In olden ages the village of Creggs contained an Iron Foundry, a Whiskey Distillerey, a castle owned by the Kirwins and a nunnery near the same site. Situated near Creggs, were two holy wells, Saint Brigets and Saint Mary's, which were closed by the landlord, Allan Pollock. There was an ancient graveyard at a place called Turnicappy, a short distance south of Creggs. It (is) was closed over six hundred years ago and the mound is yet to be seen. Notorious Brian Coyne lived for some time Creggs and afterwards lived in Fuenty Castle. One day he attempted to kill Father Bartley Kielty who was after reading mass in Clover Hill.
Ninety years ago there were two cornmills, convenient to Creggs, one at Milford and the other a Fairfield. Mister Dowl erected Skehard House, which was the most beautiful residence of the West at that time. During the Coryested District Board it was dismantled and its material was used for the building of tenant houses in the locality.
The Cootes lived in Castlecoot, therby giving their name to the district. They were cruel Landlords to their tenants.

31
bushes, where cats live.
Ballinahouna, Creggs. The village of the river.
Ballinakill, Ballymoe. There was a kill there in olden times, for drying corn.
Ballyhard, Glenamaddy. A village on the side of a hill.
Toberrow, Ballymoe, A spa well.
Farerue [?}. Creggs. Browngrass.
Dunmore. Big forth.
Roscommon. The Plane of Saint Common.
Camderry, Creggs = The crooked oak-tree.
Ballythomas, Creggs = The village of Thomas.
Killlough, Ballygar = Childrens grave-yard.
Curraghmore, Creggs - A farm of rough land.
Cort-more Creggs = Big field.
Gort-Morris, Creggs =

Boggauns, Creggs = A soft, boggy place. (Bog).
Currabeg, Creggs = (Currach Beag) = Small marsh.
Caltragh, Ballinasloe = (Cealtrach) = An old burial ground.
Cappagh, Ballygar = (Ceapach) = a plot of land for tillage.
Creggs = (Creaga) = Rocks.
Clooncun, Glenamaddy = The meadow of the firewood. - (Conadh).
Carrowkeel, Dunamon = (Ceathnamhadh Caol) = narrow quarter.
Castlerea, = (Caisleán Riabhach) = Grey castle.
Carnaglogh, Dunamon. (Carn Cloch) = heap of stones.
Funshin, Creggs. = A place producing ash-trees. (Fuinnse)
Garraun, Creggs = A shrubbery.
Knockcroghery, Roscommon. =(Cnoc Crochaire) = The hill of the hangman. This was a place of execution.
Keelogues, Creggs = A narrow stripe, river or ridge.

30
Place NamesBuncrower, Creggs = Bottom of the Pea-cock.
Knockmackehill, Creggs = Hill of the white-thorn bush.
Skehard, Creggs = High bush.
Talamh na mbrathar, Creggs = Land of the Priests.
Glenamaddy. Valley of the black cows.
Funchein, Creggs. A line of ash trees,
Esker, Glenamaddy. = Ridges of sand.
Ballybeg, Glenamaddy = Small village.
Ardoslough, Glenamaddy = Higher than the lake.
Barna, Glenamaddy,= Gap.
Lios na Gaorach, Ballymoe = Strange-Forth.
Timecat, Creggs = A bunch of

Lecarrow, Roscommon. = (Leith - ceathramhadh) = a half quarter.
Moneenrue, Creggs. = A little red bog. = (Ruadh)
Moate, Creggs = A high mound.
Oran, Dunamon = (Úrán) a clear spring.
Dunamon. = (Dún Iongháin). = Imgan's Fort.
Skehard, Creggs. = (Sgeach Árd) = High trees.
Sonnagh, Creggs = A mound or rampart.
Toher, Creggs = (Tóchar) = a road or causeway across a bog.
Tuam, County Galway. = (Tuaim Dhá Ghualainn) = a large heap of stones in the shape of two shoulders.
Parkmore, Athleague. = (Páirc Mhór) = a big field.Mrs. Duffy,
Oughtagh,
Creggs,
Roscommon.Peggy Geraghty,
Greggs,
Roscommon.

About 45 years ago Parnell held a monster meeting in Creggs. It was held at the end of Mr Dan Lilly's shop which is now owned by Mr Pat Kilby. Across the road at the bridge of Creggs was a banner welcoming Parnell. The attendance was composed of the Parnellites and the Redmondites In the evening a row arose between the two parties. and it could not be stopped by the police. Bottles and stones were hurled everywhere. Windows and doors were broken. Where James Mee's now stands an eating house once stood. The place was broken down. A man was killed and put into a hole in Mr Hanbury's yard.

A hundred and fifty years ago, there lived in Glanahowna near Creggs, a band of robbers. Both night and day, they were plundering through the country. They used to attack the houses in isolated districts, and cause many disturbances. They used to come in disguise to the fair of Creggs, and they were famous for picking pockets, and to bring home with them large sums of money. When they became too brave, the people organized against them, and banished them out of the country. The last survivor of them was in Ballythomas, and he was stoned to death. The countryside was very proud to be free from them.

In' old times there were only six fairs in Creggs each year. These were held on the 11th March, 12th May, 12th June 12th August, 12th October and 19th December.
The May, June and December fairs were the largest, but even the smaller fairs were much more important than any of those held in Creggs in recent times.
Pigs were sold on the street and cattle, sheep and horses in the fair green. Tolls and customs were collected on each of the three roads leading to the village.
The revenue derived from this source went to Mrs. Mee and at a later date to Daniel Lily. These people had this right through being owners of the fair green. They lived in the house now occupied by Mister Patrick Kilby.
Street traders were numerous in those days and many of them were frequent visitors to the Creggs fair

by fire in the days of religious persecution in Ireland.
On the hill of Lisnagrough above Fuerty there is a large rath divided in the centre of the earthen enpankment. This rath is called Lis-da-earlaig or the Forth of the two eorls. (or Eagles).
There was a castle aRockley, adjacent to Lisnagrough, but scarcely any trace of it now remains.
About 200 yards to the north of Fuerty, there is a ruin od an old mansion, standing on a limestone quarry beside the Creggs-Roscommon road. None of the residents in the neighbourhood, could tell me anything about it, but an octogenarian from Creggs district who happened to be passing that way told me it was the residence of notorious character named Bryan Coyne, who was born in Creggs and went to live on "The Rock" at Fuerty, in the early years

In the winter of 1601 when O Sullivan Beare and his army were on their way from Kerry to Breffni they passed through Creggs district.
On the top of Mount Mary they were attacked by the forces of Mac David Burke but having defeated the attaching troops they continued their journey down the old road through Park and Cuilnacappy.
They were hospitably received in the village of Creggs. Having delayed there for a short time they restarted on their journey. They went by Ballina, Lisduff and Bóithrín na Gort on to Glinsk and Treen.

there now.
Pollack was the landlord near Creggs. He was one of the most cruel landlords in the district. He first bought the turf and furniture from the people and when they could live without these they emigrated to America. Pollack with the help of the "Crow bar Brigade" destroyed their houses.
Before the evictions it was said many happy homes lined the road from Creggs to Ballymoe" but after them there was not a house to be seen for miles around.
Denis Kelly, a local landlord, had two bible readers going round from house to

Local Fairs
The local fairs are generally held in Creggs, Athleague, Ballymoe, Castlerea, Roscommon, Fuerty, Dunmore Ballygar, Ballinsloe. There is a fair green in Creggs. Some times the cows that are brought are put in to the green. The fair green belongs to Michael Kilby. Mr Kilby does not charge anything for the green. There is a fair green in Athleague. It is owned by Mr Killian. The horses are put in to the green for safety. I think Mr Killian charges 2d or 3d for the use of the green with a horse. And the sheep are held on the street in pins. The sheep

Brian Coyne the notorious criminal who lived in the mansion on "The Rock" at Fuerty was born in Creggs, in the house lately occupied by Mister Kearns.
Early in life he left Creggs and went to live at Fuerty where he led a bad life.
At that time Cloverhill was united with the parish of Fuerty and the same priest used to celebrate Mass at both places each Sunday.
In one of his sermons to the people of Fuerty he referred to the evil life being led by Brian Coyne and denounced the criminal activities.
As the priest was going from Fuerty to Cloverhill on that Sunday morning after Mass Brian Coyne rushed at him with a gun. The priest jumped off his horse and succeeded in snatching the gun from his attacker before he could discharge a shot.

There was in 1798 a man called Captain Lambert living in Melford about 2 mls from this School. On a fine harvest day he heard that the French had come into Killala and he gathered up a lot of the Creggs men to fight with the French. In the same place that he lived a man of the Nolans came to live after him. He was very intimate with my grandfather, Martin Connell - he was a friend of his, he advised my grandfather if he had any spare cash to buy some cattle as they would be

and give to to the teacher, and if they had not it they would get two slaps. There was another teacher in Friarland and he had to come from Creggs. Friars used to live in Friarland. Six or Seven hundred year ago there was a school in a turf bank in Ballyhard where Dempsy now lives.

This was long ago + was worked by water power. There was a man living back near the mountain + no man was able to draw the sluice but this man. He was very strong + able to do it himself. When he used to go to Creggs + get drunk, he'd go to draw the sluice + then he could hear the sledge hammers going until he'd get home. This was the company he had on his road home.

The names of the roads around here are the Kilkerrin road which leads to Kilkerrin and Galway.
The Ballymoe road leads to Ballymoe and Castlerea.
The Dunmore road leads to Dunmore, Tuam and Galway.
The Creggs road leads to Creggs, Fuerty and Roscommon.
My people do not know whether roads were made in the bad times but they say that men and women used for for fourpence a day and feed themselves out of that in the bad times.

24
Local Heroes.
The late Oliver Jones was born in Creggs, Co. Galway. He was a very strong man. One day he was walking through the streets of Galway, and hhe saw nine of the late Mr. Mc.Donagh's men , trying to put a block weighing a ton on a cart, and they were not able.
Oliver went up to the late Mr. Mc.Donagh and said if his brother John was with him he would be able to put it up. John was sent for and Mr. Mc.Donagh bet a five pund note that they would not be able to put it up. John came and they put it up, and they won the five pounds. It is over seventy years ago. It is a local saying around Creggs and Ballygar if there is anything hard to be done that it would take the strenght of Oliver Jones

Long ago there was a good many landlords in this district. These landlords collected the rent from the tenants each year. There were three or four landlords in Cloonkeen and one in Cappagh. The landlords owned the land in this district and if the tenants did not pay the rent the landlords evicted them. Some of the in Cloonkeen lived in Pollock's estate near Creggs but they were evicted and sent to Cloonkeen. There were a good many people evicted from Cappagh long ago.

a giant who was 15 ft. high. One day when he saw the enemy approaching he took two stones in his hands. One in the right hand and one in the left, and went up on top of Mount Mary. He flung the one in his left hand first but it slipped and only went as far as Creggs. Then he flung the other and it landed in Ahascragh. From that day to this the stone is there and the track of his fingers are still on it.