Fairs are the delight of every child. For days before the fair is held the children look forward to it with eagerness. Fairs are held in all towns and cities throughout Ireland and they are also held in Kinvara.The principal fairs in Kinvara are held on the eighteenth day of may and on the seventeenth of october About two days before the fair is held, the Kinvara people clean their houses. They usually clean their shop windows too, and they get an extra supply of sweets and confectionary in, and then everything is all set and ready for the great fair day.When the day appointed for the fair arrives, the country people come into the town at about

There is not a river, stream, hill, field, bush or road that has not some name or other derived from some incident that occurred or some person who lived there.The place where we live is called Bally. How it got its name first was long ago a lot of people lived there in small huts and they all had the name of Branagan. It is situated about a quarter of a mile from Kinvara.About two mile and a half from the town of Kinvara there is a place called 'Geala Bán' How it got it's name was a white coach was supposed to pass there every night at twelve o'clock.About two miles from from Kinvara there is a place called 'Poll na gceann'. How it derived its name was during the penal times when the English used to cut off the heads of the priests they used to throw the heads into the big hole and that is how it got the name of 'Poll na gceann'.A half a mile east of Kinvara the is a place called Dungara. Long ago a King by the

A Hidden Treasure
Nearly every district and town in Ireland holds some buried treasure. Kinvara is recptacle of a treasure as well as every district in Ireland. The treasure is supposed to be hidden in the lower story of Dungora castle. This castle is situated about quarter of a mile from Kinvara.
It was never discovered when it was buried there, but it is supposed to be hidden by one of the Danes before they were banished from Ireland. Long ago when the Danes plundered all they could find especially wealth, they thought old ruins the best place for hiding treasures in. Dungora castle was sought by the Dane for hiding his treasure in. The treasure is supposed to consist of a pot of gold.
Certain lights are supposed to be seen there at mid-night on certain nights. A certain man from Kinvara once made an attempt to unearth the gold. He was one night coming

There is scarcely a county in Ireland that has not some story about hidden treasure. It is believed that most of the treasures hidden in Ireland were put there by the Danes during the time of their invasion. The treasures the Danes were supposed to have hidden consisted mostly of priests vestments, and golden vessels taken from the churches. In the mountains and old ruins the gold is supposed to be hidden. A lot of attempts have been made to unearth the gold that is supposed to be hidden around Kinvara, but each time the people failed to get it, because the earth kept falling in on them all the time they were looking for the gold. There is a story told about gold which was supposed to be hidden in the Burren Mountains.
There was once upon a time a woman who lived in a village named Curranroe about two mile and a half from Kinvara. The woman had a son who was very stupid.
One night he was coming home late from Kinvara, and as there was a very thick fog he soon lost his way. After a long time of walking he came to a house where there lived three men. The men were supposed to have magic power. He heard the men talking inside, so he picked up courage and

Long ago poets were very numerous in Ireland but, after the penal times they started getting scarce because, the English forbade them to write poetry about Ireland. Some of the poets long ago could only write Irish poems and on that account they were forbidden to write at all, because the English were trying to stop the Irish language being spoken. How the poets used to earn their living long ago was, they used to go from town to town selling copies of their poems.
One of the best known poets around Kinvara was Frances Fahy. He was born in the town of Kinvara. He had the gift of poetry from his youth. The best known of his poems are "The ould plaid Shawl" and "Máirin". He wrote the "ould plaid Shawl" on a Summer's day while he was sitting among the rocks of Ballybranagan. After he wrote the poem the house where he lived was known as the house of the "auld plaid Shawl".
When he was a boy of about fourteen years he used to write short plays and then he used to get the boys from Kinvara to act them in the courthouse for him. While he was still

On the Ardrohan road, which is about a quarter of a mile from Kinvara, there is a monument. It was erected in memory of two brothers who were killed during the Black-and tan time. The monument is situated about three and a half miles on the Ardrohan road from Kinvara.During the Summer nights the country people have dances at the cross roads. They have the most people on a Sunday evening so on that evening the people make tea and drink it sitting on the side of the road

There is not a town or a village in Ireland that has not a forge. Forges are not as numerous now as they were long ago. Hardly any person uses a horse now except country people. Long ago horses were used for every kind of work such as travelling and ploughing. With all the horses travelling long ago work was very plentiful for the smith.There are three forges in the town of Kinvara. One is situated on the south side of Kinvara and is owned by a man named Burke. The second is situated on the north side and the man who owns it is named Griffin. The third forge is owned by a man named Connelly. It is situated in the middle of the town of Kinvara.Burke's forge is situated on the roadside. It is like a shed from the outside. It has one window in the front and a large door. The roof is made of galvanise. There is one fireplace in the forge. The bellows are oval shaped and there are two wooden handles on them to blow

Not long after this the man who found the gold was one night passing by Dungora castle. He heard the wail of the Bean- Shige inside in the castle. He thought he heard his own name been called out.
At this he ran home at a quick pace and on the way he met a huge dog bigger than a horse. The dog was making towards the man and it had angry look. The man ran past it, but the dog followed and with one fierce blow the dog sent the man sprawling to the ground. No sooner had this occured than the large dog vanished out of sight.
Next day the body of the man was discovered on the road with, these words imprinted on his face."This is the man who dug up my treasure." All who saw this were terrified and no one would have anything to do with the burying of him. About mid- night on the following night the fairy people came and buried him at Dungora castle Kinvara, Co. Galway where the crock of gold was found. Mary Leary Patrick Leary
Kinvara Kinvara (70 yo)

young he went to live in London. He died in the year 1935.
Another poet known around Kinvara is Raftery. He was born in Kileenen near Craughwell in the year 1854. He had the gift of poetry from his birth but, he would have been better only that at the age of eight he was with blindness. The best known poems he wrote are "Cill Aoidin" "Anaghdown" and "Máire ní Éidin". He wrote "Anaghdown" in memory of the terrible disaster that happened in Galway. It happened that thirty people were leaving the shores of the Corrib to go to a fair eight miles away and the river was the shortest cut to the fair so they took it. The boat they were in was very old and just as they were about two miles from their destination they sprung a leakage. One of the men tried to stop the water coming in by stuffing the hole with his coat. To push the coat down further in the hole the man gave it a kick with his foot and with the weight of his foot one of the bottom boards fell out. In a few seconds all were struggling in the water. Nineteen people drowned that day, eleven men and eight women. Raftery died at the age of 84 years.Patrick Leary, Kinvara.
Kathleen Fallon, Kinvara

Every St. Patrick’s day people go to visit the well. People who are suffering from pain in their limbs go there to get cured. They wash the affected part with the holy water and then they take home some of the holy water in a bottle so that they can rub their limbs if they feel the pain coming on again.
St. Patrick’s well is situated on the side of the Burren Mountains. People have relics of different things there such as, turnips, prayer books, beads, medals and stones.
St. Colman’s well is situated about half up a mile from Kinvara. It is situated near an old house called Foys. Sometimes the people go there on Sundays to pray. People suffering from sore eyes go there to get cured.
Patrick Fallen
Kinvara Kathleen Fallen
Kinvara

1. Mrs Connolly of Kinvara has a cure for "Cleithín" She straps you to a bed and presses a tumbler on your stomach. She does this three times on the following days, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
2. If seven son's are born one after the other the seventh is supposed to have a charm for curing boils.
3. A woman in Doras, Kinvara has a charm for curing "falling sickness". She burn's the clothes of the patient and places a

St Colman had a place in Gort and another in Kinvara at this time. On Easter Sunday he made a big feast at Kinvara and invited all his friends except St Colman. This vexed him and he prayed to God for help. So just when all was ready at the palace and the dishes of the food on the table, the dishes and forks and knives arose and went through the palace windows and went through the air until they reached the place where St Colman was. Then they lodged on the ground and St Colman and the mass server sat down to eat but just then they saw Guaire and his army coming on their horses. The mass server did not know what to do but St Colman told him not to mind. He prayed to God a second time and the horses hoofs were stuck to the rocks and they could not move. Then they both eat enough and then the saint prayed to let the horses free so Guaire and his army came and begged St Colman ------.
The tracks of the horses hoofs and dishes and forks and knives are to be seen there still. The road on which the

said that he was in search of some books which he believed to be hidden under one of the rocks but he did not know under which of the rocks they were hidden. "I will tell you where they are said an eagle. "They are hidden under yonder rock." The man thanked the eagle and proceeded to where the eagle had guided him. He removed a slab from the mouth of the rock and it was there he found the treasure that had been hidden.Mary Bermingham 7461 Crissy Ryan
Kinvara Kinvara
Co. Galway Co. Galway

During the penal days Kinvara got her share of hardship. The priests there used say mass in lonely places for it their enemies the English caught them they would kill them.
Near Kinvara is a place called Crushoa, there is a mass rock on which mass was often said. There was a path worn by priests going to mass but is now covered over with grass. Near the rock there is a stile which the priest used cross coming to mass or going away. While mass used be going on a person used have to keep watch and tell the priest if their enemies the English were coming. There was usually a trap door beside the rock. If the priest was caught he would be beheaded. The English people used put a price of about a hundred pounds on every priests head. Whoever would give the head of the priest would get the reward. There is a chalice supposed to be hidden under that rock. The rock was often sprinkled by the blood of a priest and there are red stains to be seen on it till this day.

On the thirteenth of January 1936 a great storm occured in Kinvara. The storm was threatening for days because the sky was dark and gloomy. At about twelve o'clock on that day the sun was shining down from a lovely clear blue sky, so much so that not a person in Kinvara thought there would be a storm that day. There was not a puff of wind and the sea was calm and peaceful. The weather continued that way until about four o'clock in the evening and then there came a change. Suddenly a great wind arose and whirled the dust and papers around the streets. The sea became

Fairs are held annually in every town and city in Ireland. Fairs are held in Kinvara annually as well as in every town and city in Ireland.
Besides going to fairs buyers often transact business in farmer's houses. They buy animals from the farmers. There are many fairs which are now discontinued. Fairs are held in the streets in Kinvara. When those fairs are are held toll is collected and given to the street cleaners. This is done on the evening of the fair.
When an animal is sold money is given to the buyer. Such money is called "Luck Money". When bargains are being made they are made by means of clapping of hands.

got the name of "Crushoa".There is another place called "Geata Bán" about two and a half miles from Kinvara. The reason that it is called "Geata Bán" is because there is a white coach supposed to pass there at twelve o clock at night.There is a field named "Cor Glas" in Cartron so called because there is a green bush growing in it. There is another field named "Locán" in Cartron and it is called "Locán" because there is a little patch of water in it. These places are situated in the town of Kinvara in the County of Galway and in barony of Kiltartan.

or "Bally Brangagan" and that is what it is called ever since.About two miles from the town of Kinvara there is a tiny village called "Poll na gCeann". Long ago during the Penal times the English used to behead the Irish Priests there and they used to throw their heads into the big hole that is there and that is how it got the name of Poll na gCeann.There is another little village named Crushoa about a mile and a half from Kinvara. There was a big cross up on the wall at the entrance of the village. The people heard that the English were going to take down the (-) so the villagers took the Cross down and buried it. That is why the little village

Fairs are held in every town and village in Ireland. They are held once a month. The fairs of Kinvara are held in the town of Kinvara.
Sometimes the buyers go to the country houses to make a bargain or to buy stock. When a person sell stock on a fair day he usually pays toll. Men go around to gather the money for the person who has the toll of the town. The farmers pay six-pence for horses and cattle, and twopence for the sheep.
It is a custom at fairs to give luck money. When a bargin is made the person usually shows his agreement by shaking hands

sailing sprang a leak. One of the men put his coat in the hole ad as he tried to tighten it with his heel. He crushed the plank through the boat and all were drowned Raftery was not able to read or write because he was blind.He was 84 years when he died and he is buried in his native place Craughwell. He spent some of his time in Ballylea near Kiltartan. There is also another poet called Mat O Mahon who was born in Dooras which is situated about three miles from Kinvara. When he died he was about 75 years of age. He was buried in Kinvara graveyard.