Matches of Hurdling Told by James Burke.
Fedamore Aged 50 yrs
Some years ago we used have great amusements in Fedamore. There used be teams coming from parts of the country to James Powers Field. We had a good team in Fedamore we had some great men - Tom Keane Gleeson Brothers. Treacy's Bourkes Clancy's. The won the Murphy Cup for two years in succession. Castleconnel & Fedamore used have great matches. Once they played eight matches and we won five of the the eight: The last match they played was for the Ryan Memorial Cup Medals and

When John was 30 years of age, a hurling match was played between Fedamore and Cratloe. This match was what is known as an "all home". One team tried to drive the ball within the boundaries of the opposing team's parish. The team which succeeded in doing so were the winners. The ball used was very large and heavy as compared to the ball which is used nowadays. The hurleys were proportionally large and heavy. Still, the "puck" which the players gave the ball was quite as good as that which is given nowadays to the lighter ball. The old hurlers were much stronger and faster to run than the present-day hurlers. The match mentioned above was won by Fedamore, who succeeded in driving the ball as far as Cratloe. The man from the Fedamore team who drove the ball across the Shannon at Limerick was "Driver" McCarthy, who was noted for the "puck" he had.Another match played in those days was that between Manister and Mungret in the field now owned by Mrs. Sweeney. This was a different match altogether from the one above. There were twenty-one players on each team. This match was unfinished. One of the Manister players struck a member of the opposing team, and a fight ensured. Hurleys and other weapons were freely used, and in the end the spectators and players from Manister had to flee for their lives, many members of the team, leaving coats and boots after them.
In regard to the old game of hurling mentioned above a "Camán" was not used but a "Bachall". This was a

I have asked many people for accounts of great runners and jumpers etc. but I was unable to get an account. There is one great runner in the parish at present:-J.J. O'Connor the Irish Cross-country running Champion.
HurlersFedamore has always been a home of Hurling. In the present famous Limerick team (1933-37) there are the Clohessy Brothers, Tom Mac Carthy, Tom Shinay, and Michael Condon. Some of the famous hurlers years ago were Con Scanlon, Ned Treacy, Willie Gleeson and his brothers Dick and Stephen and Egan Clancy.
SwimmingOur present teacher Mr Moloney is the best swimmer Limerick ever produced. His full distance is five miles. He has held the championship of Limerick for seven years and is Munster champion for the 100 yards. He has also rescued seven persons from Drowning.
Story-TellersMary Meaney of Fedamore is one of our best Story tellers. She lived in a little hosue on the grounds of Fedamore house and is 67 years of age. I am making a collection of her stories some of which take hours to tell.

that Croker was going past. (On his way home to Ballinagarde from Limerick). No sooner was the word passed than Kiely rushed out armed with a pike (A hay-fork), and held up Croker in his buggy. (A buggy is a trap(?)-car drawn by one horse and has a back-to-back seat). "Stand", says Kiely. "Get out of my way you drunken blackguard", says Croker. "Stand", says Kiely, "Or I'll put the fork through you", and his attitude supported his words. "Well and what do you want?, says Croker. "I want you to say Hail Mary", says Kiely. Croker recognised the dangerous bearing of the man, and "Hail Mary", says he aloud. "That's alright", says Kiely and he allows Croker pass.Now at that time, or perhaps some time later the P.P. of Fedamore was a Fr. O'Kennedy. He was an ascetic (?) in ways, but was a victim to method. His own method, which he attempted and devised to impose in the people of Fedamore. Thus if you wanted to get married, you should call to him for your papers between say 11 and 12. If you wanted to arrange for a baptism, you should come between 5 and 6 and so on.Well it so happened that Kiely had to arrange

There was a priest in Fedamore [?] Church at one time and his name was Father Blake and he was curate he was a horsey man and this day he went off to a race meeting in Bruff without saying his morning mass and He died very young and left that mass unsaid and three weeks after his death he appeared in the church and every night after about 12 o'clock at night and he used to appear to see if any one would be there that might answer his mass so there were three fellows living in the parish who heard this and they decided they would go and answer

One night he was out late setting for rabbits in the fort. As he was leaving the fort he heard grand music and he also saw grand lights flashing and going again. The fairies danced around the forts. They used to stop near the house, at the foot of Fedamore Hill. Since then every one called that house haunted. The ruins of it are to be seen today.

I live in town land of Ballyea in the Parish of Fedamore in the Barony of Small County There are seventeen families in the townland of Ballyea. The most names of the families are Moloney's There are only there thatched houses in it and the rest are slated.A long time ago aman by the name of Hugh ruled here and it was called Hugh's town and now it is called Ballyea. There is not one person in the townland over seventy. There are ninety people in it.Connell's, Fitz Geralds, Collins, Dohoney's, Moloneys, Moloney's, Duains, McNamaras, Heddermans, FitzPatricks, Hannons, Boohans, Hannons, Browns, Gleesons, Kennedys, Bourkes, There was a good couple of houses in Mr Gleezon land. There were two opposite the barrack. There was a house at the foot of Fedamore hill There was between one Ryans and Cliffords There was a forge at the angle. There was a house in Gleeson's Garden. A good lot of people went to America from here.

Fedamore brought them home. Caherline and Ballingarry used come also. All they the teams enjoyed themselves for an hour and the full of their pockets used go in to James Powers.

Situation
Nature of the soil
HistorySkule bog is situated in the parish of Fedamore. Iti s surrounded by the townlands of Ballinagarde to the North, Rockstown to the East, Carnane to the West and Fedamore to the South. It consists of a stretch of low lying reclaimed bog land. It is about two miles in length.Turf was cut in the bog up to about seventy years ago. The soil is that of the bog land - black. Extensive drains are cut here and there to carry off the surface water but even so this does not prevent the bog from being flooded in wet weather.The bog at one time was a commonage. No person had any special claim to it. Families began to drift gradually in to the bog. Many were those were evicted from their own holdings in other parts of the country in the days of landlordism

her home but she never had much talk afterwards.
You'd never hear of 'them' doing much now. I suppose it must be shoving near the end of time.
By 'them' I mean the good people.Fr. Blake, the Parish Priest of Fedamore was a famous man for curing people who were aery. He could do this because he knew the good people and was always prepared for them until one night coming home in a car they laid in ambush for him inside the ditch. They dragged him off the car and gave him a doing. He didn't speak for 24 hours after that and, then, his first words were "God help you, Fr. Blake now for 7 years". He was paralysed.
He had to give up the parish then but he lived after in the village and the people kept him up.The Coach-a-Bhodhar (headless coach) goes into the half-fort in Kelly's land in Fedamore. Every Xmas it goes but tisn't heard

they came and only put a hapenny in the plate out of derision to the Priest. Whichever way it was he got mad and he called the "Frieze-coated gentlemen", to come for ward and 'twas the same way with them. The Priest made some remark and one of the "Cloth-coated" men turned to the girls and asked what now or something to that effect. The girl answered, "Pluck the cherry while tis ripe". As soon as she did they jostled the Priest, and struck him, and half-killed him, and the wedding was turned into an uproar, and a melee and 'twas the talk of the seven parishes for many a long day". (M___ O'G _____) (Another version adds, "They hadn't the better luck for it, and before three days they had to go back to the Priest, some with pains in their heads, some with twisted arms, and some otherwise and beg his pardon for what they done". Families bearing the names Blake and Barry and directly descended from the people of those names who figure in the above tale are flourishing still in the parishes of Fedamore, Manister, Banogue and Ballygran. D.O.C)

a man on each handle of the bar, and you or any of the three men will never get it. but the time will be soon up and it will be risen between the two masses in Fedamore.(Luke Hederman, Collected by Maire O'Neill)

Well mind you, they say that it is not a lucky sign to see the two ends of a rainbow meeting the ground in the one parish. It happened in Fedamore and before a week was up, A---B--- was dead. No then, he was not an old man, nor a delicate man, but the reverse. He was a strong man.They say that the bad luck that it brings must fall on some body or some thing, beast or otherwise.(M.--- O 'D.---, Manister)

and again: "There used to be tents there from Croom and Bruff, from Athlacca and Fedamore, from Ballybrood itself, and ould Thady Halpin from Cahernorry used to have one there"- at Glenogra fair
(M.O'C)

Famous Men
Cumertún
Not to be read by Ladies.In the Rockbarton Estate which is situated about 12 miles south of limerick and 3 miles north of Bruff there lived over a hundred and twenty years ago a famous man named Cumertún.
Cumertun was a great mower.
He had a “Secret” for putting edge on a scythe.There lived at Fedamore in the house presently owned by Mr. Madden ex N.T. a parson named Bennett who, however owned much more of the land around the house that presently owned by Mr. Madden.At the same time the Parish Priest of Fedamore was Rev. Father Blake P.P. Parson Bennett and Father Blake were great friends and often used to visit each other.On one occasion Parson Bennett who became indebted to Father Blake promised him as (Note in margin – Got from Mr John Clancy, Farmer and Carpenter Grange, Co. Limerick)

The Local Forge
There are two forges in the parish of Fedamore.The smiths are Patrick Murphy and James Fitzgerald.
Fitzgeralds people were smiths for two or three generations. Murphys forge is situated at the foot of Fedamore hill near cross roads. Fitzgeralds forge is situated in Ballinagarde near cross roads too.
The Forge which belongs to Mr Murphy is attached on to his dwelling house. It is one a story high house and has a gahranised roof. Fitzgeralds forge is about a quarter of a mile from Camane school. The other forge is about two or three miles from it.
The door is a sliding one and the door way is arched leading in. The fireplace is a huge round strcuture of brick. There are two fireplaces within.
A new bellows was installed in Fitzgeralds forge some time ago. it is different to the old style of bellows which was there some years ago. The new patent takes up little space and is easier to blow than the older one.
A spool on the axle is worked by a chain. The bellows are enclosed in a case and nothing can be seen but the handle. They were not

It is said that there is fairies in Clifford's fort.
There was once a priest living in Fedamore he was living where Mr. Ryan is living now his name was Father Blake. If you stood on the toe of his boot and look over his shoulder you could see the good people. He got a very wicked death

There was once a farmer’s wife in the parish of Fedamore Co. Limerick who never sent her milk to the creamery but used to make butter of it. This day she found it impossible to make the butter and continued so for many days. The man of the house went to Biddy Early and told her his story. Biddy replied “You can not make butter because there is a neighbour living beside you who gets up every morning before your wife, and lets her ducks into your farm, and these ducks take away the butter in their feet, and also she said “there is a hole at the end of your farm and if you close it you will have

If you ever travelled the road from Fedmore to Ballyneety. You would often come upon an dirty house. Ther3 are 3 forges around here
(1) in Fedamore. another (2) Ballynagarde (3) Ballyneety (4) Toomey's
(1) The One in Fedamore is belonging to Mr Murphy
(2) The one in Ballynagarde is Mr Fitzgeralds.
(3) The one in Ballyneety is Mr Lahys.
(4) The one in Fanigstown is Toomeys.
(Describe)
The door is very wide and is 8ft or 9ft high and about 7 or 8 feet wide. And always when you come upon a forge you will see irons and machines and old horse shoes throw around. And bits of scrap iron.
The smith is always working very hard and when yo will enter the forge, you will see the Anvel. And the bellows and the fire and the smith fitting the iron on the the fire and when it is red he catches the red iron with a thongs and puts it on the anvel and makes a horse-shoe or some thing with it.
The smith be always very black with the smoke. And always the forges are situated at cross roads. The smith have a very hard time doing things for the farmers.
Some times he makes harrows and mends ploughs.