Scartaglin is one of the joint parishes of Castleisland, Cordal and Scartaglin. The ancient name of the parish as given on the Ordinance Survey is Ballincuslane ( Baile an Chaisleáin). There is a ford on the River Flesk where the old road from Scartaglin to Killarney crosses it; and I remember old people calling it " Ath tseana Chaisleáin "; I remember also great quantities of loose stones scattered in the neighbourhood, that were not quarry stones, but seemed to belong to a building. I never saw any trace of a castle, nor ever heard anything of it, except the name of the Ford.
Jerh Tangney N.T.

The strongest man around Scartaglin was Dan Kearney. There was something famous about him. There was a gate his haggard and any man could not open it. There was a rock near it so that it could not be opened. Many a man came to see the rock and it failed them to move it. Dan put that rock into a car. These men did not believe that so Dan put that rock and another one into a car.
Michal Jones Cordal was the best runner known in Ireland. Thady Gallavan Castleisland had a saddlehorse, Maurice Kerin Scartaglin ran from Killsorcan he came the nearway and the horse came around the road. They had a bet[?] down, and Maurice won it. Dennis Cullinane Scartaglin walked to Cork in a day. James Leary Scart jumped the [?] glen, and he was the first one to do it. Another man came to see it, and he said he could not do it. So Con Thomase's father sent for James and he leaped it. His opponent tried to do it; he

There are fairs held in a great many places in my district. There is a fair held Killarney, Castleisland, Knocknagree and there is a pig-fair held at Rathmore. There is a certain field in Killarney where the fair is held. This field is called the "Fair Hill". There is not any fair-field in Castleisland and the fair is held on the street in Knocknagree also. there were fairs held in great many places long ago. There was a pig-fair held at Scartaglin but there is no fair there now. When pigs were bought at Scartaglin they were driven to the nearest railway station. When they were taking pigs from Scartaglin to Headford they used to give them a rest at Anabla. When people sell an animal to another person he must give him money which is called Luck Penny". This money is paid according to the price which is given for the animal. When there is a bargain made, the two parties show that they are satisfied by shaking hands. The animal is bought the buyer puts a mark mark on the animal. Some buyers mark the animals with a scissors.
The buyer

Severe Weather About eight years ago on the night of December the 8th a very severe storm blew the roof off the barrack in Scartaglin
About twenty eight years ago thunder struck the house of Eamon Prendiville. Himself and his wife and son and also a dog were around the fire. The lightning killed the dog but none of the persons were injured.
In the year 1882 a big wind arose which knocked the belfrey and parts of the front of the old chapel in Scartaglin. Mass had to be said in Mrs Kirin's house that morning.
A huge thunderstone fell in John Kearney's field. It made a huge hole in the field and tore along down until it reached the glen. In 1896 Mr OConnor who was teaching in Scartaglin N.S. died. The night he died a huge snow storm arose. His corpse had to remain five days in the house before he could be buried. Men had to go with spades and shovels and clear the way. Told by Mrs Ellen Fleming
Written by Christy Griffin.

after that race. The men long ago were as loose as hounds. They could catch hares and rabbits as quick as any hound. It was a short delay on Paddy Jones Cordal to catch them. Two [?] men from Cordal did it also. The [?] in Cordal were very loose men it seems I think it would take good hound to kill hares and rabbits now. Long ago it was on foot they travelled. Mick Culloty Goulán walked to Cork city in one day exactly. He started the morning very early and was landed home for sunset. It was a powerful walk, and one could not walk to Cork now in a week not to mind a day. They would not try to do it. They were good jumpers also. Nick Jones [?] jumped a horse at Adriville Bridge. [?] O'Leary Scartaglin jumped the Chapel [?] which is eight feet high. Tom Brosnan Scartaglin jumped the river Flesk which is twenty feet wide. They were very good jumpers, the best ever seen yet. Jim Leary Scart jumped the head of a rake which was seven feet and eight inches high also. That was another famous jump. Mowing with the

There were very strong sound, firm and healthy men existing in Ireland long ago. Nowadays it is different. One man long ago would beat six now, and at the Judgement Day it will take six men to pull a rag weed. That is telling you what the people will be very weak that time. To come to the weights. They were very scarce but now they are as plentiful as coppers. There was one weight to be had-the fifty six lb shot and it was by great luck it was got at [?] Bridge.It was surely hidden in the war times by some person. It was found by Savage who is living near the Bridge. Many a man casted the weight but Jereimah Daly Kilsarcan Scartaglin took the lead. He was a very strong man and it was no trouble to him to throw it. He threw it a distance of thirty feet now they could throw it only a distance of about twenty three or twenty four feet. [?] Bridge was their chief spot for fun. It was a pattern place always, and it is a poetic place also. The sixteen lbs shot they could not throw it when it was not to be had. Daniel Kearney Scartaglin was the most famous in this country for lifting

Some time ago a man died in Dublin who was from Scartaglin. A neighbour went to meet the corpse as it was to come to Scartaglin chapel. The corpse was not arriving and the neighbour said he would go home. As he was going home he heard the funeral coming. He went to meet it and saw a headless coach drawn without any horses and a great many cars after it but he knew no one.
He went home and said that the corpse has come. When he went to the Chaple the next day the corpse had not come.

About seventy or eighty years ago the Castleisland races used to be held at Ballyplymoth, where, regularly every year the people of East Kerry never failed to meet. It used to be a great time for the people of the parishes of Castleisland, Scartaglin, Clogher, Knocknagoshel, and Brosna, for many from Abbeyfeale, and of course hundreds came from Tralee, Killarney, Listowel. They had then three days of racing with stakes as high as twenty pounds. All the business people of Castleisland and even the publichouse owners shut up their shops, and made a bee-line

Severe WeatherThe bigest storm I have ever heard of was the storm that knocked the bell off the old chapel in Scartaglin, about fifty years ago. It started at four o' clock in the morning and held until eleven o' clock. It took the roof off John Mc Carthy's house also. The bigest snow storm and snow fall I heard of was when there was a man dead in Scartaglin and they had to keep the corpse for three days and had to clear the a passage with shovels and spades to bury the person. The bigest food I ever heard of was the flood that broke into the creamery, and out in the road. Drought:-
The bigest drought was about four or five years ago. The people had to go very far for water, and some animals died with the drought.

John O Leary of Scartaglin could jump over an open razor placed on the biggest horse's back going into the village of Scartaglin; he was married to a grand aunt of mine and was of foxy complexion.
Another great man was Tom Murphy of Cordal who could bring three bags of meal out of a store, one under each arm and one on his back and put it into Dick Paddys car; he was a black, hard looking man like a tiger.
Shane Burns brought a bag but of lime that a sulking horse failed to pull and his brother who was nearly as strong pulling it back up the side of a locca. ANother time Burns who lived at Abbeyfeale lifted a boulder 80 stone to his knees in a quarry near Abbeyfeale.
Dan Kirby a man of seventy years flammed saucepans out of Jack Barry the best man in the town of Castleisland over stealing his asses whn Barry are in the prime of life; Kirby could also jump a horse and side-car.
Jack Hussey was the champion runner of Ireland at the 100 yds; he was the son of the famous Sam Hussey landlord at Edenburn where the new sanatorium is now built.
Hussey was tightened out to the last inch in Tralee by O Mara from Killarney.

stories similar to those in the walls of the graveyard, are to be seen in the river Flesk.
There is a statue of the Blessed Virgin in this church which was previously in the old chapel in Scartaglin and every body that comes to the church, leaves coppers for the expenses of painting the Statue.

called to the dinner Paddy said, "in the name of God give me time to edge my scythe".
Dan Kearney was the strongest man in Scartaglin.

The local fairs are Rathmore, Knocknagree, Ballydesmond, Castleisland and Killarney. They are held once a month, and buyers from all parts of the country attend them. Ballydesmond fair is a new one and two old fairs, Scartaglin and Gramnaugh are done away with. There is no local traditions of fairs held on hills or in the neighbourhood of cemeteries.
These fairs are held in the streets. Custom has to be paid for each animal

Once upon a time a man named Dan Donnelly of Gneevguilla beat a coach from Killarney to Rathmore. It was a distance of fourteen miles. The Donnelly man challenged the coach man. One upon a time a woman walked from the town-land of Tournanough to the City of Cork. She brought a put home on her head. The weight of the pot was twenty-four pounds. She left in the morning at half-past four and she was at home for eight o'clock in the evening. There did a man go from parish of Scartaglin to Cork City. He carried a firkin of butter on his back. He thought he would meet a carman on his way, but he did not.

Local fairs are held in Killarney, Castleisland and Knocknagree. There is a fair field in Killarney but there is no field in either Castleisland or Knocknagree. There is a special day for cows and calves and another day known as market day for pigs and Bouhams. There is a fair held every month. Long ago there was a fair field in Scartaglin (a village near Castleisland) but it is not held there now. When buyers were taking home them cattle and pigs they usually stayed for a night at Anabla as the journey was too far to walk cattle. At fairs cattle were kept in a place called the "pound" before being put on the train. Fairs were held at crossroads long ago but they are not held there now. When one man sells and animal he gives the buyer "luck penny". When an animal is sold the parties shows their agreement by striking hands.

There was an old school at Scartaglin in the parish of Castleisland. This school was held in a cow-house, and when the cows were put into the cow-house in the evening, the teacher used have to leave. The teacher used to sit on a sugan chair in this school. Four subjects were taught in it, English, Irish, Writing and Arithmetic. The classes used to have the same book for three years. When a boy from a far off place used to come to this school, the rest of the boys going to the school used to have every second turn in carrying him home and feeding him for a night or two.

A great storm occured in Ireland in 1881. It did considerable damage to property all over the country. It knocked and carried hay a good distance from Micheal Mc Carthy Glounlea, and a stack of oats from Dan Horgon Carker. It blew the bell off the Scartaglin Church. It was in the month of October it occurred.The signs which preceded it were as follows. The sky got heavy and very dark looking. It filled up with dark funnel shaped clouds, and the sun got as red as blood.

(2) There were several hedge-schools in this district over one hundred years ago. There was one at Ranalough where Paddy Sullivan the Smith later lived. There was another held in a cowhouse in Currowcity where Jack Brosnan now lives. There was another at Rosaneen where William Horan now lives.
There were three teachers in the district which I heard described. Rallins, Cunihan, and OBrien. Rallins was supposed to be from Scartaglin. Cunihan was an ancestor of James Cunihan a Mason of Rossaneen perhaps his grandfather and Brien was the grand-father of the present Charless O Brien of Benativane. He came to the district from the West supposed to be "Gleann na gealt". He taught for years in this and finally settled in Beenativane. He was a lame man and he went in turn with pupils. I dont think there was any payment but there was what was called benefit, days or nights when there were dancing or gambling, and there was a collection then made.

an immense crowd about five hundred people followed the heroes. It was a very hard job to keep back the crowd from the fun. There were powerful casters also, but Patrick Lyons Knockneigh was their leader. It was a stone from the ditch they casted those times, because the weights were scarce. Tom Murphy Knocknagoshel was a great runner. He was the best in this parish and he won all the prize that were laid on for the running. He often ran two miles in about fifteen minutes. He was a light, hardy, loose man. It was very seldom entirely that men and horses used to race. There was one race between Con Reidy Dineen and Tom Sullivan Cordal. The race was three miles of a distance from Cordal to Scartaglin. Con Reidy had a horse, Tom ran on foot. Tom had to run and he beat the horse. Tom had a near way but it did not amount to much. Tom got ten yards of a start and he kept the lead all the way until he reached the winning post. He got four pound as a prize and he was delighted. He earned it very much and he sweated a lot.

The great runners were Tadg O Daly. He ran from Mount Eagle to Kilsarcon grave yard and horses and hounds after him. They did not get up to him. It took him about twenty minutes and he beat them.
The great jumpers are supposed to be Jack O Sullivan Adriville. He jumped the old Chapel gate in Scartaglin and it is supposed to be 6 1/2 feet high and some other man also. The great mowers are Mick Lenehian Knockreigh, Jer Buckley Rathmore and Maurice Savage Adriville. Maurice Savage mowed an Irish acre in a day.With scythes they used to mow. He had a challange with Jack Murphy Cordal and Maurice Savage beat him.