Recent changes

The local roads in my (dri) district is the Tarmonbarry which leads from Longford to Tarmonbarry. The Brianstown Road leads from Newtownforbes to Sligo. The Kilmore road leads from Kilashee to Lanesborough. Corteen three road leads to Corteen three roads school. No one knows when these roads were made. All the roads in my district are not very old. There a few paths through Henry Jh Joher's field. All the the boy's in my district gather up a Kilmore Crossroads in the summer evenings to play tricks. There are no mass paths in my district. All the roads in my district are still used.

There are a few local heroes around my home. The first I am going to mention is Jim Kenny of Kilmore. He fought during the Black and tans when they were in Ireland. He was on the run for a long time and he used to escape them by a hairs breadth only. The next local hero is James Bardon, Kilmore, and he won many long races. He also (one) won many long jumps and high jumps and won prizes at the musical chairs, and he has a brother called John who can jump twenty-two foot ten inches at a long jump. The next thing is about scythe mowers. The best man I know at it is James Kenny, he can mow three roods in a day.

I know a good many place names around my home. The high field because there was a big hill in it. The whinny field because a heap of whins grew in it. The Danes field is another name for a field not far from my home, it got its name because it is said that the Danes built (his) huts there and lived in them until they were defeated by the Irish at the battle of Clontarf. The field of the Rath because there is a rath in it. The field of the mass rock because there used to be mass said on it in the Penal days.

There are four forges in my parish. The smith's name are James Toher, Richmond Street Longford, James O'Neill Longford town, and Pat Lane BallymacCormack. All these are smiths for many years and their fathers were smiths before them. The forge is a small house with a (ldlc) thatched roof. The implements he uses are, hammers, pinchers, a rasp, and a lot of other things. The smith shoe asses, horses, but he does not shoe cattle. He makes ploughs, harrows, Iron gates, and other things. The smiths shoe wheels of carts beside the water. There is a cure for warts in the forge water, and when sparks fly from the red iron it is the sign of money.
The smiths are always noted for being very strong. There is a big bellows in the corner of the forge.

John Eivers, Ballymahon, 20th August, 1703
Bernard Waters Ballymahon 11th January, 1778
Thomas Shore, 19th January 1781
Patrick Farrell, Lerlickan [?] 12th January 1790
Maria Hoare, 19th February 1818.

I heard a funny story about two months ago it was about a man that was coming home from the fair and he was drunk. When he was on his way home he was going along the edge of the road and there was a hole or cave. Then he fell in to a big hole against hard ground and he could not get out of it. Then he saw some soldiers sitting round a big fire He asked them to let him out and they said they would not let out unless he gave them a two shilling piece and any one else out for a half crown so he gave them the two shillings and he was let and he went home a next morning he went to mass and he heard the Priest saying (of) out of hell there is no redemption when the man heard this he stood up and said that he was in hell last night and he got out for two shillings and any one else will get out for a half crown.
I heard this from my father aged 60 yre years

The name of the town/ I live in is Brianstown and it is in the parish of Clonguish and in the barony of Longford. There are seven families living in it and about thirty people. It took its name from a man named Brian who owned it at one time. The is one man in the townland over seventy years his name is Joseph Corcoran. There were a good deal more houses in this townland long ago than there are nowadays becaus the people imigrated to other countries during the great famine in 1847. This townland is not mentioned in song or story I do not think. It is only hilly or boggy only in places. There is one (place) big wood in it and it is about two or three hundred in length and eighty yards in width and there a lot of trees growing in it. There is also a stream running through this townland but there is no name on it.

Most marriages around my district take place after Christmas in January and February. Thursday and Friday are days thought unlucky for marriages especially On Shrove Tuesday the woman of the house has to make pan cakes as a local custom for the supper on that night. There are only seldom matches made in my district. Money is often given as dowry or land may be given. People dont remember marriages being carried out in houses. There is an old rhyme about the days for getting married, Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, and Wednesday the best day of al. Thursday for loses, Friday for croses and Saturday no day at all. Sometimes a wedding is held or the pair may go to Dublin or elsewhere on a honeymoon. Straw boys visit the house if there is a wedding and they do have straw belts and hats and face disguisers on them. Often they do have bad behaviour also. There is a wedding procession held on the wedding morning and also a halling home.

The local fairs are held in Longford town and buyers often transact business at farmers houses in the country. This is still kept in memory. Fairs were held formerly which were discontinued lately because in some places the drunkards used to rob people going and take money from them. The town fair is held on the street. Toll is paid to men standing on the street near a railyway station where cattle are going to be exported, it is supposed to be about fourteen pence pence per head. When special animals are been sold such as horses or sometimes cows luck money is given to the buyer.
When a bargain is being made the parties concerned show their agreement by striking hands. Animals are marked when they are sold with wraddle. When an animal is sold the halter is given with him. The great fairs of the years are October, June and April. The sheep and horses are sold in the cattle fair and there is a special fair on the Second Thuesday of every month for bonoras [?] and big pigs.

The wild birds that come to our district are the Swallows the Cookoo the Corncrake and others They all come in summer and go away before summer is out again. The Swallows build their nest in an old house. They build their nest with feathers and hay and mud. Then the bird [ ] small dotted eggs in it and hatch them. (out) till the young birds come out. The Cookoo builds no nest at all she is a very lazy bird she goes to a nest when the old one is out and lays an egg in it and goes away again when the bird comes back she does not notice the different egg and hatches her out. When the bird is out she is bigger than any of the other birds and the old bird is very proud of him and carries her lots of food. The Corncrake builds her nest in a meadow with grass. Then she lays a few eggs in it and hatches out the young birds.

I heard a funny story about three men who were going to be hanged for murder one of them was an Irish man and the other was an English man and the other was a Scotch man. So the hang man asked them what tree they would like to be hanged on the English man said he would like to be hanged on an ash tree. The Scotch man said he would like to be hanged on an olk tree and the Irish man said he would like to be hanged on a [(illeg.)] Burn [?]bush and the man said to him that that was too small a bush the be hung on and he said if it please's you I will wait until it grows.

I heard of a lot of place names I heard of Greenfield it got its name because it was a great, big field. I heard of another field it is called the Sian it got its name because it is said there used to be fairy's seen in it. I heard of an old rock it is on the top of a hill masse's used to be said on top of it. There is an old field in our land it is called the whiny field because whins used to grow in it. We have an other old field it is called the sally garden because a lot of sally's used to grow in the ditches. We have a (lot of) very old sheltry garden so we call it the garden of Eden. It got its name because a lot of blossom's grows on the trees. We have another big field it is called the Dane field. It got its name because it is said that Dane's fought in it.

The Local house's were nearly all thatched with rushe's They used to have a bed in the kitchen. It was called the shake down. The fire was placed in the gable or in the corner. The front of the chimney's was all mud or watels The old people heard of house's having no chimney's only the fire in the middle of the floor The old people often seen windows with no glass. The old floors were all made of (wood) clay. There was old half doors in the house's. The fires was made of wood and some turfs The candles was made of rushes in olden times. The old people used to have a hole in the middle of the roof for the smoke to go out.

The Local house's were nearly all thatched with rushe's They used to have a bed in the kitchen. It was called the shake down. The fire was placed in the gable or in the corner. The front of the chimney's was all mud or watels The old people heard of house's having no chimney's only the fire in the middle of the floor The old people often seen windows with no glass. The old floors were all made of (wood) clay. There was old half doors in the house's. The fires was made of wood and some turfs The candles was made or rushes in olden times. The old people used to have a hole in the middle of the roof for the smoke to go out.

Some of the fairs were held in Longford and some of them were held at crossroads Some of the buyirs did transact at farmer's house's. The farmers used to give away the halter when they would sell the beast. Some of them would give back the roap or halter. There was some buck [?] money as it was called. They used it to clap their hands against each other when making the bargin There does he also a fair held in Edgeworthtown and Mohel and Granard The cattle was nearly always sold to Jobers [?] in fairs and custom was lifted in the town.

The land lord in my district was Colonel Dugles. The family was settled in the district from the year of Cromel. He was looked upon as a very bad landlord. The effected people had to go away to other countries The ancestors that was alive in the years of Cromel did come in possession of the land. The land was subdivided into farms at marrages. The land lord did exercise all the power he could over his tenents Some of the people were punished because they were Catherlics. Tithe money was collected in the district. It was informed by the English government and for the English.

I often heard my father say that in the Famine year there came a man to his house looking for something to eat. My Grandfather gave him some porrage and milk in a (Nog) noggon and spoon. The man ate so much that when he went down the road he fell dead. The famine did effect the district much. The district was very thickely populated in the year before the famine. The people still point out ruins in their fields Some say it was an incect that disteroyed the potatoes in the Famine.

Paddy Cashin who was a shoemaker lived in the townland of Aughnamdoo and parish of Killoe.
He told the following story as he heard it from John Mac Naboo of the townland of Culleyfad and parish of Killoe.
One night this man Mac Naboo came for a pair of boots which Paddy Cashin had been fixing for him.
It was late that night when Paddy had mended them. John put the boots on the carrier of the bicycle and set out for home between twelve and one o' clock.
When he reached a ford which is between Corlea and Boher he found himself getting very queer and warm; and when he came as far as a hill which is fifty yards from the ford he got down off the bicycle and he saw a man walking before him until he came near the top of the hill; and then, the apparition disappeared as you would put out of a light.
When John tried to get up on the bicycle he was not able so he walked on another piece of the road, and he tried again to get up on the bicycle and he succeeded this time. John got home without further incident.

the horse to rise he looked towards the horse's head, and what do you think he saw: a woman having a hold on the horse's head and helping to raise it.
John got a terrible fright. He did not know the woman. And he said to himself in an audible tone of voice "Hit or miss, I'll leave you to your fate"
John got up out of the drain and made for his house without delay. He was afraid to look back on his way to the house.
Having got into his bedroom he went to bed again, and slept roundly after he had recovered from his fright.
He arose early the next morning, and on going into the field to look after his horse he saw him there feeding as usual on the pasture. His side was covered with the slush of the drain. John went to the part of the drain where he had seen the horse and the apparition and the track of the horse was there.
The horse was nothing the worse of the incident; and John Feehily was nothing the worse of his fright.

When John Feehily of the townland of Drumure and the parish of Clongesh was living in the townland of Leitrim and parish of Clongesh he had a strange experience one night at about 2o'clock.
A voice at his bedroom window called out "John! John! John! 'Your horse is in a ditch." John said to himself that he had better go and see anyhow. So he got up, and when went out into the field where he had put his horse there was no horse to be seen. He then walked towards a deep and narrow drain where he knew there was danger if an animal slipped in, and there he found his horse lying.
He tried to urge the horse to jump up, but owing to the narrowness of the bottom of the drain the horse was turning himself more on his back with his hind legs against the side of the drain.
John then went down into the drain behind the horse and caught hold on his tail to pull him over his hind legs, and as he then urged

shook the bed astonishingly for a quarter of an hour.
His wife asked him what was it that he had seen at the door; and he replied that he had seen the Mother of God. He then explained, that when he opened the door he saw the Mother of God surrounded by light, and with her hands raised to her shoulders just as she is represented in statues in many churches; and that she moved away towards the entrance to the house a distance of about six yards beyond the closed door.
If Frank had not been sober at the time of this visitation, he surely was, when he had reached his bedroom.
Immediately after that he became a temperate man, but eventually he fell back on the evil custom again like the Israelites in the desert.
However, whether it was, that he got another fright or not, he has given up the habit of taking intoxicants completely, and he has even become a pioneer of temperance. This last statement I have heard from his son whom I met at the football match: Leinster v Connaught college, played in the Gaelic Park, Longford, this year 1938.
He had lived at Dromod, Co. Leitrim when the above happened. Shortly after the death of his wife, he

married for the second time and is now living in Ballaghadereen, Co. Roscommon, while his son, my nephew, lives in the Dromod residence.

shook the bed astonishingly for a quarter of an hour.
His wife asked him what was it that he had seen as the door; and he replied that he had seen the Mother of God. He then explained, that when he opened the door he saw the Mother of God surrounded by light, and with her hands raised to her shoulders just as she is represented in statues in many churches; and that she moved away towards the entrance to the house a distance of about six yards beyond the closed door.
If Frank had not been sober at the time of this visitation, he surely was, when he had reached his bedroom.
Immediately after that he became a temperate man, but eventually he fell back on the evil custom again like the Israelites in the desert.
However, whether it was, that he got another fright or not, he has given up the habit of taking intoxicants completely, and he has even become a pioneer of temperance. This last statement I have heard from his son whom I met at the football match: Leinster v Connaught college, played in the Gaelic Park, Longford, this year 1938.
He had lived at Dromod, Co. Leitrim when the above happened. Shortly after the death of his wife, he

Frank Kiernan my brother-in-law was for a good part of his life very much addicted to drink, and when he came to his home badly intoxicated, he usually lay down on the kitchen floor, and as a rule, lay there all through the night, being quite unmanageable.
It was on such an occasion he got the fright of his life one night about twenty five years ago.
Some time after midnight while he lay on the kitchen floor a loud rattling was made on the latch of the door. Frank jumped to his feet and in a terrified voice started to shout "Be off." His wife chanced to be awake at the same time and in her bed and she shouted to her husband "Don't open the door" and she felt terrified also.
However, Frank could not resist going to the door, and opening it, while he continually shouted "Be off" But the sight that met his eyes as he opened the door will never leave his heart.
He closed back the door immediately, and rushed to the bedroom in which his wife lay terrorised. He jumped into the bed beyond her without divesting himself of his clothes, and shouting Oh! Oh! which he kept up for some time, and his trembling and heart-beat

Hallow E'en fell on the thirty first of last October. The people bought nuts and currant bracks with rings in them and it is said that person who gets the ring would be married first. There are a lot of (th) [?] tricks played on that night in every house. The first trick that is played is to put a sixpence in the bottom of a baisin of of water and see who would lift it up in their mouth. Another one that is played is Blind man's (Blu) Buff (andy) any number of players can take part in it one of the players is blindfolded with a piece of cloth tied round his head and over his eyes. Then he will start after the rest of us and who ever is caught has to be blindfolded and follow us.

The most plentiful birds around our district are wild geese. They come in the winter they live along the river When the people hear them scremaing they say there is going to be frost. When they are flying low there is going to be a fall. They build their nest at the sea. There are some wild ducks in the district They come in the harvest when the oates is being cut. We always leave some oates uncut for them to eat. They make their nest on the groung the make it with grass and straw they have heads of oates beside the nest for them to eat They lay fourteen eggs in the nest. They are hatching for 3 weeks. The colour of their [ ] are a dark blue When they come out they stop in the stop on the nest for a couple of days and then they go to the river.

The most plentiful birds around our district are wild geese. They come in the winter they live along the river When the people hear them scremaing they say there is going to be frost. When they are flying low there is going to be a fall. They build their nest at the sea. There are some wild ducks in the district They come in the harvest when the oates is being cut. We always leave some oates uncut for them to eat. They make their nest on the groung the make it with grass and straw they have heads of oates beside the nest for them to eat They lay fourteen eggs in the nest. They are hatching for 3 weeks. The colour of their [ ] are a dark blue When they come out they stop in the stop on the next for a couple of days and then they go to the river.

All the fields around have funny names. The barn [?] field because of its bareness. The big field because of its size. The lawn because it is in front of the house. The fort field because there is a forth in it. The mare field because an a mare died in it. The Bann sidhes [banshee's?] chair it is suposed that when anyone in an Irish family name would die the Bann sighe used to cry after them. The little womans bush it is so called because there was a woman killed at it. There is a road called [ ] because it is said that there used to be a ligh seen on it every night The dead bridge because there was a gallows hand hanging out of it for hanging people long ago.

I was told there was a fort in Lismore. It is called Danes fort. It is said that when the Danes were in Ireland the built the fort for hidding in. There are three big holes in it There is an angle where it is built it is There is a place where they used to bury the dead There are two other forts beside it. One is built upon a hillock the other is in P Mcgowan's field it is fairly high and is surrounded with a lot of beech trees. In a few of the trees there are a lot of lead bullot's in them. There is a stone in it and a lot of (lead) marks of hands and feet in it. One day last year the people who owns the fort was splitting up a tree they got a mark in it like this f3. I heard of a forth in newtownforbes. There is suposed to be a pass under the ground the Castle fort it is said that one time the people were ploughing inside a field and the plough got stuck. There is a light seen in it at certain times during the year.

Tom Geelan of the townland of Derryharrow and parish of Templemichael, County Longford told me the following story:-
One night he was returning home at about 12 oclock, on horseback, from Treel in the parish of Clongesh, and when passing Mulvey's quarry in the townland of Breanrisk and parish of Clongesh he saw a horse running wildly over and back in the quarry field by the roadside.
His horse then commenced snorting, turned on the road and tried to rush back. After turning fully forty times he gradually got past the field, and his horse became calm again. He noticed that although he could see the horse in the quarry field at first, he could hear the noise only as he rushed madly about after that.
He continued on his homeward journey without further incident until he turned on his own road at Fearglass crossroads parish of Gortlettera, by Leitrim And just then, he saw a man leading a donkey and coming towards him. The man was walking in front of the donkey, and held the reins in his right hand. The reins were resting on the man's shoulder and he walked in front of the donkey.
As soon as Tom met them he said "Goodnight" and he thought he knew the man, but he got no answer.

the ditch" "Let us run to the ditch" says Owen They ran to the place, looked into the ditch but nobody was then to be seen, but a hare ran from the spot across the next field.

John Feehily mentioned in the above story told me the following story also.
Some time after Owen Murray of the last story had died John Feehily went on his ceilidhe to the former's residence.
When leaving the house that night at about 10 o'clock, Owen the son of the deceased Owen, went out with him to accompany him for part of the way.
When going down the pass in the field nearest the house John Feehily saw the deceased Owen crossing the field from the path by which they were travelling. He said to Owen "Do you see the man crossing the field" and pointing towards him at the same time. "What is wrong with you" says Owen "I can see nobody" John Feehily continued to point towards the man, now saying "He is going for the hedge" "He is now at the hedge" "He is now going down into

Tom Geeland of the townland of Derryharrow and parish of Templemichael, County Longford told me the following story:
One night he was returning home at about 12 oclock, on horseback, from Treel in the parish of Clongesh, and when passing Mulvey's quarry in the townland of Breanrisk and parish of Clongesh he saw a horse running wildly over and back in the quarry field by the roadside.
His horse then commenced snorting, turned on the road and tried to rush back. After turning fully forty times he gradually got past the field, and his horse became calm again. He noticed that although he could see the horse in the quarry field at first, he could hear the noise only as he rushed madly about after that.
He continued on his homeward journey without further incident until he turned on his own road at Fearglass crossroads parish of Gortlettera, by Leitrim And just then, he saw a man leading a donkey and coming towards him. The man was walking in front of the donkey, and held the reins in his right hand. The reins were resting on the man's shoulder and he walked in front of the donkey.
As soon as Tom met them he said "Goodnight" and he thought he knew the man, but he got no answer.

He put his horse into a trot immediately but wonder of all wonders; he was not getting a foot farther from the donkey although the donkey seemed to be going all the time in the opposite direction. But the reins were lengthening lengthening all the time, and were twenty or thirty perches in length when donkey and man [?] reins suddenly disappeared on his reaching a lone bush where people of the neighbourhood had seen apparitions.
His horse on this occasion did not give him trouble, and he continued his homeward journey without further incident.
On reaching his home in the townland of Clonohill and parish of Gortlettera, he rubbed his horse down, and he found that he was not sweating after his four miles run. He then let him out in the pasture.
When his father was having a look at his cattle the next morning he saw that the horse was white with foam. And he had the news in his home soon that somebody had been using his horse during the night and had almost killed him Tom his son denied that he had him out.
The horse was nothing the worse afterwards.
P McGuinness, N.S. Garrowhill, Longford.

Tom Geeland of the townland of Derryharrow and parish of Templemichael, County Longford told me the following story:
One night he was returning home at about 12 oclock, on horseback, from Treel in the parish of Clongesh, and when passing Mulvey's quarry in the townland of Breanrisk and parish of Clongesh he saw a horse running wildly over and back in the quarry field by the roadside.
His horse then commenced snorting, turned on the road and tried to rush back. After turning fully forty times he gradually got past the field, and his horse became calm again. He noticed that although he could see the horse in the quarry field at first, he could hear the noise only as he rushed madly about after that.
He continued on his homeward journey without further incident until he turned on his own road at Fearglass crossroads parish of Sortlettera, by Leitrim And just then, he saw a man leading a donkey and coming towards him. The man was walking in front of the donkey, and held the reins in his right hand. The reins were resting on the man's shoulder and he walked in front of the donkey.
As soon as Tom met them he said "Goodnight" and he thought he knew the man, but he got no answer.

The following tales of the famine were told me by an old man named Dan Farrell of Derrygowna NewtownCashel Co Longford who remembered the famine period very well.At the time of the famine the people were dying with hunger. The potatoes all blackened and they had to eat a bad quality of food such as turnips and other roots. Then the Government gave them a small quantity of Indian meal, they only got a pound each and if there were ten in a family each one had to go for his own pound to where ever it was given out in each parish. Still the people were found dead in the fields and grass and leaves in there mouths and the coffins were so badly made that the corpses fell through some of them on the way to the graveyard. Thousand of people imigrated to America and Canada. And they died with a plgue going across the sea. The potatoes were so bad that the priest told them to stop sowing them and sow other vegetables instead and anyone that sowed them that year had a great crop and they kept growing since. At that time there were about one thousand familes in this parish and

In a field in Mullymux [?] (Kedean's) there is a big stone standing in the middle of a field. It is roughly six feet high and about fourteen" broad. It is said that a giant was carrrying three of them. He left one at Raphcroghan [?], one in Mullymux and the third in Stonepark.In Gilleran's field Mullymux there are marks of horse's hooves. No grass grows and the belief is that a horse jumpted from there to Fairymount.There is a fort adjacent to my house and it is said there were fairies there long ago. Many people said they heard music but could see nobody. There is a cave in this fort. The present owners of the land built a shed there long ago but it was thrown down in the night.

Prayer
Prayer to be said when making bread
Infant Jesus meek and mild,
Look on me a little child,
Pity mine and pity me,
Suffer me to come to Thee,
Heart of Jesus I adore Thee,
Heart of Mary I implore Thee,
Heart of Joseph pure and just,
In those three hearts,

We place our trust. Amen.
Ruth Burke
CLoverhill N.S.Roscommon

Even though O'Gara had spurred his steed unceasingly he was overtaken, and not yeilding to McDonagh's demands to give up his daughter his was obliged to fight for his life and hers. At a place ever since called Battlefield, a battle was fought between O'Gara and McDonagh.
During the fight Lady McDonagh was fataly wounded, yet she was taken to O'Gara's castle where she was married and where she died a quarter of an hour later.
After her death O'Gara vowed that he would not rest content all he had avenged her death. He left the castle and was killed at the the battle of Athenny.
The castle is now in ruins, and those stand solid and massive and give some idea of the former beauty and excellence of the structure.
This was told by Mrs Dwyer. Derryknockeran Cloonloo Boyle

There is an old ruin in the townland of Newpark. It is a very fine old building. There are fifteen windows on the front of it, and fifteen on the back, and three doors, two on the front, and one on the back. During the trouble time there was ammunition stored in the top storey of it. In the year 1829 the slates were blown off it. According to old tradition they say it way built in the seventeen century. It contains twenty two app-ortments, There is an old story told about a girl, who fell from the top story, and she was killed instantly. It is very dangerous to go in to it, because it is liable to fall anytime. There is nothing in it but old crows and jackdaw's nests.
The first owner of this house was a man named "Sancho", and the last Colonel Davis from Rathcline. The property is since divided, and the plot which this ancient ruin stands, is now owned by a man named "Curran". It is now covered with ivy, as a mark of its great age. It is three and a half miles from this ruin to the town of Lanesborough and three miles from it to NewtownCashel village. The building material was very good, and the mortar is there to be seen to this day. The principal door faces south west, and out before it, there was a beautiful lawn. From nearly one hurdred years before the night of the high wind, no person lived in it.

during the Spring-time. I heard my grandfather saying that that there is a blaack thing something the shape and size of a dog minding the fort. The land is never tilled that is near a fort. Once a man was cutting bushes in a fort and he got a thorn in his hand and he died from the effect of it. There is also an old school house at this fort.

The following description of Ballinahinch Fort or cave was given to me by my grandfather James Sweeney Aughavadden NewtownCashel who is still living and aged 78 years.
There is a fort in the townland of Ballinahinch it is at the back of our house. It is situated near Parson Stewarts farm. This fort is round with a trench outside, and bushes and trees inside. In the centre of this fort there is a cave. This cave was made years ago, when the Danes were in Ireland and during trouble times. They were made with huge stones, with the ends opened out. People made these for their own use. Then the danes and other war men used come to plunder and destroy these caves. The people used to fire out on the end of them. The people used also put in their sheep or stock in the nights in these caves to protect them from wild animals and from other danger. Nowadays there are no wild animals in this country, and these caves are not as nicely decorated as they were long ago. During that time people heard fairies dancing and singing and playing music. After these people left the country. In this fort on certain nights of the year there is music heard playing in the fort. There is also a light seen in this fort on certain nights

The following tales of the famine were told me by an old man named Dan Farrell of Derrygowna NewtownCashel Co Longford who remembered the famine period very well.At the time of the famine the people were dying with hunger. The potatoes all blackened and they had to eat a bad quality of food such as turnips and other roots. Then the Government gave them a small quantity of Indian meal, they only got a pound each and if there were ten in a family each one had to go for his own pound to where ever it was given out in each parish. Still the people were found dead in the fields and grass and leaves in there mouths and the coffins were so badly made that the corpses fell through some of them on the way to the graveyard. Thousand of people imigrated to America and Canada. And they died with a plgue going across the sea. The potatoes were so bad that the priest told them to stop sowing them and sow onther vegetables instead and anyone that sowed them that yeard had a great crop and they kept growing since. At that time there were about one thousand familes in this parish and

The following story about fairies was told by my grandfather. In old times the people believed these stories and there are many people who declared they saw them working with hammer and last in the fort or playing sweet music.One night I heard my grandfather telling a story about the fairies. He said that one evening a man was going for his cows and he had to cross a gap. When he was going over the gap he saw that there was wool over the gap. He took the wool with him and he said that it would darn his stockings. The next day they went to churn the milk and they found that they had more butter than ever. Every time they churned they found that they could not move the dash with butter. At last they could not stand it any longer and they told the priest, and the priest asked him if he found anything and he said he found only a piece of wool, and the priest told him it caused all the trouble. The man went home and left back the yarn, and they had the same amount of butter as before.

This story was related to me by my grandfather James Donlan Derryshanogue NewtownCashel. He is still alive and aged 86 years. He told me that this story is true.There is a fort where my grandfather lives in Derryshanouge. It is about a half an acre in size and is surrounded by trees and bushes. Nuts grow in the fort in Autumn. There are manny old stories told about this fort. One of them which I heard my grandfather telling is this. He was one day mowing grass in this fort when he heard a little noise behind him. On looking round he saw the smallest man he had ever seen with a little red hat on him. My grandfather left [?] down the scythe and went to look for the scythe-stone which he had left down beside him, but he found that it had disappeared. Some days later it was left back but he never took it. This is a true story which I heard from my grandfather.