2. There was one old school beside the village of Kilconnell. It was a school for girls. It was held in a house in the townland of Coraneena. Mrs Joyce who taught there was a native of Kilconnell. She taught the Irish language and it was spoken by the children. They wrote on slate with slate - pencils and on copies with quill pens. the teacher was paid by the parish and by the children's parents.
McGarry's School:
There was an old stationary school in the village of Kilconnell.It was a school for boys. It was a small thatched house with two rooms, a big one and a small one. The big one was the one in which school was held and the small one was the one in which the teacher lived. The teacher's name was Mr McGarry. He did not teach Irish, I think. He used English books. He was a native of Waterford, but he died in Kilconnell.
Thomas Kenny, Calla, Kilconnell

A hundred years ago, the custom was for a parish to play against another. There were twenty-one players on each side. The ball would be thrown up in a suitable field near the parish mearing and the best side would hurl it home as there were no goal posts then. About that time there was a hurling match played between Kilconnell and Killalaghton in a nine acre field in Coraneena, South of Kilconnell adjoining the latter parish. They hurled for three quarters of an hour without either side being able to take it out of the field until one of Kilconnell's best players Martin Lynskey got his leg broken after which Killalaghton won the day and hurled it home to Cappatagle.The hurleys were made of crooked ash much the same as now but stronger. Some players used straight sticks as one could give a better hang with it. Caye Kelly is the best Kilconnell player never used anything else. Hurley balls were made locally with corks and woollen thread. They used to put a few grains of shot in a quill barrell in the centre to make it carry straight and then they got the local shoemaker to cover it with leather. It was a larger size than the ball used now.
Written by,Martin Kenny
KilconnellTold by his father

Old ruins are quite plentiful in the country. Many tables are told about them; some of them fill pages of history. However, I know very little about them. I suppose after the battle of Aughrim very few people were left in this district, and the district was repeopled again by Gingkle's soldiers. They are now gone to another district, and this district was repopulated by the Irish.Local history partly died out with the change. However, there are the walls of one old ruin, about which there are many tales told. This ruin is situated in Kilconnell. The people in Kilconnell district call it, "The Kilconnell Abbey".This abbey was wrecked by Cromwell's soldiers. They travelled from Ballygar through

During the days when Ireland was known as the 'Island of Saints and Scholars' monasteries were built all over this country. There was one built in Eglish a district about 3 miles from Ahascragh. The old ruins of the Abbey are still to be seen in the Eglish Churchyard.It was the seat of great learning. The monks of Eglish Abbey used to visit the monks of Kilconnell Abbey. On one occasion they were travelling from Eglish to Kilconnell and they accidentally forgot the key. They were marching in two deep. On going to the Kilconnell Abbey door the first man gave word to the man behind him and by passing work back to each other the last man was just leaving Eglish Abbey

St Conall of Kilconnell and St Keril of Clonkeenkeril were co temporaries and lived in the time of St. Patrick. The two saints had a difference and each cursed the townland of the other. St Keril cursed Kilconnell and said there would be blood spilled in the village after every fair and meeting. St Conall retaliated - by saying there would be a corpse in Clonkeenkeril every Monday morning and so it is that there is a dead stare (or starling) in Clonkeenkeril graveyard every Monday.The curse in each place holds to this day. There is never a fair or meeting in Kilconnell which does not end in a row or fight. Nobody is ever buried in Clonkeenkeril

The Local RoadsNear the village of Kilconnell, County Galway, there are many roads, but the best known road of them all is Bóthar na Sop.On this road, the bell of Kilconnell Abbey was carried away to be hidden, at the time that Cromwell's soldiers were steering their train of war on towards Kilconnel - I suppose to destroy the Abbey, and murder the holy monks. The bell was carried over Bóthar na Sop, and buried in Móin na Bráthar,It is supposed that one family near Kilconnell knows where the bell is hidden, but if they tell anybody the exact spot, their belief is that it will mean a certain death for a member of the family. I suppose this is handed down from sire to son.Another strange thing about this road is that it was the meeting place for all the youths from a few miles around. Dancing was the general pastime. There used to be fiddlers, pipers and many other

My home is situated in the townland of Kilconnell in the parish of Aughrim and the barony of Kilconnell.In the parish, there are about two hundred families. In the village there are about twenty five houses, seven of which are shops.There is a Catholic Church, School and Garda Barracks.Beside the village, there are the ruins of an old Franciscan monastery, now used as a burial place. It is a very nice up-to-date little village.There are about eight fairs held every year. It is convenient to the Railway Station of Woodlawn, which is about four miles distant; and it is eight miles from Ballinasloe, and is on the main road from Dublin to Galway.The name that is most common in Kilconnell is Kelly. There is a wood near the village, called Ballinderry Wood.The present owner of Ballinderry Hosue is the great-grandson of Daniel O'Connell, the Liberator.(Madge Jones, Kilconnell)

which Kerril had with St. Connell of Kilconnell, Balinasloe. Both were building their monasteries at the same time. Connell was granted the services of a number of masons by Kerril on condition that they would return on a certain Monday morning. At mid-day on that day they had not returned, and Kerril, much angered, set out for Kilconnell which was about eight miles away. He met the other Saint on the way coming to ask the further use of the men. Kerril refused this and thereby aroused the anger of the other who gave vent to his passion by cursing Kerril building and praying that a corpse would be buried every Monday morning in Kerril's churchyard. The latter then prayed that the corpse would be that of an unclean bird. Kerril left it as his last

South of Fohenagh Church there is a small portion of bog called Moínín na Sagart. A number of priests lived there after the Abbey of Kilconnell had been destroyed. They lived very poorly for some time and tilled some of the bog. After a few years two of the priests went back to the ruins of the Abbey and lived there. There was a bell found in the bog near where the priests lived. [See "Hidden Treasure", presumably the same bell]. In later years a wooden statue of St. Francis was also found. It is believed to be in the possession of some family around Kilconnell.

In olden times there were a lot of giants and warriors living in Ireland. It is not known for sure were there any of these living around Ahascragh. There is a story told about a giant that lived in Kilconnell. One day he got a huge rock in a quarry in Kilconnell. This giant did not want to have any monastery in the country so he thought to crush Eglish Abbey with

the carved stones of the cloisters the fleur-de-lys on some suggesting French origin. Back a far as the seventeenth century a Franciscan historian says that when he visited Kilconnell to that period the church and monastery were covered with a roof of wood made to resemble tiles. Within the church he writes "Are seven altars; and all the internal decorations, whether in stone or wood are admirably wrought". He found also, the sweet-toned tower bell, the stained glass windows, the pictures undefaced and the sculpture work unmutilated. Nor were the friars themselves disturbed and in this respect Kilconnell differs from the

spoke to the next asking the trowel and as they spoke the last man was just coming out the gate in Kilconnell. "You are just in time" said he I will get it. The men were a long time working in Cloonkeen and Saint Connell did not know what was keeping them and so he sent a messenger to Kerrill and Kerrill said "I did not mention any Monday". As this Connell grew angry.
One day Connell invited Kerrill to a feast on the following Monday. On that Monday there was a funeral in Cloonkeen and Kerrill could not go to the feast. A few days after Connell asked "Why did you not come to the feast Kerrill". Kerrill answered "There was a funeral in Cloonkeen and I could not go". "That there may be a funeral every Monday in Cloonkeen". Well if there will it will be of a stare said Kerrill and ever since there is a stare found dead on every Monday in Cloonkeen. "That there may be blood shed every fair day in Kilconnell and they say that a fair day never passes in Kilconnell that there is not blood shed. There is no funeral ever in Cloonkeen on a Monday since.
Kerrill is buried in Cloonkeen graveyard

I heard this story from Mr. Mahony, Northbrook, one mile from the village of Kilconnell, aged about fifty years.Last spring, while clearing stones off a piece of ground he meant to cultivate, my father came on a stone bearing what he considered curious signs and crosses. He sent word to Mr. Wade who is a member of the Antiquarian Society. Mr. Wade examined the stone and made out the hieroglyphics marked on it.He said it was one of a number of stones surrounding an area, in some part of which area, the treasure missing since the evacuation of the Kilconnell Abbey by the monks was hidden.It appears that before the English army came to Kilconnell some of the monks were told off to hide the wealth of the Abbey and in such a manner that only two monks living could locate it.It happened, or at least it seems, that those two monks were killed by the soldiers and with them died the secret of the hidden treasure. My father hopes to turn up the treasure on the sock of the plough some day, and I hope he does, so that he may not have so much work for us to do. But he will keep

229O'Leary.
John Callanan, Calla could swim across the lake in ten seconds. Tom O'Mara Calla, walked to Puck fair in Kerry in eight hours in the year 1903. Mike Kane, Trust could run from Kilconnell to Ballinasloe seven miles in ten minutes. He was also a great singer. The old side car and the cat in the corner were the songs he used to sing. He would be heard singing a half a mile away. Jim O'Donnell, Calla was a great stepdancer. He used to dance reels and jigs and the highland fling. Mick Groden, Calla made a bicycle that could go on the water. I saw him riding around the lake in five minutes. The lake is three miles long. Una Egan
Calla
Kilconnell Sept.10th 38Mrs. Quigly was a great walker. she used to walk to Galway from Kilconnell with the post, and she used to leave at seven o clock and be back at twelve o'clock.

Local FairsThe local fairs that are held in this district are in Kilconnell and Aughrim. There are seven fairs held in Kilconnell during the year. There is one held on the 22nd of February. The second is held on the 9th of May. Pigs are sold at the February fair and cattle and sheep are sold at the May fair. The next fair is held on the 29th of June, one of the largest fairs in the year. Sheep, cattle and horses are sold at that fair, and on the 4th of August, sheep and cattle are sold.The 11th of November is a fair for foals mostly. On the 18th of

man that saved the valuables of Kilconnell Abbey. They save it by their noble fight and the delaying of those men of prey, on their march for loot and murder. When they got to Kilconnell Abbey all they had to get, was the monks and all that was on their backs.They mocked this holy Abbey and made stables out of it for their horses. In the morning when they would go to saddle their horses, they would find some of them dead.(Maureen Mullen, Newcastle)

Chapelfinerty and Ahascragh, a district that was well wrecked by the Fallon's of Runa Meath and later on of Ballnahan, Ballyfornan, and their last place was Netervit Lodge, Newbridge, Mount Bellew. No doubt they were a good fighting family. One of them got credit for shooting Thomas Cromwell. However, those destructive soldiers got past the lines of the Irish soldiers, and steered their train of woe on towards Kilconnell, where they met with little or no resistance, except all that was put up by those men of prayer.When Cromwell's soldiers got to Kilconnell Abbey they had nothing to find of any value. All that was in it was the bare walls. Oil

Thatching:-There was an old Thatcher working around Kilconnell. He used a wooden mallet and a wooden rake with iron teeth. He also used a wooden bow for holding the straw lest it slipped from the roof. he carried these tools around with him.There is a Thatcher in the parish of Cappatahle still. He thatches the houses all the time. His name is Pat Dolan. He also uses a wooden mallet and a wooden rake. Thomas Kenny, Balla, Kilconnell.

1. The road leading from Fohenagh church to Kilconnell was made by the Wards of Doone in the year 1840. it was renewed twice since. At the cross-roads going to Kilconnell games such as dancing and pitching pennies would be played on certain Sundays. Every year when there would be a bonfire, the people would be out dancing until next morning. 2. The road which leads from Annagh to Fohena is called the "high-road". Roads were made as relief work around here when the famine was nearly over. The men were paid tenpence a day. They used work from seven o'clock in the morning until dark in the evening. There is an old path going through our land into Hession's and out at the "high-road" at Staken's where Johnston the landlord lived long ago. It is an old belief that the landlord's turf used be drawn by that path. It is not much used now. There is an old mass path leading from John Curley's in Fohena to the church of Fohenagh. When the land was divided a few years ago stiles were made on the ditches to enable the people to cross.

4.
The local roads were the main Road and the bye Road. From Galway to Dublin was the main Road. The roads are still used. There were roads made during the Famine and steep hills were cut and filled into hollows. They worked twelve hours a day and their pay was fourpence a day. There was a path from Hillswood to Abbeyview across Ballyglass. In Cromwell's time the roadway from Ballinasloe to Galway by Kilconnell branched north of the present one at Kilmalaw and came through Cromagh and Ellagh up by the Abbey and on to the present road at the cross-road at the cross of Kilconnell. The track can be seen through Ellagh and Cromagh. There was a Mass path from Clasneena across Lisard and out on the road at Cromagh.