Pat Burke, Upperchurch, Thurles, Co. Tipperary gave a running leap twenty two feet. He jumped in Baurnedomeeny in a place called Colincha. John Kennedy, Bealaclave, Rear Cross Newport, Co.Tipperary jumped five feet eight and a half feet in Borrisoleigh about forty nine years ago. James Carey, Coonmore, Rear Cross, Newport, Co Tipp, and Tim Brennan, Rear Cross, Newport, Co Tipp were his opponents. Patrick Kennedy, Bealaclave, Rear Cross, Newport, Co. Tipp jumped in Newport about fifty years ago. He jumped five feet eight. Phil Quinlan, Cummer, Milestone, Thurles was against Pat Kennedy , Pat Nolan , Baurnedomeeny, Rear Cross and Michael Toole, Shanbally, Rear Cross, Newport Co Tipp. They jumped in Baurnedomeeny about forty five years ago. They jumped thirty six feet in three leaps.The best swimmer in this locality was James Carey, Shanbally, Rear Cross, Newport, Co.Tipp. He was a noted swimmer. One night he got up out of

John Quigley, Baurnedomeeny, Rear Cross, Newport, Co. Tipp, is a great jumper. He could jump the height of about 10 feet. John Nolan Baurnedomeeny, Rear Cross, Co. Tipperary,once jumped a river called the Mulcair, parish of Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary, and he also crossed a chasm called " The Robber's Valley", townland of Coonmore, parish of Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary. Coonmore was the name of that place where that feat was accomplished, parish of Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary. The name of the place where the jumping used to be held long ago was Baurnedomeeny, parish of Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary. John Carey, Rear Cross, Newport, Co Tipperary was a good swimmer. He could swim a distance of about 50 feet. Once he swam a river called the Mulcair, parish of Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary. IT is about 14 feet wide. Another man also swam in thta same place. His name was John Nolan, Baurnedomeeny, Rear Cross, newport, Co. Tipp. There were a couple of hundred on-lookers there.

In the neighbourhood of Foilacleara there is a cross known as "Nanny's Cross". The following story was narrated by Michael Ryan farmer Foilacleara but it is commonly told by the natives. Michael Ryan is a grandson to the Brian Kennedy a kinsman of the Peter Kennedy both of whom are mentioned in the story. Mr Ryan is about 75 years and now owns the lands on which "Peter Nanny's" house and forge stood.
Peter Kennedy known in the locality as Peter Nanny owned a forge in Shanbally near Rear-cross in the parish of Kilcommon. Kilcommon is situated about five miled from Rear-Cross and in Rear-Cross there was a chapel thathced with furze bushed to whch the Kilcommon priests were supposed to come to say Mass every Sunday. The priests thought it very far to be going to Rear every Sunday and they were in favour of knocking the Chapel near Rear. The people there were very much opposed to this, and Peter Kennedy led an opposition party against the Priest.
Peter had to leave Shanbally and a man named Brian Kenned a kinsman of his gave him a place for a house and forge here in Foilacleara and the print of the house is still to be seen.

The best mower I have heard of is John Russell, formerly of Rear Cross, Newport, Co.Tipp. He cut an acre and a half of hay in a day with a scythe for himself. It would take seven days to cut that same meadow with a scythe nowadays. The meadow belongs to Ned Lynch, Baurnadomeeny, Rear Cross, Newport, Co Tipp. It takes two days to cut the same meadow with a machine.The best local dancer I have heard of is Ned Beaton, Coonmore, Rear Cross, Newport, Co Tipp. It is said he is able to dance any step he would be asked. It was James Carey, Coonmore , Rear Cross, Newport , Co. Tipp. that taught him.

The best mower I have heard of was Mr William Carey formerly of Shanbally, Rear Cross, Newport, Co. Tipp. He cut an acre of hay in one day with a scythe for a neighbour, Mrs Winifred Carey of the same townland. It would take one man six days to cut the same meadow now. In those days other good mowers used to challenge each other. Patrick Lynch of Baurnedomeeny, Rear Cross, Newport, Co.Tipp. challenged this man but they always came nearly even.The best local dancers I have heard of were William Kearney, Baurnadomeeny, Rear Cross, Newport, Co. Tipp. And aloso John Mackey, Shanbally, Rear Cross , Newport. They were able to dance every kind of step dance. They used to go around to all the neighbours' houses and all the rest of the neighbours would gather and would give all night dancing.

at this publichouse at Rear Cross. When the Freestate car came on unexpected this young hero named Carew a boy of 16 fired at the car, and wounded Captain Walsh in the hand, after that he took flight for safity, and had to run cross way's and through cattle when at this time a beast got, shot, there was about 30 soldier's fighting on him, and he took cover in several places and excaped, it was considered a very warlike action. Then when the Freestate party were returning from their journey, they were met by Sean Carroll's men at a place called the white wall's. Carroll's men said they would have revenge when they herd the shots of Rear Cross so they took cover at the white wall, and fired at the Lorry's going back so this man Welsh hiaded the parties going back in a private car, and was shot by Sean Carrol's men.

There was a hedge school about a quarter of a mile from Rear Cross. The local name for it was a 'knowledge house'. It was in the townland of Rear Cross, parish of Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary where there is now a house belonging to George Russell. The people used to call all these schools a 'knowledge house'. The children used to be taught by a man teacher. Mr Scully was the teacher that was in Rear Cross. He was a native of the Co. Tipperary. They used to carry on school in an outhouse belonging to the farmers. The teachers used to go from house to house with the scholars every second night. The scholars used pay them a pound a quarter for teaching them. The teachers used to teach Irish, English, Grammar, Arithmetic, and so on. They used not speak any Irish between themselves or the teachers. They used to teach Irish in the school but if they were caught speaking Irish between themselves they would be punished by some means. It is not known what books they used. They used write with a pencil and slate. There used to be a big seat all

Cill Chuimín, the older name being Cill Cuimin a't-Sléibhe is a parish with an area of 30 sq miles, embracing Rear Cross and Hollyford. It has three R.C. churches the one in Rear Cross being Galvanised. Rear Cross is but a new name being, I heard, given to Ré or Réidh Fhearthnóighe Móire by the late Rev W.J. McKeogh, Parish Priest of the united Parishes from about 1887 to 1913.The district is mountainous the people mostly dairy farmers while a large trade is also done in store cattle which thrive extremely well in the lowlands. There are numerous dolmens, cromechs locally called "Labbies" which is probably an Anglicised, pluralised form of the Irish word "leabhaidh". These point to a Pre-Christian colonisation but very little information concerning them is to be had locally except that some say they are graves of chieftains, others say treasure is hidden in them, some say they are the Fairy Tables. They are held in deep respect as in other places the belief exists that some great evil befalls those who interfere with them. I know two or three which have fallen and yet the stones remain strewn on the ground not to be removed.

There is an old ancient cave on the side of a hill in Baurnadomeeny, parish of Kilcommon, Rear Cross, Newport, Co. Tipperary. It is less than a half a mile from the road overhanging a deep glen. It is called Diarmuid and Graine's grave. It contains all stone and it is the make of a flat roofed house. It is said that it was brought there when the Danes first came to Ireland. It is only about a mile from Rear Cross school and people came there not so long ago to view this scenery.

Patrick Waide, Baurnedomeeny, Rear Cross, Newport Co. Tipperary was able to carry two hundred weight of cement under his arm about forty yards. He was able also to throw a half hundred over a bar about eleven feet and a half . He threw it over a bar with one hand.
There is a man in the parish who used to carry a table in his mouth around the house. His name is Michael Maher, Foilduff, Rear Cross , Newport , Co Tipperary.

There were several strong men in Rear Cross and its surroundings long ago. There was a man in Rear Cross named O'Toole, in the parish of Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary. This O'Toole man lived about seventy years ago. He was a great strong man and was able to lift a stone four stone in weight over his head and he was able to throw a twenty stone bag of potatoes into a car from the ground. He was once challenged for lifting a heavy stone by a great strong man from Cork. This O'Toole man lifted the stone seven feet and the man from Cork only lifted it six feet four inches. O'Toole lifted stone eight inches higher than the man from Cork.

We are told that there was a hedge school situated in Rear Cross about one hundred years ago or more, where now lives Mr. George Russell,

There were two hedge schools in the district, one at Kilcommon and another at Rear Cross. The one at Kilcommon was situated where John

Crowe's drapery shop is now, and the one at Rear Cross was where Mrs. O'Toole is now living. Those schools were built of scraw walls and thatched roofs. The seats that were used were scraws and stones. They used write on pieces of slates with bits of soft stones and on paper with quills and ink, made of elder berries, and they also had blackboards made by a carpenter. The names of the teachers that taught at Rear Cross were Matthew and James Hegarty and the teachers that taught at Kilcommon were John Warden and James Clarke. Teachers were paid by the quarter according to the amount of scholars that were at the school. The teachers used lodge in the neighbours' houses. There was no Irish spoken. These schools existed over thirty years.

who served them with one drink - a glass of whiskey. They again set off in their car, the horse which they had purchased at the fair tied to the rear of the car. Nothing happened till they reached Ballyoughter Cross, a distance of three miles. On the home side of the cross is a straight road for about one hundred yards. Mr Roche saw in front a big car which proved to be a hearse coming at a terrific pace towards them and called to Doyle to pull in. He had no time however to do so before the hearse shot by them. He said if it were a natural one it could not possibly have got by for the road is narrow and their car was on the centre of the road. Neither felt in the least nervous but both remarked that it was very strange. Nothing then happened till they came to the Acre Quarry when they had left the road to Ballycanew and turned on to the bye road which leads to Doyle's house about a quarter of a mile away. They were almost clear

The road that passes by Rossy [N S?] connects Annadale Cross with Castlefore Cross roads. An old road runs parallel to the present road from Castlefore to Keshcarrigan. On this old road the French travelled in 1798 and along the old road that runs parallel to the present road from Castlefore to Gorvagh. The French encamped on a rock in the townland of Aughnahoo for a day or two. An old man named Frank Bawn of Drumboly had a small butcher's shop where he used to kill calves principally. He was employed by the French to kill calves for them and was very busy for two days. A short time after an English regiment called the "Hessians" or Hussians as the old people called them came in pursuit of the French. Frank Bawn the local butcher thought at first this regiment was the rear guard of the French army and killed for them also: after a time he found out they were the English so he'd work no more for them. He stole away and lay down in a furrow in a potato field. The "Hessians" searched for him for half a day to kill him and they stepped over the furrow where he lay. The potato stalks completely hid him from view so he escaped eventually. Another leader mistaking the English

On St Brigids day the young girls go around with an image dressed up as St Brigid, and called at every house for money to rear "Biddy." They used then have a good time out of the money they collected. It is a custom to hang out a rag too on St Brigids eve and that rag was supposed to cure a headache afterwards. It is also a custom to hang out a cross during the night and it was brought in again in the morning. When it was brought in it was hung over the fire and if anyone had a toothache they went miles away with the cross to cure it
It was a custom around here during Shrove for the young men to take all the old maids to Skeilg. They used then duck them in the water and frighten them so much that they used be married the next time. They were bound to get some old fellow.
On St Johns night a bonfire is made around here by the young men. Young men and women dance around it till morning with plenty of music. When

One day a man named William Carney, townland of Baurnadomeeny, parish of Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary met a ghost and the ghost said to him "I will eat you William Carney". William said to the ghost "you have no other appearance". Joan O'Toole, Shanbally, Rear Cross, Newport, Co. Tipperary
Material obtained from:-
Denis O'Toole, Shanbally, Rear Cross, Newport, Co. Tipperary

halfpenny for the week. He then gave him a half a glass of whiskey and he said "Although I am giving you this I know it is a nail in your coffin". "By gor mister," said Matt "when you have the hammer in your hand at all it is as good for you to drive another nail"Maggie Deere, Baurnadowneeny, Rear Cross, Newport, Co. TipperaryMatt Nolan, Baurnadowneeny, Rear Cross, Newport, Co. Tipperary