers used go to the fair to sell their cattle but now the buyers go to the farmers and transact business there.
There is a special place for the fairs to be held called a fair green but of late the fairs are held in the streets and cattle are seldom seen in the fair green. Toll is paid on cattle sold according to the size or value of the animal sold. The toll is about a shilling or a sixpence and in Bruff it is paid to Mr. Michael Raleigh of Bruff.
When a bargain is made the buyer and seller show their agreement by striking palms and having a drink together. Luck money is given by the seller to buyer to bring luck on the animal or animals sold. The luck money is usually given according to value of animals sold. When a cow is sold a mark is put on her back to show

14.10.38
While I was living in Martinstown Kilmallock in 1901, I heard many accounts of an old champion wrestler, runner & weight-thrower named Larkin.
The man who owned the house in which I stopped at the time, was called Larkin Casey.
Michael Casey was his real name & he was a grand nephew of the famous Larkin.
There were several accounts of contests & of weights being thrown but I could not now remember details.
Michael Casey was a famous maker of rakes & sugan chairs. He also made flails & I myself accompanied him on a few occasions as he went through the fields near Bruff cutting buaileánns (?) for the flails. Although ash grows plentifully around Martinstown, he preferred to go to Bruff as Bruff is famous for its tough ash plants.
'Bruff for a tough wattle' is a common saying.
This man like the old tradesmen, would only use the best materials for his work.

Formerly there was a very large eel weir at the spot where the stream from Lough Gur entered Carrigeen Hill.
An old woman named "Meggy the Eels" used to come from Bruff and buy the eels at 6'pence or 8 pence per dozen and sell the eels in Bruff and Limerick.

and part of the corner of the main building. The "vault" is roofed with large heavy slabs of limestone. The hill: Cnoc na nGráinsí with I suppose, much of the surrounding lands was a "plow-land" of Mainistir an Aonaigh and is merely a smooth and gentle elevation in the plain between Druim Asail and Fiodh Damair. I am at a dead loss for "na Webbina"
COONA S'ALEE = ? Cúinne Sailighe / a field in the farm of Mrs. Hartigan Garrane Manister, and to all appearances part of the battle-site of Manister October 1579. The name is nearly gone.
CLOCHÁN DUBH
( Nuair do sgriobas an giota so ní raibh fhios agam go raibh an ainm "Clochán Dub" ar an mappa ach chím anois go bhfuil D. O.C.)The bridge, built in 1845, over the Camóg on the Croom-Bruff road. It is the junction of the parishes of Croom and Banogue. There was formerly a ford there and there is a tradition here that at the ford many robberies and murders took place. On the south side of the bridge and branching off the main Croom-Bruff road is an old highway now briar-grown, where not entirely lost. This road passes over Tulach Finn almost at its summit and losing and finding itself alternately may be traced to the graveyard at Boherard or slightly beyond it. It is there, as far as I can see becomes merged in the modern road to Bruff. It is said here in Croom that the local people went by that route to Cork with butter and that they were often robbed

20. The Well at Brufflong ago there lived in Bruff a priest, who could work miracles. There was a well near Bruff, and it ran dry. It was a great loss to the people. The people asked the priest could he do anything with the well. He told them that to be all at the well the following Sunday evening. A Protestant minister living in the district, told the people not to believe in the priest. That Sunday evening all the people were at the well, and the minister was there too. The priest took out his prayerbook and began to read. After a while water began to appear on the dried sands, and the water flowed as strong as ever. The people turned to the minister, and said to him "What do you think of that?" "Well" said the minister "it is a good trick if you were able to do it".Told by Martin Kelly
By Michael Torby
Ballinvana
Elton
Knocklong, Co. Limerick.

To the east of Croom, and as well as I have been able to place it, in the parish of Bruff, there lived a piper named Donnelly. He was blind but he had an uncanny sense of direction. He was a beautiful musician and was apparently conscious and proud of the fact. It is told of him that one day he mounted on the parapet of the bridge at Grange (past of Bruff parish, near Lough Suir) and filling the "bag", started a spirited marching tune. He then set off and marched along the parapet turning in his stride at either end and never hesitating on his musical patrol till he had completed the tune. The top of the parapet is about twenty feet above the stream bed. On another occasion a number of blind pipers were invited by on of the local "gentry" to supply music on some festive occasion. There were nine pipers, all blink, who so foregathered at the gentleman's party. The host of the occasion liberally supplied the members of the orchestra with food and drink and towards morning when his guests were about to leave it is said that he threw an apple of discord among the pipers, all now in a merry mood. Eagerly they snatched at it, and in a moment the hitherto harmony of the unique band was rudely broken and converted into a raging pandemonium of intoxicated pipers striking at one another in the added darkness of their rage. I believe it was a

There are three forges in the parish of Bruff. The owners of the forges are: Mr. Frank Caulfield, Mr John Higgins and Mr John Hehir. At Higgins' forge the most of the work is carried on by three hired smiths. The owner and his brother carry on their craft at Caulfield's forge, while Mr. Hehir operates a small forge at Dunkip, about four miles from Bruff without any assistance. The Higgins and Caulfield families have been for several generations associated with the ancient and honourable profession of smith. Both their forges are on the roadside. Both forges are slated and are built in spacious yards. A door constructed so as to run along on wheels provides the entrance to Higgins' forge, while ordinary double doors perform the same function for the Caulfield brothers. The Caulfield forge boasts but a single fireplace and bellows, while Higgins' forge contains two of each. The implements used in the forge are: sledges, hammers, tongs, vice, rasp, files and chisels, as well as that peculiarly shaped knife known as the smith's knife. All kinds of equine animals, from the fleet racehorse to the humble donkey, are shod at the local forges. While very little work is done in the line of construction, the smiths are kept busy

The town of Bruff is situated fifteen miles to the south of Limerick city. The name Bruff or Brúgh comes from an old fort that is situated in the neighbourhood. The remains of the De Lacey castle are still to be seen on the right bank of the (r) Morning Star river, south-west of the town. The fort which is situated on the other side of the river has a diameter of 150 feet and a double rampart 12 feet high in some places all rougd it. Various specimens of trees clothed the fort in former days but now most of them are hewn down.
The remains of the De Lacey Castle, on the opposite bank are now very few. It was inhabitated by a certain Pierce De Lacey during Carew's campaign in Munster. Pierce deLacey eastablished a chain of Communication between himself and the "White Knight" of Kilmallock, so that if one was attacked the other could march to his aid.
Carew, who, when plundering and terrorizing Munster, attacked the "White Knight" in Kilmallock and succeeded in subduing and capturing him. De Lacey, expecting no quarter if attacked by General Carew, pulled down some

About a half mile from Bruff is a liss commonly named "Lios na mBho". It is unknown when this liss was built or for what purpose but old stories state that it has been built over 500 years. Fairy Folk are thought to be residing there and many stories connected with them lead to this belief.
The liss is a mound of earth covered with tress so close together that it is impossible to pass through them. Two of the tallest trees growing side by side are supposed to be the entrance to it.
There lived once in Bruff a man named John Heggarty who never believed in fairies. One night as he was passing the fort he was astonished to hear music which resembled the bagpies or drums. To vanish his curiosity he advanced towards the liss to where the music came from. Suddenly he fell asleep and when he awoke to his astonishment he was engulfed amidst a group of people. The same little people playing drums and other instruments and also dancing. John was pulled around by them with his heart

According to the folk lore traditions, when St. Patrick came westward from Cashel to the Kings, a very large serpent had established a destructive reign in the district around where Bruff is now situate. The Saint tackled the monster and drove it into Lough Gur, where he commanded it to remain until the Easter Monday before Judgement day. Ever since the serpent is confined to the bottom of Lough Gur, but is allowed to come to the surface on Easter Monday once in seven years and ask how long it is until the