Going back as far as can be remembered. Father James Hardimen was then Parish Priest. He was from Westport District. After him came Father Luke Ryan. Father Ryan is buried in the church there is a slab, to his memory on the wall. Fr. Michael O'Donnell then came. He lived in his brother's house in the middle of the parish. He was in Kilmeena. There is a slab to his memory in the Church in Kilmeena. He is buried in side the Church. Father Jerry O'Toole was next appointed Parish Priest by his uncle Dr. Mac Evilly, while he was still a young man. He was a native of the West that is Louisburgh district. When Father O Toole died he was buried outside the

the famine. Kilmaclasser is also called the Halfparish, but is much smaller than half for the reason given in the story. After the famine there were not many people alive, or enough of priest's for each parish. So the parish were united under one parish priest. There is the ruins of an old church in Kilmaclasser. We are not certain if Saint Patrick ever visited Kilmuna. We have no proof he did come except the Archbishop of Armagh laid claim to the church and lands of Kilmeena. He could not do this only if St. Patrick founded a church here. They say there was a church on Claoninin and another in Innis-daff but nothing is known about them now. There was never a monastery or convent in Kilmeena.

There is one churchyard in this parish it is in the townland of Kilmeena Hill in the Barony of Burrishool, in the parish of Kilmeena, and in the County of Mayo. It is not still in use. The churchyard is the shape of an

As a result of a battle between the O’Malley’s and the O’Flaherty’s which took place in in Clare Island, the O’Flaherty’s were victorious and the O’Malleys routed and slaughtered. One woman of the Clan alone escaped and she reached the mainland at a place called Claggen in Kilmeena (Co. Mayo). She was coming towards Westport and a friend who lived there. When some 80 or 90 yards southwest of where Kilmeena Parish Church now stands, she approached a priest to whom she unfolded her tale of woe, and uttered a painful lament that her baby was a female, to whom she had shortly before given birth, for she declared, that if the child were a male it would one day win back the territory of its fathers. The priest who was “Brendan the Navigator ” uprooted a shelling-string and a gush of water came forth in which he baptized the child. To the pleasant surprise of the women, the child became a male. A well now marks the place from which the water gushed and stations are frequently performed at it and it is known and recognised as St. Brendan’s Well.

in Myna is called St Brendans school. There is a blessed well near the chapel and it is called St. Brendan's well. There is a story that there were two Saints in Kilmeena in the old times, called St Brendan and Moclasser or Classer. Claise is this St's name in Irish. Now, one saint was enough in any parish in the following way. St. Brendan lived in the East of the parish. Claise lived in the West of the parish. Each saint was to leave his cill and come towards each other on their knees praying. The parish would be divided where they would meet. St. Brendan was a cute saint and it is said he did not creep on his knees all the way and he had got a good bit further than half way when he meet the other Saint Claise. The parish was then divided, and that is the reason why Kilmeena is much bigger than Kilmaclasser. They parish remained separated till the time of

There is only one Holy Well in this Parish. It is in a field not far from Kilmeena church. People visit it on a certain day of the week. This day is Friday. There is an old story told about the well, as follows: There was a very holy man whose name was Brendan living in the townland of Ardkeen, he saw a poor woman whose name was Mrs. O’Malley. She had a baby with her, and it was a girl. She told Brendan that she would rather if it were a boy as the O’Malley’s were killed except that woman. She told all the story to Brendan. Brendan told some men to dig a few sods in a filed near Kilmeena church. Water sprung up from it, and then Brendan dipped the baby into the well, when he put it in the first it was a girl. When

thatched. There are two old people living there namely, William Gill and Pat Gill. There were three more houses in it one time, Ricards Golden's, and Stauntons.
Kilmeena.We understand from the name of the parish that there was a church or cill in this place, from which the parish got its name. We do not know exactly when the chapel was built and we can not say either when it was destroyed. The old chapel is not more, not even its ruins.Some people think that the parish got its name from a Saint called Myna, or Meena, but there is not the least information about such a Saint.St Brendan is the patron Saint of the parish and the present Church is called after this Saint. The present church in Kilmeena was built in the year 1838. The Priest's house is also called St Brendan's and the school

There are the ruins of an old castle in the school district. It is not definitely know who built. Some old people say it was a man named O’Malley that built it; others believe it was a man named Affy Burke that built it; and others still say it was built by Grainia Uaille. It is a very old castle. Nobody remembers it to be inhabited and it has been derelict at least for a hundred years. It is situated close to the sea in the townland of Castleaffy, the parish Kilmeena, Barony of Burrishoole and county

Lord Sligo is the local landlord. The family have been settled in this district since the time of Cromwell. At that time he was but ordinary English settler. He was a supporter of the shameful "Act of Union" in later years and his title was bestowed on him by the king of England on that account.
All landlords have been looked upon as robbers since they have taken the Irish land through the force of English arms. Over a hundred families were evicted between the present Protestant Church and Kilmeena because they would not vote

There was a priest living in a house in the field of Patrick Walsh (Carey Ltd) His nephew murdered him and took £4 from him. Nephew hid in the bushes. Cattle came and hunted him to Knock na Boley. His brother met him cross Buckfield, Kilmeena river. He struck him with his dagger but could not drive it home. The murderer was caught and brought to Newport where he was hung.
Headless coach seen often at 2 am between Kilmore School and the house of Owen Jeffers on the Newport - Castlebar road.

My home district is called Carraholly. Carraholly is situated in the South part of the parish of Kilmeena in the Barony of Borrishoole. It borders on the barony of Murrisk.
Carraholly comprises the townlands of Rawe, Tonaraha East, Tonaraha West, Rusheen, Pigeon Point, Windmills, Balbybrock, Carraholly, Old Walls, Money, Rosmindle, Knockanuisge, Rosmine, Rose Hill, Drumgarive, Mayour, Mucklagh, Cloonkeen, Knockasproka, Knackballagh, Knockavanlamon, Coolbarren, Barly Hill, and part of Lord Sligo's Demesne, and the islands of Illantagart, Crovinish, Innisratahar, Innisheeney, and Innisgowla.
The Irish for Carraholly given by the Government as is seen in the Carraholly Post Office is Ceathramha an Chalaidh. Ceathramha an chalaidh means the quarter of land beside the harbour. The old people living here say that, that is the wrong meaning for

Carraholly. The right Irish for Carraholly is Carrtha Chalaidh which means the pillar of the landing. Carrtha means a pillar. Calaidh means a landing place for boats. The pillar is yet seen on the side of the road and the landing place or callow, in Irish, caladh, is in Tommy Browne's land about a hundred yards from the pillar. Turf from Achill Hookers, is still unloaded at Tommy Browne's Quay and is a well known land mark for the South part of Kilmeena.
It is very interesting to know that the name Carraholly although applied to all the above named villages is really only a point of land jutting into the sea, in area 120 acres as its name tells. The beggining of Carraholly is at the Pillar where folklore has it, was the entrance gate to a castle built there in very early times. Nobody has pointed out the site yet. An avenue was supposed to run from the pillar to the

Sir Samuel O' Malley
Sir Samuel claimed descent from Grainne Maile, and it is said he was born in Clare Island. He was a member of the parliament, in Dublin in the time of Gratton for county Mayo. He changed his religion. He became a protestant, at the time the English government and its agents were doing their best to pass the act of union. It is said that he cast his vote with Lord Castlereagh and voted for the union. For this act of treaehery to Ireland, and to the memory of his great anteestor Grainne O' Malley, and for his loyalty to the English government he was awarded with a powerful sum of money and with the title of Sir Samuid O' Malley. When he relived from the parliament after the union he came to Kilmeena and bought a large estate near Carrowholly.

There was once a man named Gibbons who lived in the village Clooneen, in the parish of Kilmeena, and in the Co. of Mayo.He thought that everybody in the townland was trying to fool him. So two boys got coloured [sic] pictures and pasted them on the donkey. When the ass got free he ran wild through the village.When the cows saw him they ran also, and they all died.

the big field from Riellys house to the blind bridge. The old Irish name for this field is Blain na Riabhach or Lean na Riabhach the meadow of the brindled cows. This extensive field is very low and before the barrier or sluice, that is termed the Churns was built, the sea came in there and further to Log and Coolbarren. Boats used to sail under the blind bridge into the Logs. Barretts hill is the biggest hill in the Demesne and it is the hill over Blain na Riabhach. The wood on Barretts hill is called Cliabhlach in Irish. Some call it Cliabhach. It could be either. In English it is called the round Wood. Log or Log Coolbarren is the deep valley between the Blind Bridge and Cruknaheorna. The Booley or Buaile in Irish is the place, the Kilmeena side of Mayour Walls. It borders on Westport parish.
On the Carraholly side of the Demesne is Winters Hill. The Irish for Winters is lost. Winters Hill is north of Blain Mór. South of Winters Hill

Once upon a time a man brought a big crowd of children into a fort. His name was Nicholas Foylin and he held a lighted candle in his hand. This fort was in Kilmeena. It was a big place and the walls were white-washed like any ordinary house. In winter the sheep used to go in a small piece in the hall.
The man was in front of the children. They were not in far when the dog got a big blow and he ran out through the children knocking some of them. That happened on a Sunday evening and that night he went to bed and he never got up again. He used to be raving and asking for his white gloves and his white stockings. The people didn't know

In the village of Ardkeen in Kilmeena, there was a man named Pat Nowlan, who was dreaming how to question a spirit.
So one night he was coming home from work, he saw this spirit in Black, in front of him, and when Pat passed out, the spirit began to trip him, by putting his foot in front of Pat's feet, in order to make him fall.
Pat forgot how to question the spirit at first. Then he Blessed himself, and said "do me no harm, I pray you". The spirit stood still, and let a low rumbling noise from him. In the name of God do me no harm."

but he did not stay long school-mastering because he knew well that school-mastering was a poor job.
Mr. Greally came next, from Ballyhaunis. He lived in Rusheen in the cottage where Mr MacDermott lived and married his niece, who was also a teacher in the school. He died young. He was a good teacher and died young. Mr Walsh who came from Kilmeena taught in the school next. He turned out great scholars too. After that came Mr Egan of Castlebar who is teaching there now with Mrs Staunton the Assistant teacher.
The roof was blown off the school in February 1927, by a great storm.
It is a very old school now, very damp, and very cold. The rain comes through when it rains heavily. There is but one fire-place in the south gable

of Mayo.It is believed it was attacked at one time. The reasons for these beliefs are, that there are large holes in many places in it supposed to be put there by canon-balls. Canon-balls have been found in the lands surrounding the castle. I have never heard any traditions concerning it. It is said that there are underground chambers in it, but any attempts have never been made to find out. It is not known were there people foully done to death in it.There are two old churches in the neighborhood. Both were Protestant churches. There are the ruins of a Catholic Church in Kilmeena Cemetery. It was formerly the Parish Church, but it is not know [sic] when it was abandoned. It contains no carvings on the doorways, and there are no inscribed words, or ornamental stones in

of Kilmeena and Barony of Burrishoole. There are ten families in my district. There are forty nine people in my district. The family most common are Gills. There are six thatched houses and four slated houses in my district. Nobody in my district knows how it got its name. There are four old people in my district. They don’t know any Irish. Their names are: Mr. Pat Gill, Mrs. Flynn, Mrs. Gill, and Mrs. Cox. There were more houses in my district in former years, than there are now. The people who were living in the houses emigrated to America. The land is not hilly and there are no bogs in my district. There is no wood in it either. There is a river running along Mayour and it is called the Buckfield River. Some people catch trout in the river.