Coolna Criskelawn, Tullowglas, Shaghara, Baile Roc, Killmacar, Rakile, Barrnalien, Killcollin, Esker, Lisnafuncion, Toor Moor, Toor Beg, Knickshanbaile, Knock Dream, Dunnamaggon, Aca na Tara.

It is hundreds of years ago since there were giants in Ireland. One lived in Knockanore and another lived in Toor. They made a bet as to which of them would throw the heaviest weight. They threw the largest stone they could find. The Knockanore Giant threw a stone about three ton weight from the top of the Cairn Glas and it landed in Toor and it is to be seen there to this day. The Toor giant had no respect for him. The one he threw was the same weight and size but it went many miles farther as it landed in the Old Parish and is also to be seen to this day and it is called 'Cloc Éagáin'.

The years of 1846 and -47 are known as the years of the Famine. It was caused by the failure of the potato crop - the potatoes were destroyed by the blight and rotted in the ground. It affected the poor people as their staple food was potatoes, and so when the potatoes failed they had nothing to eat. The wheat was being exported out of the country and in the poorer districts there was no wheat grown, so flour was very scarce.The famine affected this district very much particularly the mountain district of Toor. Toor was very thickly populated before these years of famine and ruins of old houses are to be seen to this day. There is a big rock or stone in the middle of a large field in Toor and it is called "Cholereen". It is probable that under this rock or in this field people were buried during these times of famine, especially those who died of Cholera. Their principal food was yellow meal and even of that they had not enough. The poor people sold their piece of land in those days

Donal O Sullivan stayed a night on the mountain here on his famous march to the north. The tradition (Maurice Herbert & others) here is that he & his people slept on the mountain overlooking Mount Russell (townland) which at this point is fairly level & dry.
They approached from the Doneraile (southerly) direction & when they resumed their march passed eastwards over the townland of Toor through the Robbers' glen, fighting a 'battle' in the glen (lands of Mr Mescall of Toor). A sword was found long ago on this farm (supposed to be on site of the skirmish). I have not been able to trace this sword.
O Sullivan passed eastwards over Monine (townland) in the direction of the Glen of Aherlow keeping to the south of the Slíabh Ríabhach near Kilfinane).
(Please note I am current farmer of Toor the sword was donated to bruee museum.J.Meskell)

O'Donnell. Kilcash Farmers.Nancy O Donnell School girl.
Parents name.
Vincent ODonnell and Annie ONeill.
Grand parents.
Thomas O Donnell and James O Neill Kilcash.
Mary Butler Clas-na-smuth Statia Madder from Toor
Great Grand Parents.
Vincent O Donnell Paddock and Statia O DonnellBally Neale. Edmonde Butler Clas-na-Smuth and Catherine Morriss from Garry Morriss Michael ONeill Kilcash Wood and Nancy Morriss Killinch Co Kilkenny, Richard Madden Toor and Margaret Walsh Toor.Kehoe Toor. Farmers.Michael Jehoe
Paents.
John Kehoe and Ellen Houlihan - Templemichael
Grandparents:
John Keho and Ellen Kelly - Ballyknockane.
Laurence Houlihan and Ellen Maher.

Strang Toor. Farmers.Nellie Strang School girl
Parent's name
John Strang and Catherine Cashman
Grand Parents
Philip Strang and John Cashman
Mary Cardell from Frankfort and May Walsh from ToorMurphy ToorCait Murphy School girl
Parents name.
Bridget Finn and Edmond Murphy.
Grand Parents
Margaret Corbett from Tullohea and James Finn from Wexford.
Mary Wall and Thomas Murphy from Cloneen.
Great Grand Parents
Mary lee was born in Toor and Patrick Finn from Cork.

(2) TOOR - Tuair - a bleaching greenTownland; Toor
Parish; Kilcash and Kilsheelan
Barnony; Iffa and Offa East
There are 103 people living in Toor and about 21 families. The two names most common now are Walsh and Strang. There are no thatched houses; all are slated. The old people are able to tell stories in English. There were a good many more houses in it long ago. There are six or seven old ruins there now. All people went to America in former years because they were in want for the land was poor. The townland is mentioned in the song;
"We followed the Wren in Tipperary"
"I will think of it yet, I can never forget
The evening we went in a hurry

Long time ago it is said there was a man named Tom Walsh in Toor and he had a fort in one if his own fields. One evening he was going down his own field and he saw a Fairy and he caught the fairy and he asked him for gold. The fairy told him to look around and he looked back and when he looked back and when he looked round again the fairy was gone. He never saw the fairy a-gain.

made with wheaten reeds, they plaited the wheat, then they got briar and roasted it, then they split it in two and sowed the basked with it. They also made them with a kind of sedge which grew in marshy places.
Thatching:
All thatched houses were in it long ago, but now hew are to be seen except an odd one here and there. Thatching was done with wheaten straw. The oldest thatcher long ago was James Cahill from Tullohea and he thatched all the old cabins in Toor. There are still people in the district who can thatch.
Churns:
Wooden churns that were used long ago. They were made from the handles were made from wheaten straw and thick rushes which grew in near Carrick. The cooper Flynn who lived in Toor was able to make barrels, cools, and firkins for

About twenty years ago a man a was going up to Téid oDwyers of Toor from Looby's of Deerpark a distance of about two and a half miles. And on his way he passed through the Cross of Shronell and then proceeded on his journeys when he was near the bridge of Ballinahow a cat came out of a field which was then owned by Paddy Mc Grath and which is now owned by the O Dwyers and said to hime "Oh man oh. when you go home, tell Moll Roe that Paul Duady is dead." The man was very angry

I live in Kiltubber "Kill means a church and tuber a well. The reason it was called that name was because in olden times there was a church there and a well convenient to it. The ruins of the church can be seen and the well is visible also. Kiltubber is only a bye road, but it leads to some principal roads. It leads to Toor, Baskin, Drumraney and Killinenny cross-roads.

There is a strange animal seen at Lissonade from nine o' clock until twelve every night during the winter months. He is not seen any other time of the year. This animal has a light attached to him. He starts from "Clarn hill" on to Toor bottoms and from there on to Ratheendaly. Then he goes on down to Scally's gate and from that he goes to Drumraney old church.

Tobar Muire is a river that rises in Toor and flows through Maudlin, Esker and Killcollin. A man saw the Blessed Virgin on the banks of the river so giving it the name.

1. Lochandarrig Hill: Some say the derivation for this is Lochán Dearg because in winter there is a large pond nearby and the rocks and soil in the locality are reddish in colour. But is is more likely that the original name was "Leachain Daire" - meaning the steep incline of the oak. At this place the road is very steep and many oak trees grew in the locality.2. Carn Dock: (Carn bocht no dealbh) so called because very little grows on it and it is almost useless for grazing. It is a very high hill situated in Toor Mór. Its present owner is Michael Bowe. The most part of this hill is overgrown by furze and a large wide-spread view can be attained standing on the summit of this hill, as part of seven counties can be seen there Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow, Tipperary, Leix, Offaly & Kilkenny3. Caskeen Caol (Caiseán Caol): It is a field situated on the right hand side of the road leading from Kilmacar to Ballyragget, and the owner being James Hennessy of Toor. There was a Mass path through this field.Conahy (Conachaidh): Means the field or plain of the Hounds

Kilnacappagh - Coill na ceapaighe = Wood beside tillage
Knockanecullinagh - Cnocán Cuilleanach = holly hillocks
Knocknamoheragh = Cnoc na Mothrach = Moory hill
Knockleitra = Cnoc Leitre = Wet hillside
Lackamore = leacamór = Great hillside (steep)
Knockacapple = Cnoc a chapaill = Horse hill
Knockfune = Cnoc Fionn = Fawn colour hill
Knockacullen = Cnoc an Chuillinn = Holly hill
Meentulla = Mín tulach = Smooth hillock
Monasionnach = Mona Sionnach = Bog of the Foxes
Minachree = Mín a chroidhe = Oasis (in a swamp) of her heart cé hí féinig)Muing = Mong Muinge = Of a swamp - reed grass
Reardnogybeg - Réidh Donóige beag = Little Denis level moor
Reardnogymore -Réidh Donóige Mór = Big Denis level moor
Scraggeen - Scréigín (Screag) Rocky scrub land
Shanballyedmod - Sean baile Éamonn (an Cnuc)
Newport = Tulach Sheasta = Searcach = dry cow, knoll of the dry stock
Toor = Tuar an t-Sagairt = Priests bleaching ground
Tuar also means a comfortable place for cattle to rest
Tooreenbrien = Tuar Uí Bríain = Brian's toor
Toorlougher - Tuar luachra = Rushy toor
Voughluce = (An) Bhuadhach lios = Pleasant liss or fairy dwelling

When the boys down from Toor
Went to famed Bohermoor
For to borrow the drum from Jim Murray"
The land is not good. Part of it is boggy but some of it is not too bad. Most of the farmers living in this district have to take land for grazing down in the valley, and also meadow land. Whatever arable land is in the home farm they till it each year. They let their sheep graze on the mountain. Part of the mountain is preserved by Lord Ossory for shooting. The shooting parties are however not as large as they were in Lord Ormonde's time, when many local men were employed as "bush beaters", that means beating the heather and bracken in order to rise the birds and game.
There was a centenarian in Toor two years ago. He was 101 years of age, and his name was John Dunphy. He was famous for telling stories, some of which will be written in here later.

always made locally and people around here can still make them. There were also the three-legged stools which are still used for milking. There was also a "stelling" or very large flag either in the kitchen or in the dairy which the milking pans, pails or buckets of spring water were kept. Sometimes this "stelling" is to be found outside the door of the dwelling house.
The cradles were wooden ones made locally also and are still to be seen in some houses round particularly up the mountainy districts.
They had wooden rockers underneath.
Up in Toor they had an old custom of knowing the time when they wanted to get up early on a fair morning. Clocks were to be found then only in an odd house. They knew how long it took a candle to burn out, so they would tie a straw around the end or middle of the candle. The the flame reached the straw it make a crackling sound which succeeded in waking up someone in the house.
The houses were always whitewashed - sometimes inside as well as outside.
They still use a piece of corduroy in lamps up in Toor as a wick in lamps.

9. The Cairneen (Contd) It is a very rough and hilly field overgrown with fuirzs. There is also a disused limekiln in this field10. Gleann Salach. This is a little valley in which soil is very soft and boggy even in summer. It is in the land of Mr Michael Maher Upper Conahy11. Goldy's Hill. Goldy's Hill is a very steep hill situated in Moyne. It is on the byroad leading to Castlecomer from Kilmacar. Years ago there was a man by the man of Goldy shot on the top of the hill. Tradition does not really inform us that this man lived in the locality. However it was from Purcell's castle in Kilmacar he was shot and the hill ever afterwards bore his name as a reminder of his fate [?]12 Caishlawn (Caisleán) The Caishlawn is situated in Kilmacar. It is the field in which the old castle was situated which I have previously mentioned.13. Cromwell's Road. Cromwells Road runs through Kilmacar. It leads on from Ballyragget on through Toor Mór and Toor Big and then Kilmacar. It is

to Toor to a gambling house one winter's night. As they were playing the cards a cow bellowed outside. This man and some others went out to see who owned the cow. He said that the cow was his that he should take her home. Himself and a neighbour took home the cow and when they had her home the neighbour said they would go back again to the gambling house. The owner of the cow said no that it was too late. Some time after they leaving with the cow the remainder of the party had a fight over the cards and there was a man killed. Everybody then said that it was how this cow came to take away its owner from the fight.