About forty or fifty years ago it was a usual thing faction fighting to be at fairs. The Lavalla boys and Ballynacally boys used fight together against the Lissycasey lads. They used meet at every fair and used have terrible fights.
One day they met at the fair of Ballynacally and they had the greatest fight that was ever seen. They fought with ash plants that they had prepared before hand. They used have them over the smoke for a long time. The Hennessys were the chief men from Lisscasey. They were big, strong, able men. The Conlans and Considines from Lavalla and Mick Toole and Paddy Shalloo from Ballynacally were the best men on the Ballyncally side. The day they fought at the fair of Ballynacally the Lissycasey boys were beaten and bady wounded. Some of the Lissycasey lads were nearly killed from the wounding they had got. Mick Toole from Ballynacally was able for any of the Hennessy's This man still lives in Ballynacally hail and hearty.

About forty or fifty years ago faction fighting was very common among the people.
Patrick Gavin, now living near the church-yard of Kilchreest, Ballynacally, used go to Chamber's house, in the village of Ballynacally, every night.
The Ballynacally lads did not want him to be going down there, and they told him they would kill him if he walked the road.
So, from that on, he had to cross the fields every night.
This night he asked my uncle, Jack Gavin, Thomas Hehir and a few more men to accompany him to Ballynacally.
They agreed, and when they reached Ballynacally they walked the street in front of Chamber's house.
The Ballynacally lads rushed out, and a great fight followed.The guards were then living in Ballynacally, but they were afraid to come near, as stones were flying in every direction.

Mrs Galvin who lived in Cappa, walked from her house to Ballynacally and carried 14 balls of thread to a weaver who lived in Ballynacally on her back. Mary Cotter of Coolmeen walked from her own house to Limerick. She started from home at 8 o clock in the morning and she reached Limerick at 6 o clock in the evening, did her business and walked home the next day.

At the cross in Ballynacally village, there is a very huge stone. The neighbouring people believe that a giant lived in one of the Islands "Deer Island" The people say he had awful strenth, and that he flung the rock from the Island to Ballynacally. This big rock is to be seen by every one passing.

There are about three-forges in the parish of Lissycasey. The nearest one to us is Andrew Sexton's in Lissycasey. Tom Sullivan has a forge in Ballynacally. John Meere's forge in Ballynacally also. The situation of these forges are : Sextons a small piece from the main road. Meere's on the side of the straight road leading from Leimnaleha to Ballynacally. Sullivans at a cross-road near Ballycorick Church. All the forges are thatched. They use coal fires. Meere's father was a smith and his son is learning to be one. At Sexton's and Meeres forges they shoe horses and asses They make harrows, cranes, tongs, and they mend all broken farm implements. Sullivan makes farm implements such as sleagáins and harrows. Some smiths work under the open air. They had a great many implements namely hammers, sledges, pincers punch and anvil. There is a bellows in every forge. It is a big leather bag full of air. There is a lever for opening and closing it. When the lever is lifted the air blows the fire. The smith can redden iron then by putting it in the fire. He has a keeve of water for cooling the red iron and there is a cure in it for warts.

In our parish there are two forges one is situated in Lanna and the other in Ballynacally. The forge in Lanna is situated in the side of the bye-road and forge in Ballynacally is situated in the side of the main road. The smith in the Ballynacally forge is Micheal Sullivan and the smith in the Lanna forge is Michael Quinlivan. Those smiths repair ploughs, harrows, wheels of cars, and several other things, and they also shoe horses, asses, and ponies.Long ago the smiths used to shoe the animals. These animals were bullocks and heifers. This was before trains or lorries were invented, because the cattle used have to walk over rough roads to fairs and markets, before the trains were made to bring them.

There are many forts in my parish. There is one, two miles to the north east of my house. It is situated to the right hand side of the road as you go to the village of Ballynacally. It is the farm of Paddy O'Dea. That fort was said to be built by the danes many years ago, as a place of defence from their enemies. A man from Ballynacally by the name of Martin Sullivan went, one day to see the fort, as it was in his uncle's farm. There was a bank of earth around the fort. Martin escamined the fort and found out that in side the earth was square lime stones in it for building. Martin said to him-self, that a few carts of the stones would build a fine house. Then he hired a mason named Brew to build the house. The foundation

There is a castle about a quarter of a mile to the east of Ballynacally and a

large bulldog guarding the cols which frightens any person who attempts to get it. Some people who went searching for it were about to raise the flag which it was under and had to flee from his wrath. The person who gets the gold must ream of it three times in succession. A light is often seen to rise from the castle and ascend to a great height. This is a sign that the treasure is yet untouched awaiting the arrival of the person for whom it is intended.Written by Frank Tuohy, Deer Island, Ballynacally, Co Clare. The above story was told to me by Francis Tuohy, Deer Island, Ballynacally, Co Clare. He is about forty eight years of age.

About a quarter of a mile to the west of the village of Ballynacally there are the ruins of an old church called "Kilchriost" which of course means the church of Christ. At first it was an old Monastery or Church where nuns used to live in former years but it is now in ruins, some people say that the Danes burned it while I hear others say that Cromwell's soldier's burned it. The nuns fled but before they left it they had all their valuable things and money stored in iron chests which they hid in the walls and under the ground.
It is said that a chieftain's wife dreamt that she would find gold hidden in the ruins of this church. She came on horse-back and when she arrived in the village of Ballynacally it was too late to start looking for the gold so she went into a house where a family of the O'Dohertys were residing. She took lodging there for the night. As she was seated near the fire with members of the O'Doherty family she made inquiries if men could be got around the place to do some work. O'Doherty asked her what work she wanted to have done so she told him about her dream and where the gold was hidden. He did not pretend to take much

There was a man living in the village Ballynacally named O'Loughlin. He killed a pig and when he was putting it into the barrel he missed a big piece of meat. His neighbours advised him to go to Biddy Earley. He went to her and told his story. She told him when he would return home to go into his neighbour's house and that he would find the meat behind the room door. He did as he was ordered and he found the meat.
Another man from this locality, who had a sick horse went to Biddy Earley. She gave him a bottle and she told him to mind himself and the bottle when passing Cooga Cross.This Cross is about a mile and a half to the west of Ballynacally. She said there was to be a murder commited there.Many years afterwards a black-and-tan was shot there. Some people who heard this story say that this is the murder to which Biddy Earley referred.

There are ruins of an old Castle in Ballynacally about three miles from Killerk, the latter being five miles from Ennis. In these old ruins a man named John Cleary from Ballynacally, took shelter from a shower, one night. About midnight, four men entered carrying a coffin. They went away again, but left the coffin after them. Courageous John lifted the lid off it and was surprised to see an old man inside. The latter spoke saying "Lift that flag over there in the corner, and under it you will find three long stockings of gold. Then take me on your back to Doonbeg grave-yard, where you will have me buried before the cock crows in the morning" The astonished John lifted the flag and there, under it, sure enough lay the gold. Then he took the old man on his back and had him buried just before the cock crew. He took the three stockings of gold, went home and lived happily every after.

There is a castle in Ballynacally, in which there is gold hidden. It is situated to the north of the little village near the school. The old people say that it is built of bullocks' blood and skin. It is very high and the gold is supposed to be hidden right on top of the castle.
One Sunday while all the people were gone to Mass, it happened that a very old woman with long golden hair came into a house where a man was housekeeping, his name was Mr. O'Grady.
The woman asked Mr. O'Grady to go with her, and he would get the gold that was hidden in the castle, but she also told him that he should lose one of his eyes when he would be looking for the gold. But Mr. O'Grady said that he would not lose his eye if he got all the money in Ballynacally. The woman then told him that it should stay there. She also told him that it was a man by the name of O'Grady that would get the gold but he should lose one eye.
When the woman had that much said she vanished and the man never

Near my house which is situated in Deer Island, there is supposed to be a crock of gold buried in a neighbouring field. It is supposed to be buried there by an old king who reigned about a hundred years ago. He buried it there because he was afraid of being robbed and plundered by the Danes who were invading the country. There is supposed to be a fierce dog guarding the gold. If a person wishes to get it, he must dream of it three times and he must bring two persons with him.
One night a man dreamt of it twice and thought he should get it. He went in search of it the next night and he brought two men with him. As they were nearing the place they saw a great ball of fire rise and ascend to a great height and gradually it broke into small pieces and disappeared. At first they were frightened but taking courage they entered the place where the gold was hidden. They began to dig and kept on digging until they came upon a small slab so they lifted it and took up the crock of gold. There was a lid on it and they took it off. They were about to take some of the gold from it when the fierce animal sprang upon one of the men. The man made a great attempt to escape but the animal succeeded in killing him. The other men got such a fright that they ran home. It is believed that the treasure is yet untouched and it is awaiting the arrival of the person for whom it is intended. Written by Brigid Anne Tuohy, Deer Island, Ballynacally, Co Clare. Told to me by Francis Tuohy, Deer Island, Ballynacally, Co Clare, my father.

There is a castle near my house about a quarter of a mile from the village of Ballynacally on the Ennis side. It is to the south-east of it. Its name is Dangan Castle which means a very strong fortified castle. There is a good deal of history attached to it. It is about a quarter of a mile from the village of Ballynacally. It is now a ruined castle but still it is in fairly good repair. The following story is told about the castle. It is said there is gold hidden in it, and that there is a tunnel under the castle leading to another castle which ruins are in Deer Island.There was a woman in Donegal who dreamt three nights in succession that there was gold hidden in a castle in Clare by the name of Dangan. She dreamt that she would journey from Donegal to Clare and that when she would be coming near the castle she would arrive at a bridge and that she would see three ducks in the water - two white ducks and a black one and opposite the bridge there was a house and into that house she was supposed to go.So the next morning she set off on her journey. She travelled by boat from Donegal to Clare and up the Shannon until she came

there up to seventy years ago. It was called Saint Mary's Church.
There is the ruins of an old Church in Deer Island about a quarter of a mile from the village of Ballynacally. It was built by monks about the year sixteen hundred. There was a beautiful Holy Water font made of stone at its enterance. There is a story told about a man that was living in Kildysart and he was building a new house. He heard of the nice stones that were in this Church and he made up his mind that he would get some of them. He came one day and took all the nice stories including the Holy Water font. When he was about half way out to Ballynacally the boat began to sink, but when he found out that he returned to Deer Island and left some of them there. He brought some of them to Kildysart, and put some of them in his new house, but when it was built it fell. When he was building it again his wife made him bring back all the stones he had taken from the Church, and he did so. After a time he built the house again. The old Church is now a graveyard.
There is a graveyard in Cannon Island which was once a Church. It is situated about three miles from Kildysart. It was built about two hundred years before Cromwell came to Ireland, but when he came he got it bombed. There was a

In the townland of Ballingard a few hundred yards to the east of Ballynacally in Ballycorick parish their lives a man by the name of Mr Leopard. He was a national teacher in Pitfield School where he walked to and from school for several years a distance of about four miles. He can tell old stories. He now resides in his farmhouse and drawing the Pension.

There are many Blessed Wells in the parish. We have St Martins Blessed Well in Ballynacally. When the people visit it they usually light a candle.

Then the man said he would not go at all, and the woman was disappointed. When she was leaving the sacristy she said the seventh son of the O'Grady's in Ballynacally would get the gold in Daingean Castle.

Fairs Long ago there were fairs held in Tolare, [?] High Street, Ballynacally, Kildysart and in Kilmihill. The local fairs at the present day are held in Ballynacally, Kildysart and Kilmihill. There is a fair held there nearly once a month. The most important fairs held in Kilmihill are the 19th May and the 2st November. The fair is held in Kilmihill about one hundred years. The jobber came to the fairs long ago in side - cars. They remained over night in country houses. They used to remain at Clancy's and O' Brien's in the mail road. There are cattle, sheep, pigs and foals bought and sold in Kilmihill. There is a fair green in Kilmihill. Matt Coughlan gather custom there every fair day. He gets six pence a head for cattle four pence for sheep three pence for pigs and one shilling for horses. Long ago they paid only three pence out of cattle. At the present day people have to pay when cattle are put into a yard. They pay three pence for each beast to the owner of the yard. When cattle are bought they are marked with raddle or a cut of scissors in the hair.
Sheep and pigs are marked with paint. Long ago the cattle were marked with puddle. A luck penny is given when cattle are bought. Usually two shillings or a half crown is given.