An Ardfinnan Tomb.
Under a flat tombstone in the churchyard of Ardfinnan lie the remains of John Rylands of Ardfinnan, who was hanged on the 17th of February 1714. In the early years of the 18th century John Ryland was proprietor of the principal inn at Ardfinnan. At that time Ardfinnan was an important station on the Dublin and Cork coach route. At this time there was a noted highwayman named Hopkins in the neighbourhood. Hopkins came and stayed at Rylands Inn for some time. When leaving he refused to pay for his board and

America. Others went to Liverpool and Glasgow. The government built hospitals and poor houses for the relief of the sick but many of the sick people refused to go into these places. They would rather remain and die at home. At this time there was a long stone bridge of many arches over the river Suir at Ardfinnan. In summer many of these arches are dry. It is said many of the fever strickened people of Ardfinnan took refuge in these dry arches rather than go to the hospitals or poor-house. Their friends used to leave food outside for them every day. The story is srill told in Ardfinnan that all those people recovered while all others died.

The roads in the district of Killaidmee are known as Ballybacon road, Lacken road, Lodge road, Raheen road and Church road. The Ballybacon road leads Goatenbridge to Ardfinnan. The Lacken road leads from Ardfinnan to Newcastle.

This is an inscription that is on a tombstone in the graveyard attached to the Protestant Church in Ardfinnan and where Catholics as well as Protestants are buried. It is dated 1870.
"This burial ground was enclosed by Richmond Allen - son of Maurice and Maurice Abraham, sons of Philip and grandsons of Gerald Fitzgibbon of Castlegrace, who was great grandson of David Fitzgibbon, Governor of Ardfinnan Castle for Charles II, when besieged by Cromwell in February 1649. In memory of their ancestors the Fitzgibbons of Knocklong called the old Knights, being an elder branch of the family of the White Knights.
This churchyard is in the village of Ardfinnan, quite close to Ardfinnan Castle.There is another tombstone in the

The Catholic Church in Ardfinnan
Strange tales are told in connection with the building of the church in Ardfinnan, which is not a parish church. The parish priest of that time is supposed to have collected a sum of money to build a church in Ardfinnan, the old church being in Ballybacon.
When he had all the money collected, he is supposed to have said from the altar in Ballybacon "this is where the old church is and this is where the new church will be." The people
were indignant, and some of the principal families in the district - the Mulcahys of Conabella; the Lonergans of Neadins, and the ODonnells and Cumminses of Rochestown met together, and said they would build a church in Ardfinnan in spite of the parish priest. This was about the time of the Catholic Emancipation. Money was again collected, and a church

There were hedge schools in Ardfinnan about seventy five years ago. There was a hedge school where Mr. William Donnell is living now. Mr William Shaw is the man who taught in that school. He lived in the village of Ardfinnan. English was taught in that school but there was no Irish. Writing was done with pen and pencil. There was no blackboard in the school.
Stones and blocks of timber they had for seats. The teachers remained a long time in Ardfinnan.

A Local Tale
An execution took place on the ''Green'' in Ardfinnan,- the following is the story of it. There lived in Ballyneety Ardfinnan, about the year 1850 a farmer by the name of Green, who, through no fault of his own was evicted from his farm by the landlord, & it was given to another.
The people of the surrounding districts were horrified at the cruel eviction, and it appears that some young men attacked the new tenant, but did not injure him in any way. He informed the police, and it is a known fact that he swore on the wrong men. These innocent men were tried and sentenced to be executed. Two of them were sons of the evicted tenant; and two others were also brothers , by the name of Murphy who lived in Lady's Abbey, Ardfinnan. The

Local Plowing - Matches
At fifteen years of age , my brother Jim Scully, Marehill, Ardfinnan took part in his first plowing - match, held at Peahill, Ballylooby Co Tipperary , by the Department of Agriculture for South Tipperary on March 1st 1933. He won four prizes in all, for competitors under 25 years of age. A first prize for the best furrow, this was presented by Messrs Going Smith of Cahir. A second prize, of two pounds ten shillings, and a bag of flour. A special prize of a bag of flour, presented also my Messrs Going Smith to the youngest ploughman. A silver - mounted set of carvers in a case for second best championship- work done in the field, being only two points behind the winner, who was Tom Walsh of Gormanstown, Ardfinnan. At Ardfinnan Ploughing Match held in 1935 in Mr Patrick Walsh's field,- just over the river Suir, and only about

Military Camp at Ardfinnan.
In the year 1747 another large army was camped at Ardfinnan by order of the Commander - in - Chief, the Earl of Carthampton. This army consisted of the Northumberland Fencibles, the Wexford, Louth and Drogheda Regiments of Militia.
There was also another army encamped at Ardfinnan 1n 1798.

built, principally through the means of the families mentioned.
When the work was completed it is said, that the parish priest nailed up the door, and refused to say mass in it. The people opened the door, and brought out a Friar from Clonmel to say mass for them. Soon after one of the priests of the parish said mass regularly in this church for the people. The church grounds are not consecrated as it is supposed there was blood shed there in after years.
There are members of all those families, mentioned, still residing in these districts at the present time.
Mulcahys - Corabella, Ardfinnan
Lonergans - Neddins Ardfinnan
ODonnells - Rochestown Ardfinnan
Cummins - Rochestown Ardfinnan

Cahir has the Cork road, Tipperary road, Clonmel road, Ardfinnan road, Mitchelstown road and mountain road leading from it.
People calle by-roads boreens sometimes. At a cross roads a mile from Cahir on the Ardfinnan road is a stone and it is said to have the marks of St. Patrick's knees on it.

There are eight roads leading from Cahir. The Tipperary road leads to Tipperary. The Cashel road is the Road from Cork to Dublin. The Clonmel road to Clonmel, The Mitchelstown road to Mitchelstown, The Barrick road leads to Clogheen, Ardfinnan and Cork.
The Ardfinnan road leads to Ardfinnan. Whitechurch road is only a byre-road and leads past an old Church.
The Convent road leads on to the Clonmel road it is very old and is not tarred.
The Reirke road leads off the Mitchelstown road and on to the barrick road it was used by the soldiers. When they were in the Barricks.

Hidden Treasure
It is believed in Ardfinnan that a treasure is hidden between Ardfinnan Castle, and the Protestant Church. It is said that when the monks were driven out of Lismore they came on here to Ardfinnan Castle and brought all the Sacred Vessels with them.
They made an under ground path from the castle to the church which was only a few hundred yards away, and after-wards the church was give to the protestants, and all the vessels were hidden in the path which was then closed.
Sometime afterwards attempts were made to unearth the vessels by a man named James Prendergast and a few other men. They dug a hole twelve feet deep around the church to see if they could find the hidden passage but ass they did not succeed they had to close the hole again.
Then a while after they took up the

Mass Paths
Where the present chimney - which belongs to the Ardfinnan Woolen Mills, - is built, there is supposed to have been a Mass path;- probably leading to an old church which was connected with an old Franciscan Abbey. This chimney was built in 1922; the old chimney was at the opposite side, near the old mill Ardfinnan Woolen Mills Co Tipperary.

A MissionThe first Mission that was ever in Ardfinnan, was given by the Redemptorist Fathers in the year 1863. One of the Missionaries was a Fr Fox. One night when the people were going home from the Mission they met a Parson, at Ardfinnan House, just outside the Village and he is supposed to have said to them ''Did the fox smell strong to- night''. Next day Fr Fox was told what the Parson said. and he said ''He will have plenty of smell himself soon'' For two years after that, the Parson could not carry on the Services in his own Church with the terrible smell, everywhere. After that time, it is supposed to clear away
Where this happened:-
Ardfinnan
Co Tipperary

About the time of the Queen's jubilee one of the greatest snowstorms up to that time occurred, and it is known to be the greatest one since.
When the people were going to bed on the night before there was no sign of any storm but when they opened their doors the morning after the snow was up to the top of them.
The workers of Ardfinnan Woollen Mills were employed clearing the snow off the road from Ardfinnan to Cahir. The snow fell sometime in February, and on the 25th of June there was still some of it to be seen on top of the Comeragh mountains in Co. Waterford.

''Coopering ''
Coopering was a money- making trade in the village of Ardfinnan long ago, but it is not carried on at all for a good many years, My great- grandfather was a cooper by trade, his name was Michael Moloney. He used to do great business as there was no other cooper in Ardfinnan at the time
Some of the articles he made were, churns, barrells, tubs of all descriptions etc. People bought a lot of wooden tubs and churns, for their dairies as creameries were very few al the time. . My great- grandfather lived in the village in the same house that my grandfather now lived in the village in the same house that my grandfather now lives in, whose name is Richard Moloney. He died in the year 1908 R.I.P.

An Old Fort
The remains of an old fort are to be seen at Ballyneety, Ardfinnan and it is said that it was a stronghold of the Danes. There are steps leading down to it, and there are stone arches separating the different rooms. The arches are very small , but a small person could get under them, to go into the rooms. It is said that some of the soldiers and men who died in the battle of Ardfinnan were thrown into a second fort which is not far from this one.
The first and bigger fort is on Mr Carson's land and the smaller one is on Mr Mc Carthys land, which adjoin's Mr Carson's

Local FamiliesAbout seventy years ago, there lived in Ardfinnan House, a family by the name of Cooke, who were very musical. They were great players on the bagpipes, and every evening used go up the bank of the river Suir, & teach music to the men of the district who wished to learn to play the bagpipes.
One evening as they were as usual on the bank of the river they heard cries for help and looking a distance down the river they say a man and a horse struggling in the water. A young man from Rochestown, Ardfinnan, jumped into the river fully clothed to try to save them. The drowning man and his rescuer struggled violently, and both would have drowned only for another man named Michael Tierney from the same district went to their aid. Both men were saved, but the horse was drowned

The men here in Ardfinnan long ago, used always keep the blessed palm in their hats from on Palm Sunday to the following Palm Sunday. Very few do that now. People still bring home the blessed palm and put it up in some part of the house.In years gone by those who had thatched roofs to their houses, always stuck the blessed palm into the thatch. This was done to safeguard the home from burning or accident of any kind.
Ardfinnan
Co Tipperary