The Ballinvoher Pillar stone is situated in Mr Allen's field on the old road from Collenagh to Ballinvoher. It is ninety yards from the old road. It is one hundred and thirty yards from the Bog Line and west of the old road. Its height is six feet ten inches. Its width is two feet at the bottom. Its width at the top is three feet. Its breadth is one foot ten inches. There is only one straight edge to it the others are irregular. There are no inscriptions on it now. The field is called Páirc-a-ghaláin. A short distance below it is a place called Áth-a-ghaláin.

Hedge schools existed in my district. One at Kilmoyley, now Sayer's work shop, another at Bally Hemican on Pat Carroll's land, and another at Ballinvoher near Johny Carroll's. I can't say except a teacher named Dan Flynn who taught at Ballinvoher. I don't think they were strangers. You had such names as Dan Flynn and Garret Stack. The well to do farmers on some occasions had a teacher in the house for their own children. The teacher was boarded and lodged in the farmers houses as also were poor scholars who seemed to be gifted at the time and in many cases became the future teacher. The subject of Reading, Writing, Spelling, Arithmetic especially Mental Arithmetic were taught. I believe all through the medium of Irish also Catechism. They used two books long ago, namely, "An Gabha", "An Maistir". Writing was done with quill pens, and a sort of home made pencils called true stone. They had something in the shape of a black board. Often a large board painted any colour. Of course you

There are alot of forts around our district and there are a lot of names on them.
There is a fort in the Gullane named Conair- ná - Fearta.
There is a fort in Ballinvoher named the land of the fairies. Some people say that if you ploughed a fort or cut the trees that are growing in it that something would happen to that man who broke it.
In the fort that is in the Guillane the trees were cut out of it and the fort in Ballinvoher was knocked and it is tilled by Mick Mack every year and nothing happened to any one yet.

There was a rifle, shotgun and bayonet hidden in the barn in Pairs Bhrighid Ruas, Ballinvoher. Police came to search, and went straight to barn (which showed that information had been given). The walls were sounded, roof and thatch searched, but without result. Arms were hidden in a groove in the wall, behind the door, which was left open during the search.

A pot of gold, according to a fortune teller, is hidden in a fort in the farm of Patrick Somers, Issane, and a little red hen guards it. She is to be seen once a year in the neighbourhood, generally on November 1st. John holland, Ballinvoher, and John Connolly Ballyaglish are reputed to have seen her. The Danes are supposed to have placed the treasure in the fort in 1014. No one had even searched for it.

IIIIIn olden times they had no national schools but the children were sent to hedge schools. The master was paid by the children.
There was one of these schools in Lerrig. Ned Mahoney from Ardfert was the master. In these schools hey had no papers like we have now but they used to write with slates and pencils. They used to teach under hedges in fine weather and in old barns in Winter.
Written by John Dowling, Ballinvoher, Ardfert, Tralee
and obtained from
Mr John Carroll (81 yrs) Ballinvoher, Ardfert, Tralee.

It is very few men that can throw weights in this parish. Jim Sheehan, who is presently dwelling in this parish, can lift eight stone on his little finger. Dan Hickey of Ballyaglish can still lift twenty two stone up on a car without any assistance. Richard Mac Knight could throw half hundred twenty three feet and he won a medal at Copse Wood for doing so. Patrick Walsh of Ballynacourty could throw a half hundred weight twenty for feet.Patrick Shanaghnessy of Ballinvoher and Michael Barrett of Court Brown can both catch rabbits by running after them.Michael Noonan of Ballycanana walked to Listowel to a fair about nine years ago.About ten years ago a man named Donnellan lived in Glingoran and he could mow three acres of corn daily. A man came down from Dublin to mow with him and when he was working five minutes he fell dead.Mr John Neville, deceased, of Drominuna won a medal for jumping. He could jump nine feet high.Mr John Shaughnessy of Ballinvoher won a medal at a féte in Mount

James Moran of Issane was a poet. He died in the year 1914 at the age of seventy five and was buried at Beigh. He wrote poems including 'The Burial of Aubrey De Vere', 'Beigh Castle' and a play called 'The Fenian Death'. Hi son Patrick was also a poet and lives in Miltown. He wrote poems including 'The Sinking of the Titanic', 'The Honest Old Pair at The Cross. T.B. Naughton was a poet. He wrote poems including 'My Bride'. Charlie McDonagh used also write poetry. T.B. Naughton lived in Ballycanana and Charlie McDonagh lived in Miltown. James Moran's ancestors used to write poetry. T.B. Naughton's and Charlie McDonagh's ancestors used not.James Moran and Patrick Moran were teachers. Charlie McDonagh was a farmer and T.B. Naughton was a Clerk of the Union.Muriel Fitzgerald
BallinvoherFrom Mrs Elizabeth Culhane, 72,
Ballinvoher

A treasure is supposed to be hidden in the neighbourhood of Beigh Castle, a ruin overlooking the Shannon. About sixty years ago a woman named Mrs. Sheahan of Ballycanana dreamt of it for three nights in succession. As a result a search for it was made by Mr. J Moran Issane and two of his sons, Martin Carroll, Mitchelstown, Ned Holland, Ballinvoher, Michael Culhane, Beigh and N. Ranahan, Ballycanana. They began digging at ten o' clock on night and continued until five next morning but they found nothing. Some say that they discovered human bones from which the flesh had not quite decayed and that this frightened them.

I remember Seán Burns very well. When I was young Seán used to call here very often for eel oil for his ears, he being very deaf. This place was very wet and marshy we used be opening drains and scouring dykes and in those we used to get the eels. We had two very clever terriers here then and when they would see the eels waddling in the dyke they would dive in and pull them out. We used to catch them in other ways too and then stuff them into a bottle for about a month or six weeks until they would melt away. We put a pinch of salt into it especially for Seán. He would dip a piece of cotton wool into it and cork his ears with it. This would improve him in the hearing for some time. Seán was a terrible strong man. He had two other brothers Tom + Mick and three sisters. Tom died very young - I think he was about 22 years. He died in a field in the townland of Behins coming home from the river Smerla he being water bailif there. I heard Seán to say if Tom Byrnes lived there would be no talk of Seán Burns. Tom was some years younger than Seán and was then as strong as him. Once they had a trial of each other by turning a car with a load of lime stone in it across the road at the Ballinvoher cross and put the shaft of the car

Long ago there lived a man in the parish of Ballinvoher. One night he was going to Tralee. He started out at twelve o'clock and about a mile from his home he saw two women on the road. they walked quickly before him and when he was coming close to them they turned into a graveyard which was near by. He tied his mule to the gate and followed them into the graveyard and on around the tombs and knew the people. The two women wanted to frighten the man.
There is a graveyard in Ballinacourty and at one time the Protestants built a church inside in he middle of it. The Catholics were very annoyed. One night all the Catholics of the parish gathered together and took it wholesale away. And there was no stone seen since or a board?. Many years after an old man a native of the place was cutting turf in the bog near by and found the bell of the Protestant church. He gave the bell to the landlord and he had to pay no rent that year.

During the Fenian Rising 1867 Ardagh barrock was raided and two Ambrose brothers were among the attackers. All the police were driven upstairs and they fired down on the raiders. The elder Ambrose boy got wounded. He and his brother were sent to Ballysteen to the house of a relative, Mr James Moran P.J. The Milltown police got wind of this, and one of them warned Mr Moran to get rid of them before night, because his house was to be raided for them and if they were found with him, he would lose his post. Then he sent the elder boy to Mr James Culhane, Mitchelstown now deceased. Mr Bill Hammon, whose family lived in the neighourhood was the captain of a ship called the 'Generall O Neill'. An appointment was made with him, and he was asked to convey the boy to America. He said that he was anchored on the Shannon and he had his load of timber sold but it should be delivered. He said he would be back again in six days and would give a signal to have the boy brought on board. When the appointed time came, the 'Generall O'Neill' cast anchor off Ballinvoher point and the boy was brought out to the ship. The Government cutters in Foynes heard of his being on board and followed the boat but could not catch up with it.

Signs of a Storm.When the crows tumble in the air.
When the tide is heard roaring at Ballinvoher point near Beigh castle.
When the swallows fly inland.

Kitty Burke Newtown Anner Clonmel
My father Patrick Burke told me about this fort. There is a fort in O Keeffee's land Ballinvoher, Powerstown. If you stood very near this fort you could see to another fort which is on the land of Mr Darmody. It is said that the fairies go from one of these forts to the other on horseback. Very seldom people cut the ditches which are around forts. When Mr O Keeffee wanted to cut the ditch around the fort he put a number of stones upon each other and he used to say, "Fairies, if ye have any objection against me in cutting his ditch, let these stones be knocked in the

drawn when resisting tithes. Hackett married when old. He lived where Devilly lives now. His house had bags in windows. When he died his wife lived in Ballinakill, did up Devillys house married Lynch of Toberoe. Mrs McDonagh Myne HIll daughter of Hackett. Hackett left much money and much to priests.It is said people were buried alive time of famine in Gortnamóna. Whole families died in New Village of starvation. Soupers those who took soup from Protestants were also called jumpers.
LANDLORDSBetween J. Hoades and Gannons there were three more houses. Squatters were installed on tenant farmers by the landlords on condition of getting employment on the lands of tenants. There were two more houses opposite Queallys. NESBITT was a Protestant landlord owned land from Cave to Ballinvoher including (?) land, Bawnmore and Kilvolan. Thomasheen McDermott lived between Cottingham's and (?). There was a road from Thomasheen's at back to a village 6 or 7 houses near the Lisheens in Roche's fields. People were evicted there. Finnegan lived where Rhattigan now Stone was one tenant; also Cottingham

Although the place for the fair has been changed it is still called Castlehackett fair - held twice a year - 2 June and 2 Oct. The October fair was once the one of the last fairs in Connaught for rams. Great crowds came to it. And besides business transactions it was a venue for much sport and amusement. Now owing to transport facilities the fair green is practically deserted at 12 noon.There are two Killamonaghs in the parish. The old Killamonagh is now called Ballinvoher. In the townland there was a Premonstratensian Monastery. Date founded uncertain. It was called St Mary's Premon. Monastery. See History of Archdiocese of Tuam (Dalton) There was a church in Kilkilvery.The new Killamonagh is about a mile north of the old village of that name. It is a cluster of old thatched buildings population about 200 with a thriving shop in the middle of it. A good deal of Irish is still spoken there. There are ruins of an old church in the middle of a graveyard near the old Killamonagh and the next townland west of it is called Abbeytown

seen by two men in my village. The men never saw them since then.A stream separates the villages of Lislackagh Lisanumera and Ballinvoher from each other
Bridgie Philbin
Lislackagh
Swinford

On the side of the county road in the townland of Ballinvoher is a spring well and nearby is said to have been the site of a hedge school. The site of the school is still pointed out by the people in the neighbourhood. The ditch and portion of the adjoining field were cut away and so one "sidewall" and two ends or gables were formed. The remaining side was formed by piling thick tough scraws on one another. These tough scraws were got from the bog in the district - Clooneen bog. The rough wattles for the roof were got in the neighbourhood and the scraws for the roof covering were also got in this bog. A hole in the centre of the roof served the purpose of a chimney.A large turf fire burned in the centre of the floor for each scholar brought two sods of turf and a large pile of turf might be seen in the end of the school. The Master sat on a strong chair near the fire and some of the scholars sat on the floor near the fire while others sat on stones, on which had been placed pads. The stones were place by the walls. Slates were used by the scholars and there were no blackboards. Writing was done on slates, but later it was done on paper and pens made from quills were used for this.The teachers were Mr Naughton and Mr Higgins and the descendants of both teachers live in the neighbourhood of the old school. These teachers travelled

ago on the night John Brennan was born the well dried up. They had
scutchers from Tyrone working for them and one of these women acted as midwife. She polluted the well by washing the soiled linens after the birth in it, and even while she washed, the level of the water began to sink and on the following morning the well was completely dry. In time it filled up and was completely forgotten till Mr Henry Morriss aroused a little local enthusiasm and under his guidence, at a depth of about 12 feet the stream that fed the well was rediscovered a sparking ice cold stream. But it would not rise; it percolated through the rocks and formed a new spring about 30 yards from where St Patrick blessed the original fountain. John Brennan rebuilt the barn at the end of his house three times. He changed the door in it three times putting it in the front the
south gable, and the back, there was a common gable for it and the dwelling house on the north side. And his reason was, that every time his birthday came round a ghostly gang of flax scutchers would spend that night in the barn scutching as they were on the night he was born and Patrick's well was polluted. The northern half Kilnamanagh is called Ballinvoher (Baile an bhothair though Tom Connolly says the correct words are Bailín a'bhothair). In passing it might be well to remark that the old people

There are five forges in our parish. These are owned by – Mr Ivers Churchtown, Mr OMahoney Ballinvoher, Mr Savage Ballygeaney, Mr Rigney Cloyne and Mr Kennefick Shangarry. There are many other forges in the parish but they are not in use for many years. Ivers, Kenneficks and OMahoneys have been smiths for generations. Savages and Rigneys are not smiths very long.
The chief tools a smith uses when he is working are – an anvil, a bellows, a sledge, a tongs, a hammer, a rasp, a vice, a drilling machine and a knife with a turn in the top of it. for paring the hoofs.
Iver’s forge is situated at a cross of three roads. It is a small house roofed with tiles with a chimney at one end of it. There are two doors and two windows in it. There is no river or lake near the forge so they have to draw water when they are banding wheels. There are two bellows and two fires in this forge. Both fires are on the one hob. The people who own this forge are good smiths and they get much work to do.
The bellows is like a big leather bag