Recent changes

new scythe. But he refused he would not give it for any money. The fourth day he tried to work it but it would not cut anything. He had to buy a new scythe. It was well known Finian had a charm for edge.Tim Leary of Mt. [?] was buillding a back kitchen. Maire Bealum (who could foretell) said to him that he had better stop as it was not lucky to make a house in the shape of a X. He only laughed at her. But she told him he would be sorry of it, before night.
He sent his son and his horse back to a river called the Blackwater for sand. He was not returning. In due

Finian Bán used sleep on the back of a ditch. Taidhg Sconnell (Tureen) and RichardConnell (Tureen) were going through the fields to the Rodil [?] Farm in the crown lands. Taidhg had an old scythe that was in the rafters for a long time and he was afraid that it would not mow for him. They met Finian at sunrise on the back of a ditch. They bid him the time of the morning and he asked Taidhg if he was going mowing with that scythe.
He said he was if it would mow for him, and that he would not care if it would earn the price of a new one for him. Finian caught the scythe and he shook it and he said it would do for a few days anyway. Taidhg went to work and it cut the best in the field that day and on the following day. The next day one of the men would give him five shillings and a

35) To tie on a boot to the car - a lucky marriage
36) A horseshoe on the cow-house for good luck37) If you get a horse shoe and spit on it - good luck
38) It is not right to build a new house on an old yard.
39) Not to build the new house on the old foundation
40) Not to build a new house on a path.
41) Not right to cut a branch off in a lios.
42) Never till a "páirc a leasa"43) Never remove a single bush that's in a field.
44) If a swallow took your hair, after being cut you'd get a pain in your head for 3 months.
45) To rob a bird's nest - warts in hands

25) To put eggs in another man's garden - bad crops.
26) You shouldn't give away anything on May Eve.
27) Never swap geese.
28) It is not right to put your leg on step of spade in the house.
29) If a man came and pulled a stalk out of your garden on May Eve - bad potatoes.
30) Not to give a coal of fire on May Day.
31) If a dead calf is put in your field a sign that all the calves would die.
32) If you burn the eggs found in your garden the person who put them there will pass by.
33) Change into new house on Friday.
34) A newly married woman not to revisit her home for one month.

15) Not to look at the new moon through a window.
16) You shouldn't cry for spilled milk as they say someone else needed it.
17) If you hit one with an elder stick he woldn't grow any more.
18) Also to bring a stick on your shoulder in the door - you wouldn't grow any more
19) Also if you put an opened umbrella over you - you wouldn't grow any more.
20) If a person walked over your body you wouldn't grow any more.
21) Bad luck for seven years - to break a looking glass.
22) It is unluky to throw out the ashes on a Monday.
23) 13 is an unlucky number
24) One magpie unlucky
One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a wedding
Four to die.

Ropes were also made from bogdale. The bogdale would be cut in strips and hung up to dry. Then it would be woven into thick ropes.
Long ago the people made linen from flax. They had small flax wheels which they worked with their feet. The grew the flax themselves, and they steeped and threshed it. They wove it themselves and embroidered it, and made all kinds of nice clothes out of it.
Long ago the people used to thatch the houses. When they used be thatching them, they went to great trouble with them and they tied them with the bogdale ropes. They used catch their own fish.
The people made candlesticks out of timber, and carved a hole to place the candle in it.
Whiskey was also made from mault and treacle. They used make a still and get a fire out in the mountains, and put the mault and treacle into the still. Then this would be called whiskey or poteen.

the men and make them drunk.
The people used also make ropes out of rushes. They would pull good long rushes, and put them upon a loft until they would season. Then they would pound them on the floor until they would be hard. Then they would weave them into ropes and there is a man in the village of Caonachán who does it yet, named William Healy.
Another great trade the people of this district have is the manufacture of wool. First of all they card the wool and then they spin it. Then they make jumpers, cardigans, caps, stockings, gloves,scarfs, and other underwear out of the thread, which is very warm for children.
There are many things made from garden rods, such as baskets for clothes, and potatoes, and shopping baskets. First the rods are boiled,and then they are woven.
These are some of the things that were made long ago. There used to be oats ground with querns. Some of those querns are to be found yet. Some people grind oats yet for hens.

the other fellow. The man told the priest about the man that was appearing to him.
The priest told him to ask him what was troubling him and the man said that when he was alive the he was going to kill him and unless he would forgive him he could not go to heaven. The man said that he would forgive him. Then he disappeared and he was not seen anymore.

There was a man living in Co. Limerick long ago and he got broke. He went working for another man and he had his bed in the hay. One night he heard a noise outside in the road and he went out and there he saw a big old dog and he all in fire as he thought. The dog made straight for the room where the master of the house was sleeping and he went in through the window. When the master of the house saw him he roared and ran out and made straight for the fellow that was sleeping in the hay to kill him because he thought it was he that sent in the dog, but the man was gone. It happened that the week after the man died and he used be appearing every Sunday to

A Story. 28 th April.About seventy years ago there was a man living near the borders of County Cork and County Limerick. His name was Patrick Maloney but the people around used to call him Padneen Fanac. This was because he was a rover and a reckless fellow.
He was very strong and also a swift runner. He played many tricks to the people and often went too far. The police were many times on his trail but he used never get caught. He used to go into the police barrack in

at home he had to be led to the well. He paid one round and he came the second day and paid the second round and the third day he came by himself and he went back to America with his sight.

There is a well in the townland of Ballyshonack in Mr. Dwanes. The well is noted for curing people. One night about fifty or sixty years ago as a certain man passed by the well late at night he saw a person standing by the well. The person called the man and asked him to do him a to go and ask the owner of the well to secure it and to fence round it. The man went to the owner and told him what had happened. The owner of the well gave orders to his men to go and secure the well. One of the people of the house had lost his health and when the well got properly secured he regained his health. About the same time there was a man named James Dunne living in Farraghy he went to America and after some years in America he lost his sight He dreamt in America that he would be cured if he came home and made rounds to the well. So begor he did and when he landed

MacGovern. Every night, there was a terrible noise.They went to the priest. When the priest came, he prayed for some hours. Then, he told them to upturn every thing in the house. When everything was upturned, the noise continued. When they searched, they found a thimble and the ghost under it. He said he would not go without a dog and grape. The priest drove him into the dog and stuck the grape into the dog.The ghost was never seen after. It was called Malavys ghost.
There was a wman coming one night through Mullinadora lane. She met a man with a soldier's uniform on him. After he went by, she looked around and he was gone. There was a soldier killed in the lane some time ago.

III
The shout then caused a loud applause
And roused by all unnumbered
This tiger's fall by base assault
One states and lawns encumbered
Now he fought to know his faults
But Fairfield armed better
Who made him 'bawl' disgraced to walk
My shame, to all a lecture.
IV
Long may you reign without a stain,
And your warlike leading 'seconds'
Who brought your aim upon his frame,
And caused the traitor fettered.
Oscar, the brave, could no better fare
Nor the daring, raging Hector.
You bards of fame don't fault my theme
For I would praise it better.Chorus:- No more he'll fight by day or night
He'd sooner die a rascal
Than face my squire, who broke his thighs
And sorely spoiled his ankles.Piece by the Poet.
"You'll know by this, I'm in fact a weaver
An ancient branch of grand Milesius
A right bright heart of art and nature
Although being marked and yellow featured"
Finish

home in Knockbrack, Knocknagoshel in 1925. He was then 73 years old and he repeated the lines with perfect ease. From him also I got the following made by Seamus an Fhighdeóra:
Thomson was a gentleman farmer who lived at Sandville. It appears he was also a road contractor. He came fowling to the "lodge" about 4 miles from Brosna which was Fairfield's property. Fairfield resented this and challenged Thompson to a duel which was fought at Mount Eagle. Fairfield won.
I
To Mt. Eagle's lodge I mean to trudge,
From Phoenix grand and glorious,
Who tamed those dogs, I praise the God
Who brought you back victorious.
No invading band shall stain your land
While powder stands commodious
But chase them back with features racked
And faces stamped most odious.
II
His generous wife to spare his life
And ordain his high promotion
Our vain replies nor Damon's prize
Could not pacify his notion.
Until he fought this demon's wrath
Who counter marched like thunder
But soon cried loud among the crowd
"You broke my legs asunder.

As rapid as the Feale,
Where the trout and eel did spawn at ease
And meet the fisher's snare;
The cuckoo too, its notes did coo,
In the months of June and May
And the nightingale echoed the vale
When all in slumber laid.
VI
Now all those scenes have confused me,
And drowned me in despair
To find a number of such years
Has passed my youthful days
To see O'Keane's plantation laid
A dreary, treeless waste
And all his kinsmen banished from
That lovely fertile vale.
VII
Toureen boys can no longer pride
On that lovely beauteous place
Where the muses strained its inheritors veins
And filled with magic air
Where nature seemed a gliding stream
Descending on the vale
Till fortunes wheel usurped its fleece
And left them to bewail.I took this down from Con Greaney R.I.P. at his

As rapid as the Feale,
Where the trout and eel did spawn at ease
And meet the fisher's snare;
The cuckoo too, its notes did coo,
In the months of June and May
And the nightingale echoed the vale
When all in slumber laid.
VI
Now all those scenes have confused me,
And drowned me in despair
To find a number of such years
Has passed my youthful days
To see O'Keane's plantation laid
A dreary, treeless waste
And all his kinsmen banished from
That lovely fertile vale.
VII
Toureen boys can no longer pride
On that lovely beauteous place
Where the muses strained its inheritors veins
And filled with magic air
Where nature seemed a gliding stream
Descending on the vale
Till fortunes wheel usurped its fleece
And left them to bewail.

Where not a man had dwelt before? Jonah inside the whale.It was before Adam was.
And it will be to times no more.
Yet it was only three weeks old.
When Adam was four score? The moon.
What can go up the chimney down and cannot go down the chimney up? Umbrella.
I'll give you a guess.
That you'll never confess.
Jumping Jenney in the press? A mouse.
A working father , a lazy mother, twelve children in a whitewashed floor? A clock.
As I went over London bridge I met a London scholar. He drew off his hat, drew off his coat and drew off his gloves. Can you tell me the name of that scholar? Andrew.
What makes the road broad? The letter B.
Hairy all over. Rough in the skin. Two things wagging and one going in? A pig hoking.
As I was going over London, London bridge was a shaking a hundred wee thing, all striped and naked? A corn field.
Why is a fisherman wealthy? Because his net profit.

43. What has a mouth and cannot eat? A river.
44. What has legs and cannot walk? A chair.
45. As I was going over London bridge I met a cart full of fingers and thumbs? A glove.
46. I have only one match and I have to light a candle, the gas lamp and the fire which will I light first? The match.
47. What carries its heart on its head? A cabbage.
48. I have a wee horse with an iron throat. As he gallops he swallows the rope? A sewing machine.
49. 1/2d hot and 1/2d cold, 41/2d and a 1/2d more 1/2d before and a 1/2d behind 41/2d and 1/2d more? 1s 0d
50. What goes round the house and a set of harrow after her? A hen and birds.
51. A man with a goose, a fox and a shief of corn had to cross the river. What way did he take them over? He took over the fox and then brought the goose and took the goose back again, and took over the shief of corn and came back again for the goose.
52. There was a man of Adams race.
Who lived in a certain dwelling-place
'Twas neither in Heaven nor in H-ll
Nor a place that man did ever dwell
And it was in a house thats covered o'er.

One day as St. Peter and Our Lord were out walking they met an old feeble man and he asked Our Lord for charity. Our Lord put his hand in his pocket and he gave him a penny. Then the old man went his way. After awhile they met another young man and he asked them for charity. Our Lord put His hand in His pocket and He gave him a half a crown. This young man went his way and Our Lord put St. Peter after him. The man went into a public house and he was drinking a pint of porter. When St. Peter came out he said to Jesus You only gave a penny to the old man and You gave a half a crown to that young man that went in drinking. Don't mind that said He. They were going until evening and they saw the old man dead at the side of the road. Our Lord told St. Peter to put his hand in

In former times, the corpse was never brought to the church from the corpse-house. Mass was said in the house, and the corpse was then taken to the churchyard for burial. In those days, wakes were not sad affairs; an air of gaeity prevailed, and wakes were looked forward to. Just inside the door of the corpse-house a man stood dealing out chalk-pipes full of tobacco to the visitors. After some hours a refill was dealt around. Every man then got a glass of potín, and tea afterwards. This was repeated several times. Towards morning, young men indulged in throwing cadráns of turfs at the chalk-pipes in the mouths of the old folk. The corpse was laid out on a table in the kitchen. Keeners (mná caointe) lamented during the course of the night; they were paid for this. The clock was stopped at the hour of the death, and was not put going until the corpse had left the house. This custom is still observed, although no reason is available for same. Wake-goers keenly looked out and listed for the ologoning of the bean sidhe, who followed certain families. This woman was supposed to

Cromwell's name and memory are poison in the minds of the people of this district. The old people used say that Cromwell was a cobbler. His son-in-law, Ireton hanged two Bishops, Bishop O'Brien,and Bishop O'Hurley, who were well-known in Emly. They are depicted in stained-glass in Emly Church (behind the High Altar).

them. The bull-finches' nest is of the texture of basket-work and is built in a very open place. She is a very docile bird, easily caught, and very easily tamed.
Generally speaking, the hen sits on the eggs, spread-eagled fashion, while the cock sits on the edge of the nest. Young boys are told that if they rob a robin's nest,they will get a bainleach or huge swelling on their wrists. Others say that the robbers will be tormented with warts. Strangely enough no mention is made locally of robbing other bird's nests. This is probably due to the prevalence of local belief that the robin is a blessed bird. When the swallows fly low we are near rain. When the crow twirls around we are "in for bad weather". When the swan flies in a south-easterly direction from Lough Gur to the Suir, it is a sign of bad weather, and conversely when the wild geese fly towards Lough Gur, we will have bad weather. When curlews in the the nearby bog make a peculiar mournful cry, it it a sign of coming rain.

A sparrow's nest is built in the ordinary way; she lays about five speckled eggs. The robin lays about four bluish speckled eggs. The wren's nest is built in a different manner; she makes a spherical nest with an entrance hole on one side. She lays about twenty eggs. They are speckled brown, and there is never a glugar in the clutch. From local observation, it has been noted that the mother wren feeds each little gearreach in turn, and never misses one, and also she gives an equal share to each. The jackdaws lay dark speckled eggs, about four. Similarly with the crow. Blackbirds and thrushes hatch about five blue eggs of the same hue as those laid by a duck. The starling hatches about six dark-spotted eggs. The magpie lays four speckled eggs and her nest is built on the same principal as the wrens. A wonderful thing to note about her nest is that it is well-nigh inaccessable owing to the thorny barricade whe leaves round it. I have seen a magpie's nest thrown heavily to the ground from the top of a high tree, and it remained intact still. The architecture is really marvellous, to notice how the mud, straw and hairs are mixed and re-mixed to the consistency of mortar. Finches and linnets hatch about five speckled eggs. Plovers, curlews, snipe and larks lay on the ground. The lark's eggs are black, nature's camoflauge. The snipe's eggs stand on one end, five dark eggs as large as a water-hens. In this way the snipe which is a very slender bird is able to cover

happened that there was a boy not long buried. He went that night to the graveyard and lifted the dead man and carried him to the gentleman's house and put him standing at the window where the man and his wife were sleeping. The boy kept behind the dead man and began rising the window. The gentleman had his fire arms ready and when he saw the boy at the window he fired a shot and the boy let go the dead man and hid. After that the gentleman came out with a rope and put it on the dead man's body and pulled him away. The boy watched him until he began to make a grave. Then the boy went in and pretended he was the gentleman and said he was cold and went into the bed and pulled the sheet from under her. Then she asked him had he the boy buried. He said he would go out again and fix the grave better. The boy was not long gone out when her husband came in and told her to get up and get him something to eat because he was cold.

So he said he did not know what he'd do. So the Bar man said "Will you take £20 and have finished." "No!" said the man but I'll take £30. They settled it at that and he gave him the £30 and the cousin went home. He went up to his own room and took out the money and started to count it on the table and the two brothers were looking up and he went down and called them up to see all the money. They were surprised and they asked him. How did he get that much money. Well he said ye thought ye were doing me harm when ye killed by old Granny but it was good ye done me. "Well how did you get it" they asked. Well! he said I dressed her up and got her on my back and carried her into town and shouts "Who buys old hags for gun powder and there and then I got my £30 for her. So they said nothing and when night came they put to and killed their old Grannie and in the morning they started away with her to town - one carrying her on his back and the other shouting out "Who buys old hags for Gun Powder?"

He fixed her up at the Spring well. So off he went for the public house, and when he went in he asked the bar man to give him a Class of Good Whiskey and when he got it he said "I wish my old Grannie had another and the Bar Man said where is she? "She is below waiting at the Spring well." "And why don't you bring her up." said the Bar Man. He said to the servant girl run down and call her up. So she went off and shouted at her a few times but no answer and she went down and she was in a rage and gave her a pull be the arm and said come up you are wanted and when she turned her back she heard the splash behind her and there she was after falling into the Spring well. Off the girl ran to the house and shouted that she was after falling into the Spring well. The man started to rage and said your after drowning my old Grannie. Running down and pulling her out dead of course. Next he was running off for the police the Bar man ran before and brought him back to the shop, and said we will settle it and what money will you take

I
'Twas in fair Co. Leitrim in CarrigallenTown
That brave O'Neill, the blacksmith, our cruel foes put down
Those bigots thought they'd trample on the friends of Granuaile,
But Breffni had a leader bold in fearless John O'Neill.
II
The cowards called for peace and our braves had left for home
Then when they saw so few in town they cursed the Church of Rome.
They swore they'd wipe out rebels then in Carrigallen town.
"Down, Papists vile," they loudly cried, "Down, Croppies low, lie down."
III
O'Neill flung out his weapons then, and marshalled all his men
White youths were sent to spread the news, through many a hill and glen.
To fight that mighty multitude it surely did seem vain,
But quickly on the foemen fell our blows like wintry rain.
IV
O'Neill the bold, like Myles of old, is mowing down the Gall,
The faithful few who still stand true, are pressed against the wall.

There was a certain woman in this district who was supposed to hear all about the above-named.
Every May Eve she could turn herself into a hare and creep out the window like a butterfly. Early on May morning she used get a spancil, a stool and a bucket and go out gathering the dew of the daisies.
She used to milk with her two hands as if she were milking a cow. Whatever fields she went into the cows belonging to the farmers who owned those fields gave no milk that year. She would not lend anybody a drop of milk on any May Eve or May Day.
Another time this same woman went into a forge. The smith happened to be eating his dinner at the time. Suddenly she took a boiler full of forge water. Nobody knew what she wanted that for or what charm it held for her.
These are true stories. I have not got sufficient details though.

Seo chugainn é thríd an t-sáile gorm
Péileacán na Gréine
Fear a cóta gorm
Agus snáthad dearg tré'n a léine. (gliomach)Tháinig éan gan cleite agus luigh sí fá bhun sgeilpe
Tháinig éan gan béal agus sluigh sí an t-éan gan cleite.
(leach oidhre fá scalp agus an ghrían)

The Mary Wilson
I
The Mary Wilson was a noble ship,
She was not very long.
She could stand any storm,
She was built so strong.
Her crew were four in number
They thought that would do
Mcdonnell was the Captain
With Barry, Jack and Hugh
II
It was on Thursday morning
It being about twelve oclock
When young and old from every part They came to see the wreck
And when they landed on the beach Most desperate was the roar
And there was poor Mary Wilson
Lay wrecked upon the shore.
III
The coastgards launched the galley And that without delay
And as they were launching it
Ashe he ran away.
He was the only coward
I saw upon the beach
I declare his flesh was trembling
And he had every screech.

of some of these are still to be seen. Her irons and chains are scattered around the district yet. The people looted what they could and coal fires were common in Belderrig that winter.
The local poet (Martin Healy, Geeverauns, Belderrig) commemorated the event with a song and of the coal he said.
"Its burning in the fire now at Patcheen and Brígid Mór"

The only wreck remembered here is the wreck of a small collier called "The Mary Wilson" She was wrecked here on the 14th of August 1884. She left Lough Swilly bound for Galway with a cargo of coal. A nor-west wind was blowing and it was very wild.
Somewhere around the Stags of Broadhaven she lost her sails and drifted towards Belderring bay. She lost her steer at Carraig a Trághadh and was thrown in at the mouth of the river. She had four of a crew Captain McDonnell, Jack Nallen, mate Hugh Henry and Barry.
She was so close to the shore that Barry thought he would swim to land. He jumped overboard and the current carried him out to sea and he was lost.
The coastguards succeeded in saving the others. The ship and her cargo was auctioned and was bought by an Englishman, Arthur Mudge, who lived in Glenlossera. He used her timbers for fence poles and the remains

later with the fishing line wound around his legs and it is believed this was what drowned him.
The seanchai says "the drowning was on him" for a short time before that he was scraping shells a day and he slipped off the rock and even though a stroke would bring him to the boat they had to stretch him the helm to save him. The peculiar point about this was that he was the best swimmer in the place.
On the night of the Lacken and Iniskea tragedy 1927 the Belderring men were gathered at the shore to go fishing but not liking the appearance of the night they did not go out. Had they gone out it is more than likely some or all would have been lost for the storm came on so quickly the would have no chance to reach land.

on June nights-the rougher the night the bigger the catch. This makes it a very dangerous fishing, but the nights are short and so the danger is lessened. There has never been a disaster over salmon fishing here thank God.
There has been no serious fishing disaster here in living memory. The last tragedy occurred about fifty years ago when a man named OBoyle was drowned.
He was married and living away from his people. On the evening of the tragedy, he shaved himself on his way to the shore he called into his parents where he hadn't been before for a long time. He went out fishing glassen in a curragh and the sea was as calm as a lake. They were fishing close to the shore and kept too near a bay of sunken rock. The body broke, that is a wave broke on the rock and capsized the curragh. Billy OBoyle was the best swimmer in the place and two strokes would save him. But after going down he never came up. He was found

paid the same price. An average catch for the season at this time was about 450 salmon, averaging 6 lbs each. For the past ten years the people have begun to get their own nets and send the salmon themselves to Dublin or Billingsgate. The average catch per curragh would be 250 salmon averaging 6 lbs. An average price per lb for the past few years would be 10d. This would be an average of £10 per man for the season. Some crews however make up to £20 per man.
The nets used are each two hundred yards long and about seven feet deep (25 meshes). They cost about £2 and last for two seasons generally. The licence each crew pays is £3.
The salmon season lasts only from 1st June to the middle of July. The heaviest catches are around the 29th June. A record catch here for one night was 109 salmon. This was in a boat when the fishing first started. The record nights catch for a curragh is 87. The salmon are not caught

six rowers in the Belderring's boat and the two boats were even for a long time. Coming near the shore however the Donegal men beat Belderring.
Nuair a bhíonn iascaire ag dul go dtí an cladach caireann duine de muinntir an tighe an tlú in a dhiaidh ionnus go mbeidh an t-ádh air an oidhche sin.
Má leanann an cat iascaire agus é ag dul amach ag iascaireacht ní bheidh sé ag súil le aon ádh an oidhche sin.
Ní maith le fuireann aon rud a thabhairt uatha (cipín soluis nó aon rud eile mar é) nuair atá siad ag dul amach ag iascaireacht.
Salmon fishing is the principal fishing on Belderring bay now-a-days. Salmon fishing was introduced about forty years ago by a man named Fair. He supplied the people with nets and paid them five pence per pound for all the fish caught. After a few years the fishing failed. Later on the local shopkeeper got nets and

There were two men from Donegal named Charley and Michael Phillips fishing in Belderring in olden times. They had a boat between them and had only themselves as crew. One day their boat and a Belderring boat met in the middle of the bay and they said they would have a race to the shore. There were

him that they would be at Belderrig shore before he would reach it on horseback. He bet two quarts of whiskey he would reach the shore before them. They left Moyne together and his people did not know what was the matter when he passed by his own house in full gallop. He had another mile to go to the shore and within a hundred yards of the shore he met the crew on their way to his house to collect the bet. They had beaten him to the shore, no mean action for seven men in a heavy row-boat. (From Moyne to Belderrig shore by land is about twenty miles.)

to have gone from the Erris district to Killala. Cases are reversed. All the boats used in Belderrig and Porturla (farther west) were made in Killala. There were two boat building families, one at Moyne, (Killala) and the other at Killala. Both were named Ryan and were Protestants. They always kept Holy Water however for the launching of new boats. The family at Moyne generally built for the Belderrig people. The boats always had a name - "St Brigid of Belderrig", "St Mary of Belderrig" etc. There is an old belief here that a boat-wright can tell from the first three blows of the adze he strikes on the timber for a new boat if she is going to be lucky or whether she will be lost. He never tells however.

who lived in Belderrig ran away with one of the fish buyers and went to Claremorris. There was great commotion until he returned a week later.
In olden times curraghs alone were in use in Belderrig. Later an open boat was introduced. These were about twenty-six feet long and carried nine men. They were successful while the fish was plentiful but as the fish grew scarce it was not profitable fishing for "ten divides", one for each man and one for the boat i.e. the owner if fishing got two divides. Curraghs were again introduced and now there are fifteen curraghs in the port and the last boat is rotting beside the road. The curraghs have proved themselves sea-worthy even in the greatest storms for they are more easily handled than a boat. For the past ten years they are being introduced farther east, that is in Ballycastle and last year 1937 the first curragh was purchased in Belderrig for use on Killala bay. This is the first curragh

and the pursuer was on horseback and McManus was just as far as the priest when the horse slipped and fell into the River Moy just opposite the Bonnifinglas Graveyard and when people went to look for the body they could not find it and the bottom of the place could never be found and ever after that place in the river was called McManus's Hole.
There were three men drowned in that hole a good few years ago. One of them was from Tunnagh near Curradrish where WIlls's now live, the other was from Baile Na Sleibhe in the Knockmore Parish and the other was from [?] near the Lios in school.
There is a ghost to be seen, at this deep spot in the river, ever since the time that McManus was drowned in it and the water in that place is always yellow.
There is a grave in John Barrett's field in Bonnifinglas which is marked by a big stone with a lot of little stones on the top. Long ago there was a great battle fought between two giants

on a hill nearby afterwards called Carraig Uí Eaghra, and the giant that got the victory buried his enemy in that place and he dug the grave with his spear and put stones overhead as a mark, and ever snce the field is called "An Uaigh Lán" or the "The Full Grave".
There is a place in the Bonnifinglas Wood near the village of Drom Scóba or Baile Chnuic where there is supposed to be a person buried and there is a stone over the grave as a mark. It is a mossy stone with a mark of some kind on it and one day when a person took a bit of the moss it flew out of their hand and landed directly on the stone and when they went for it again the moss would not come off the stone for them, so ever nobody tried to take any moss off stone for they thought it was dead person was holding it on and not pleased to part with it.
Children who die and who are baptised are buried inside the gate of Bonnifinglas Graveyard because they are allowed to be buried in the graveyard.

and the pursuer was on horseback and McManus was just as far as the priest when the horse slipped and fell into the River Moy just opposite the Bonnifinglas Graveyard and when people went to look for the body they could not find it and the bottom of the place could never be found and ever after that place in the river was called McManus's Hole.
There were three men drowned in that hole a good few years ago. One of them was from Tunnagh near Curradrish where WIlls's now live, the other was from Baile Na Sleibhe in the Knockmore Parish and the other was from [?] near the Lios in school.
There is a ghost to be seen, at this deep spot in the river, ever since the time that McManus was drowned in it and the water in that place is always yellow.
There is a grave in John Barrett's field in Bonnifinglas which is marked by a big stone with a lot of little stones on the top. Long ago there was a great battle fought between two [?]

Whip making: John Watts [?] 63 years of age of Curnafaiseen, Ballyglunin was a noted whip maker, and still makes whips. Every dead ass he got, he skinned, and after a week in lime, he cut the skin in strips and made the strips into whips. They were the best whips in the county and men came from far and near to him for a good whip. He is still alive. He charged a shilling for each whip. Locally he is called "Skinner".
Basket making: Mike Rabbit of Kilskeagh, Lackagh is a great basket maker. He lives in a district noted for its sally bushes. He cuts the sally switches and boils them for about an hour, and it is then very easy to twine them in and out. In each basket he leaves an opening of four squares in the sides, as decoration. He makes baskets to be carried in the hand or on the shoulders.

The most dangerous kind of weed in this district is the bishop weed. It is dangerous because it spreads with amazing rapidity. It grows mostly in haggards and gardens and chokes all the other plants. It has so many roots that it is almost impossible to exterminate it. Other common weeds are dockleaves, thistles and nettles.
Some herbs are supposed to be able to cure diseases. A root or leaf of a dock leaf

tea. It was used by people who had a bad stomach and carseabhán caol dearg was used likewise by those suffering from T.B. They dyed their clothes with a thorny herb called Sandal. First it was boiled down with woodlog. Then you would put it into a tub for awhile and then you would take it out and put it into another tub. They put in their clothes then and left them there for awhile and they were dyed. The colour was brown.

The most harmful weeds that grow in our farm are the thistles, dock-leaves and nettles. These three weeds spread the most and very rapidly but the nettle spreads the most.
If these weeds get in growing with mangolds or turnips they will get very strong and fail the mangolds or turnips if they don't be pulled when they are weak.
The nettles grow around a haggard and thistles and dockleaves grow in meadows. In good land they say thistles grow and in wet marshy land rushes grow. The yellow root or [?] grows in dry land and white juice comes out of it and it would poison anybody.
Marsh Mallow was the name of a herb that people made ointment from and it cured sores. This is how they made it, they boiled it into curds and mixed it with cows' tallow and put it in a box. The dandelion long ago was drunk by people. It was picked in the summer and whenever they wanted to use it ,it was put into a cup and drawn like

without doing considerable damage to the crops. In some parts the corn was badly injured while in others there was no damage at all done. Great damage was done to the potato crop, too. The day after the storm the "seoghs" between the ridges were filled with frozen ice. There were twelve carts of hailstones on James Fagan's street after the storm.
About three years ago there was a severe rainstorm. Cart loads of sand could be gathered off the people's streets after it. New Bridge a village over a mile from my home was greatly effected by this storm. Ricks of hay, straw and turf were left swimming on water and the farmers on that year had to spray their potatoes barefoot as the "seochs" were full of chlábar.
On the sixth of January nineteen hundred and three there was a severe thunderstorm. Cows, horses and various other things were burned. There was a large hole in which could be buried an ass and cart made in a field now belonging to Terence Murtagh the night of the thunderstorm. Nobody knows how it was made but it is believed that it was made by the lightning. Two years ago there was a terrible thunderstorm. Two boys, both brothers while working at wheat were badly burned and though now better they are terribly disformed. The are Carolans from Carrickacrimmon.

and slept having not eaten a piece of food for many a day. In the year eithteen forty seven there was also a greater snow storm than the one previously mentioned. Pat "the beehive's" father had a son who used to go to the town every day with milk. The day that the snow started the boy went as usual thinking that there would not be much snow. It was snowing and windy from morning till night and the father was afraid that his son would be lost so he went out to meet him and help him home. When he was a piece of his journey he could not discern the road from the fields and he was almost smothered coming across the mountain called See All. When he came to Coleman's mountain just beside Brian Lynches he was either smothered or could not get out of a drift of snow for he was got there by a band of neighbours who, despairing of his return, had gone to look for him. As for the boy some man taking pity on him brought him in that night and left him at home in the morning.
In the year nineteen fourteen on the fourteenth of August there was a terriffic storm of hailstones. In the evening there was terrible thunder and lightning and at night the people were wakened from their sleep by the roar of the storm.
They were sure that their houses would be knocked down but in a few hours it abated not however

Piles:-
1. Boil rhubarb roots and drink the liquid.
2. Boil new hay and drink the water, also bathe the affected parts with the liquid.
Diarrhea:-
1. Heat port wine in a vessel until it begins to burn, then drink.
Sore Lip:-
The "sweat" from forge iron rubbed in will cure.
To raise the Breast Bone:-
Lay patient flat on his back. Place a penny on pit of the stomach, put a stump of lighted candle on the penny. Invert tumbler over this. The suction draws the bone into place.
Unsalted butter was a panacea for several diseases. It was used as a purgative for men and beast, as an ointment for sores bruises, pains, etc.
Ringworm:-
1. Squeeze juice of houseback [?] on the spot.
2. Get cure from a "seventh son".
3. Get Cahill's cure - see page 31.

We had a very big storm about five years ago, and it did a great amount of harm in many places. It did a great amount of damage in the village of Greeveguilla (Kerry). It knocked a hay-shed, and a cow-house, and it blew slates off the old chapel. It falled trees and falled the wall of a dwelling house. It did great harm to the farmers, also by stretching their corn, and by damaging their crops. There was a terrible thunder-storm in December 1933. The lightning was very severe, and it killed cows at Kanturk (Cork) and it burned a hayshed at Kilsorkin (Kilcummin, Co. Kerry). Elderly people say that when we are about to have a thunder-storm the sky gets very red and overcast.

having severe storm, the old people say that there would be a blue patch somewhere in the sky. We had a severe snow storm in the year 1933. A great number of people lost their lives in it. During the second week of August 1938 very heavy rain fell, and the rivers overflowed their banks and the water burst into the houses.

We had a great storm about five years ago. It did great damage at Maughantourig (Rathmore, Co. Kerry). It knocked a hay-shed there. It did great damage in the village of Greeveguilla (Kerry).
It took slates off Greeveguilla new church, and blew them a good distance away. It also knocked a cow-shed there. It knocked trees in different places. It did great harm to the farmers, as it stretched their corn and destroyed their gardens, and some people lost their lives.
Between the seventh and the fourteenth of August this year 1938 we had a very heavy thunderstorm, and the lightning was very severe. It killed cows in Kanturk (Co. Cork) and it burned hay in Gullane (Greeveguilla, Co. Kerry). When we are about

1. "The White Lady" is supposed to haunt the black quarry in Kilpatrick. She is supposed to be seen crossing the road on a moon light night. The tradition is that a horse bolted on the Macroom road, and that the girl driving it was killed at the Black Quarry.
2. Sally Liston or Glliston was said to appear between Croisín na Gadair and The Cross in Gurteen. She was seen there in the evening combing her long black hair. She was said to be a witch.
3. There is a big boghole in Curtin's bogs at KIlmore. It is called "Coilleach an Adhscar". It is said that a burning cock once fell out of the Sky and went down through the ground here. It is said that there is no bottom to the bog hole.
4. A ghost was supposed to haunt the Kilmore road below Murphys. There is a story told that a certain man went every evening to Ballinacurra drinking. One evening the men of the place decided that one of them would dress up as the ghost to give him a fright. The man dressed up and waited at the haunted ground. As the night passed the man who had been drinking returned but said that he saw nothing strange on the road.

There was an old woman living in Little Silver and Sean Dearg killed her only son. Every time he passed the door,she knelt down on her door step, and cursed him. The priest told her that she shouldn't curse him,but that in future she should pray for him. So the next day he passed she knelt down and prayed for him, and at once the horses bolted and Sean Dearg was hurled out of the carriage.
It is also told of Sean Dearg that he met a young man on the road and asked him where he came from and where he was going to the man said "I came from Kil [ ] and I'm going to Kilmore, "Faith then" said Sean Dearg "you won't kill anymore when I'm done with you." and he hung the man.

His song was often quoted in the locality, and tells how a policeman was made fun of by a lady named Joan, from whom he tried to obtain information regarding the Fenians.
"Bad luck to those Fenians said Joan
In an old yard where I live at home
Why I discover in them for a shilling
A peeler was just standing by
And hearing of Joan's conversation
He says I'll be sergeant by 'n by
And that without the least hesitation
'Ah! but,' says Joan 'do you think I'm quite a fool
To be trudging with you to Blackpool without the least compensation'
'Ah! but' says he 'I'll give you the shilling
But wait till I bring you some assistance'
When they came to Blackpool
Joan she cried "Feen! Feen" (meaning Fenians mar dheadh ?)

The population of the village is now only 66 but if the cottages near the village - recently (1938) built to replace unsanitary bldgs in the village - are included the population would be 84.
The population of the parish in 1938 was approx. 600. Thus the population of the parish has decreased by over 40% and that of the village by over 60%.

[taken from the Postal Directory 1886]
Parish bordering Co. Limerick. Population of parish 781, of village 242. The parish of Kilcornan now forms part of parish of Cullen. Cullen, formerly a market town, and anciently of considerable importance. It formed part of the Irish estates of the Earls of Derby.
Situated in the midst of the "Golden Vale", one of the most fertile parts of Ireland, the scenery of its verdant hills, glens and plains is extremely interesting. In the vicinity have been found a great number of interesting relics of remote antiquity. Protestant and Catholic churches.
Parish: Cullen
Acres: 1,985
Roods: 3
Perches: 24
Houses: 133
Population: 781
Parish: Kilcornan
Acres: 1,157
Roods: 1
Perches: 2
Houses: 46
Population: 277
Total for parish:-
Acres: 3,143
Roods: 0
Perches: 26
Houses: 179
Population: 1058

One day the priest happened to hear the expression and said to them "not to say the Lord is coming any more but to say Lord Doneraile is coming". At that time any one couldn't ride after the hounds but gentle and they expected all the poor people to call them your honour and put there hand to their hat. These men while they were waiting for the hounds to come they used be jumping over the farmers pits of spuds and thought nothing of the horses heels kicking the spuds and scattering them all over the field . If the weather happened to be wet and no out house to put the horses into they used to bring them into the kitchen and no one could say anything to them. Many years after all this was changed and Lord Doneraile kept horses in his stable for any farmers son who would like to ride after the hounds.

A great many pishogues are connected with May Eve. It was an old custom to go and skim a neighbour's well and so take all the cream of his milk for the year and he would not be able to make butter. People wouldn't like to gave away new milk on May Eve too lest the butter would be taken, and if they did so they'd put a pinch of salt in the milk to prevent you taking it. Many people would put a pinch of salt in the milk at any time to stop anybody taking the butter. A hare was often times seen milking cows, and it was supposed to be a woman in that form stealing the butter. A farmer seen a hare milking his cows one night fired at it and wounded it in the leg and an old woman near by had a bad leg next day. If people could not make butter they would get a green stone and grease it with butter and put it under the barrel and they would get the butter back again. Other people had this remedy to get back the butter - go to a graveyard between twelve and one o'clock at night and get a dead man's hand and put it under the barrel andthey would always be able to make butter. It is unlucky to put new shoes upon a table.

you'd be disturbing the good people. The hearth should be brushed tidily too and a little fire left on to allow the poor souls to warm themselves, and dirty wares should not be left about, but to clean it before going to bed as they may need the ware too. When people wash their feet before going to bed at night they should not throw out the dirty water as they'd be throwing it on the good people or their clothers. An old story told about this is -
A farmer was residing near Gortatlea, Tralee, Co. Kerry and in his land there was a fort. He was very tight and liked to live in himself as the saying goes, and he would not lend anything to anybody who asked it. He had no luck in the farm as his cattle were dying and he had to sell out. The farm was bought and the newcomers were not long settled there when a woman called one day for the loan of a pot. She got same and went away, and the woman of the house who gave it didn't know who the stranger was. The woman again returned the pot in the evening and told the woman who lent it that she had always been refused for everything by the previous owner, and he therefore hadn't any luck. "And now said she when you have your washing up done tonight, don't throw out the dirty water as you'd be throwing it on the clothes I washed today and are out to dry now and you'll have luck."

It is unlucky to cut trees in a fort or to knock it as the person who does it is sure to get some mácáil as a bad hand or foot afterwards.
If a man's cattle were dying or had some bad disease he could get rid of it by burying the cattle which died under the bounds ditch or in the neighbour's land ( a piece of carcase) and the neighbour will get the disease in his cattle. Disease in fowl are passed on in this manner too by throwing them over the fence to the neighbour or burying them there. Slinging a disease prevalent in cattle can be passed on to a neighbour or enemy in a couple of ways. In one case the sling may be taken and pulled along the ground or grazing field of cattle of man to whom it is wished to give it, at night time and then his cattle will get the disease. Anther method is to put eggs into the wynds of hay during the harvest time, and the man's cattle - into whose hay the eggs have been put - will not have calves the following year but will sling. Eggs are oftentimes buried in gardens too to cause - as they do - the crops to fail.
You should not cut your hair or nails on Sunday as old people say if you did so that you'd have the devil with you for the following week.
You should not come back to the kitchen a second time after going to bed as the old people say

The usual marriage dowry given in this district is money but sometimes stock is given and in one instance it is related that a number of fowl were given. Another young man then who wanted to marry the girl himself stole two of the hens and this was the cause of breaking the match and eventually the girl married the man who stole the hens. A mother never accompanied her daughter to the chapel on her wedding day as it is considered unlucky to do so, or at least the daughter wouldn't have any luck if it were done. The bride does not attend any mass on the 1st Sunday after the marriage for some reason or another which I couldn't find out and it is rarely the bridegroom does either.

borrowed and something blue. Other sayings about marriage were - "marry in May and you'll live to rue the day" - "marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go" - "marry in brown and you'll live out of town". Should a person marry in August or during the harvest time they say "what's bound in the harvest will be unbound in Spring" meaning that one of the party will die the following Spring.

When the bride and bridegroom leave the church after the ceremony there are usually poor people outside and the bridegroom throws a fist of small silver coins between them to get their good wishes. In olden times the procession or "drag" as it was called was "roped" on the way home that is a rope was placed across the road to stop them so as to get money from the bridal party. People at that time made sure to wear certain articles on their wedding day as one was supposed to wear - something old and something new; something

go to the wedding as the priests of old used to do. It was a custom too that those attending the ceremony used generally ride on saddled horses, and used to try their horses going home to see who'd arrive at the bride's house first. It was a treat to watch them gallop home and the 1st man home got a glass of whiskey. It was the custom years ago too that wives used to ride side saddle with their husbands at weddings or going to mass on Sundays, and to this they gave the term cúlóg.

not live in it; all the men in town could not count how many windows in it? A thimble.
What is it the left hand can do and the right hand cannot? Catch its own elbow.
'Tis black 'tis white and it hops on the road like hail stones? A magpie.
Long legs, crooked thighs, small head and eyes? Tongs.
As I went out a slippery gap, I met my Uncle Davy. He had timber heels, iron nose, and upon my word he would frighten the crows? A gun.
A man without eyes saw plums on a tree; he did not take plums nor leave plums and how can that be? He had one eye and saw two plums. He took one and left one.
As I looked out the window I saw a hairy mongo eating all the snowballs? A goat eating white cabbage.
There was a man rode through the town, great Britain was his name, his bridle and saddle were gilt with gold and twice I have told you his name? "Was"
As round as a marble as flat as a pan half a woman half a man? A penny.
Headed like a thimble, tailed like a rat, you may guess forever but you can't guess that? A pipe.

well.
What gets wet when drying? A towel when drying your face.
What tree is older than the oak? The elder (alder).
When is a house like a fish? When it is ceiled (Seal).
It is black and white and red all over? A newspaper.
Why does a cow look over a ditch? Because she cannot look under it.
Elizabeth, Betty and Bess went out looking for birds' nests, they got one with three eggs in it, they took one each and left two in it? The three names are all the same.
What is full and holds more? A pot full of potatoes when you pour water in.
What always walks with its head down? A nail in your boot.
What turns without moving? Milk.
I washed my hands in water that was never rained or sprung; I dried my face in a towel that was never woven or spun? The dew and sun.
White bird featherless flew from Paradise and perched on the wall quite deadless? Snow.
There was a little house; a mouse could

In the vicinity of Doon parish there are ten forges. In Doon itself there are two, Mr. Hayes and Mr. Collins are the Smithies. Outside the village we have Michael O'Gormans, Ryans, Browns, Collins, Bearys, Tom Ryans, Flynns, and McEnerys.
Most of these people can be traced back even to four generations of Smyths. Nearly all of them live and have lived for years beside a stream or river as they require water to carry on the work. A Smyth that does not live beside a stream he's at a great disadvantage. In years gone by most of the forges were built of mud, but as time went by people became more up to date. At present all the forges are made of stone, or concrete and are roofed with slates. I have seen some of the forges roofed with timber and covered on the outside with felt. This felt required a painting of tar about once or twice a year. This kind of roof lasts a considerable long time.

Digging - It commences in about the month of October. This is done by either the spade or plough. Ridges must be always dug with the spade. When dug with a spade the potatoes are chosen. The good ones are heaped in the garden in the form of a pit and are protected from the weather with a covering of about two inches of clay. If they are intended to remain there during the Winter period they get a further covering of rushes and straw. Then the good ones are chosen the remainder put into bags and used for the feeding of pigs or cattle. There are several varieties of potatoes and there are two classes those used for table use and those used for the feeding of pigs or cattle. We have the Skerry Champions, Kerrpinks, Up to Dates, Aran Banners, Golden Wonders and Epicures.
The Champion is the best for table use.

apart.
In olden day wooden ploughs were in use. These are still to be seen nearly in every garden in the vicinity of Ardmore in the Co. Waterford. Iron ploughs are the only ones used in this district at present, as in nearly every other district in Ireland.
People in this district help one another in cultivating the land for their crops, both in the sewing and reaping of them. This method is called "cóir" or "cúir" which means "help". The potato seeds are called "scoláiní" or "scolán".
The spraying of the crop is very essential to prevent blight. This latter can set in even in one night. In dull or misty weather the crop is very much prone to this disease. The blight generally makes its appearance early in July, so spraying operations should commence before July and should be performed on three occasions at intervals of three weeks. The spray is combined of a solution of washing soda, bluestone and water. About 160 gallons to 1 acre is required for a good spraying of the crop.

at least with very good results.
The land is prepared in early Spring either by the farmer himself, his sons or by employed hands. The preparation of the soil varies according to the crops that proceed it. If the ground intended for this year's potato crop was under grass last year, then the first preparation is a good covering or"coat" as it is called of farm manure. This ground is generally ploughed into ridges but drills are sometimes made, where, say from 4 to 5 acres are intended for the potato crop. Drills waste or absorb more ground than ridges for the same amount of seed. That is why the method of ridges is much preferred to that of drills, but the system of drills is easier to growers of larger quantities. In broken ground, that is ground under crops the previous year either of these methods is used. Only the farm-yard manure is applied when the drills are opened with the plough. The manure is broken and spread between the drills, potato-seed is then laid about nine inches apart over-head the manure, then the drills are closd. In the case of ridges, they are sown with a spade, three across the ridge about ten inches

sticks. Two of these light sticks are slipped between the cord and the "frame", two other light sticks are slipped under the cord, these run parallel to the second two sides of the frame, with their ends resting on the ends of the first two light ones. The cords now begin to tighten and so hold the sticks in position, and the work goes on till the crib comes almost to a point at the top. The tongue has now to be put in; this is made of fairly strong briar bent in a half circle; one end of the briar is secured at one corner of the frame, and the other end at the second corner, leaving the round part of the briar almost touching the front stick of the frame. A "gabhlóg" or stick forked at one end is next got. The "handle" of the fork is left about six inches in length and the "prongs" of the fork about an inch and a half. Next a piece of fairly strong briar about seven or eight inches long is got, and an inch or two of the top is bent to make it look like the figure seven (7). To "set" the crib place the gabhlóg upright on the ground; now rest one stick - that to which the ends of the circular briar are fixed - of the frame on the ground in front of

over him. He runs on and does the same to the next boy, while at the same time the boy whom he has just cleared straightens up, runs on, clears the boy in front and follows the first. Every boy does the same when his time comes. When the first boy to start, reaches the last boy in the ring he vaults over him in the same way as he did over the others, then he runs on a few yards, till he finds himself in the place where he first started; he now stoops quickly, placing his hands on the ground, and remains steady till all the others have passed over him in turn. This game gives great exercise and makes boys very active. Sometimes a boy in the ring straightens himself just as another boy is about to lay his hands on his back and so often causes him to fall.
Cribs. In the frosty weather in winter, we make cribs for birds. A crib is made in this way: four sticks, each about fifteen inchs long, are tied end to end in the form of a square; two pieces of strong cord are stretched from corner to corner of the square, they are not pulled tight, but are firmly fixed at the corners. We now "build" the crib with some light

and so on. When this is settled between them, they return to where the boys are standing, and form the ring round them again. They all pretend to do the action agreed on together, while the boys in the centre try to guess what action it is that the others are pretending to do. When one of them guesses correctly, the ring breaks, the boys forming it all rush for the "den" while those who were in the centre follow and try to touch some of them before they reach the den. Any boy so touched has now to take his place in the centre and the boy who touched him goes out to the ring. The same thing is done again and again, and as there is a lot of running and twisting, the game makes us very warm.
Frog Leaping. We play this game in summer, when the ground is very dry. A number of boys, of the same height or near it, form a large ring round the playground, they then stoop till their fingers touch the ground. One boy starts runs to the boy in front of him, places his two hands on his back, and jumps or rather "vaults" clear

Saint Colum Cille is the Saint traditionally connected with this district. But Saint Patrick's church is the name given to the church in this district. Saint Patrick must have travelled through this district in olden times, because there is a well called after his name, which was blessed by him.
Before the church in Iskaheen was built the graveyard was there. Although the Iskaheen church is very old.
Any child that is born near or on Saint Patrick's Day is called after the Saint.
There are old ruins in the graveyard at Iskaheen. It is supposed to be a Protestant church. The gable is still standing with ivory leaves growing on it.
The graves are inside the old church and all around it. There is supposed to be many Protestants buried in the graveyard. When you are walking through it you can see very old tomb stones half buried in the soil. They are the old kind of tomb stones a flat tablet of stone over the grave.
There is a son of Niall of the Nine

The smith can do all kinds of work only the shoeing of a cart wheel. This is done in the open air. When a man is taking his cart wheel to the smith to get a new shoeing on, he has to take a load of turf. The wheel is left on a round tablet of stone the shape of a cart wheel. The hooping has no need to be as hot as other irons. So in this case the turf is sufficient. The hooping is left on the street and burning turf put all around it, until it is half red. It is then put on the wheel which is lying flat on the flag of stone. The flag of stone has a round hole in it to let the naive of the wheel drop down. When the hooping is on the men there throw water on it to cool it. The hooping is pulled on with irons made for the purpose.
Forge water is supposed to be good for curing scales on horses legs. By washing the horses legs with it.
Blacksmith are looked upon as having very strong arms. Because their arms get plenty of exercise. Some of the blacksmiths walk with their toe turned in. This is because when they are shoeing a horse they are holding up the horses leg with their knee, and most likely have their toe turned in.

and different sizes of plain hammers, a bench, and different kinds of spinners, a rasp, and horse shoeing hammer, a racket.
The anvil is a block of iron on which the smith leaves the hot iron to strike it into its proper shape.
The vice is a tool which the smith puts the hot iron in to keep it stiff and unmoveably. The hot iron is cut with the chizel hammer. Different kinds of tongs are used for taking different kinds of iron out of the fire. Many kinds of hammers are used for striking the hot iron. The bench is greatly needed in the forge for leaving the tools on. The spinners are used for screwing bolts and nuts.
When ploughs and other impliments are being made the racket is used for making holes in the iron. These holes are places where the bolts are fastened.
When shoeing a horse the blacksmith uses a rasp to make the horses hoof the size for the shoe. While nailing on the shoe he uses a small hammer and horse nails.
The blacksmiths can make farm impliments, but this has not to be done often. The impliments have to be repaired fairly often.

The forges we have now are situated near or in the same townlands as they were then. The forges we have now are situated in Quigleys Point, Ballyboe, Muff, Carrowkeel. Some of these smiths learned their trade and others were taught by their father.
Most of the smiths put up their forge at cross roads to get the trade. These forges of times ago were generally made with stone walls and boarded roofs, some roofs were made from zinc.
To show the people where a forge was, the smith makes a new horse shoe and hangs it on a nail on the door. This also shows horse shoes are made.
In every forge there is a fire place. It is made on a stone wall about two feet and a half high. The bellows are at one side of the fire with the hole pointing into it. The other side is hung up by a chain as high as the fire. The bellows are made from saddlers leather and a long stick which the smith pulls down when he is working the bellows.
The most important tools of the blacksmith are the bellows, the anvil, the vice, the chizel hammer, different kinds of tongs,

In this parish now there are five blacksmiths and forges but some of these are only a short time at that trade. In olden days there were six blacksmiths in this Parish. They are all dead now.
The smiths of olden days were, Sam Brokens, William Wylie, John Miller, Ned Miller, Pat Cole, William Laughlin.
Sam Brookens was one of the good blacksmiths of olden days. He lived and worked in his forge at Quigleys Point. His forge is still there though he is dead. Another man is now working in the same forge. This man was taught his trade by Sam Brookens. He is one of our blacksmiths now and is called John McLaughlin.
William Wylie worked and lived at Muff. His forge was where Steens Mineral Water Works now are.
John Miller had his forge at Ballyboe. He taught his own son Ned Miller and also William Laughlin the trade. Ned Miller had his forge at Ture. William Lauglin worked in his forge at Drumskellin. Pat Cole had his forge at the Rock on the Burnfoot road.

Gobán Saor a man who lived in Ireland long ago. He built houses and did carpenter work. One time he thought he would make a very beautiful chest. He made one and carried it to where it could be seen by the people going to mass, and getting into it he used the first inside lock, ever made in Ireland. He wanted to hear what the people would say about his work, so he kept very quiet. The people gathered around to look at the chest all agreed it was fine workmanship and very beautiful, as nothing like it had ever been seen before, it must shurely be the work of Gobán Saor. First one said that the legs were too long for the size of it, another that it was too high for the length of it, another it was too broad, and still another said there not enough of ornaments on it. He carried it home again worked to suit there wishes, and again took it for inspection. Again they

getting a rope, and two twisting one at each side, the rest of them skipping across the rope in their turns and whoever misses is out.
Hide and Go Seek is played in the kitchen at night. One covers her eyes, and the others go in hide. Then she says "I am going, I am going, I am gone". Then she searches for the others, and the first one she catches has to do the same.
"Four corner fool" is usually played at school. We stand one in each of four corners of the play-yard and one in the middle called the "fool". We run from one to one and the fool is trying to get a corner, and if she succeeds, another one has to be the fool, and so on until it is finished.
"Tips" are first counted. The counting is done in many ways at first, such as "One, Two, Three, Mother caught a bee. Bee died, Mother cried, and out goes she ". The girl that is out last has the tip, and so she has to follow the others until she gives the tip to some one else and so on.
In the Winter time we all sit around the fire and have "Sharing the ring". One gets the ring the rest have to close their eyes, and the girl sharing the ring asks to whom she gave it, and if you are wrong you are sure to get a slap.
Cards are played in Winter by young and old. There is great fun playing the "Old Maid and the Donkey". One gives out the cards, and puts away one. Then the others match the cards and those that

We amuse ourselves in playing games such as Gobs, skipping, "Hide and Go Seek", Sharing the ring, cards.
The games are played in certain ways and at certain months of the year.
Playing Gobs is carried on in Spring. This game is done by getting five small stones. First the players collect and sit in a nice place, and get five nice stones. Then toss them up in turns and the girl who catches them on the back of her hand, starts the first. That girl puts four gobs on the ground and tosses up the other one, and catches the five in her hand. Next she tosses out 4 and throws up one, then catches 2 first, then 3 and then the five. The same is done again for 2 rounds and this is called "a scatter". The player throws up 1 gob and leaves 4 on the ground then catches the 1 she throws up, and four on the ground. She tosses out the gobs again and the one she tosses up and the three in the ground that is called a "Three down". Then she puts 4 in between her fingers and tosses them up and this is called "the gathering of the chickens". Next the legs of the pot is done. Put three gobs on the ground the shape of the legs of the pot, then the players catch them. If the girl misses, another girl takes her place, and then the game is finished.
Skipping is also done in Spring, by

lay down on Flemings hill which is beside the Bonnafinglas School and fell fast asleep. When he awoke he saw a hound over him and it was crying and moaning. The hound began to lick his face and when he did the sickness went away so then he knew that it was the bolstra.
One evening Edward Hallinan of Bonnafinglas was out shooting rabbits. He saw a pidgeon on a bush and he aimed the gun at it. The bullet hit the bird but it was not killed, he fired three more bullets and they hit the bird but it did not fall so he knew it was the bolstra so he went away satisfied.
One evening Bridget Garrett told her niece to go out and to put in the chickens. Her niece went out and put in all the chickens and after a while her aunt went out and she was very vexed when she saw one of the chickens out. She caught hold of the chicken and when she did it disappeared and she could hear it screeching like the bolstra.

by his sons. Denny was an independent farmer and never accepted hire for his services though people used to return the compliment by giving him "the work of a man" now and then.
To repair a rope which was broken (i.e. to re-join it) he unravelled about five inches of the ends of both pieces of the rope. He then wove the loose chords into each other and did it so neatly that scarcely a particle of the loose ends need be cut off. The two strongest men in the parish could not then pull the parts apart. The repaired part was a little thicker than the rest of the rope and was certainly the strongest part of it.

People say "How, How" when driving them. It is said if a male goat is allowed among cows they will be lucky, and unlucky if a female feeds on the farm with them.
The old people kept an old bit of well smoked bacon stuck in the thatch. It was used as a cure for sore teats. It was called "Círín".
Horses are put into houses (stables) at night about Nov. 1st. They are fed on oats, mash consisting of bran and oats, sometimes carrots and mangolds. These feeds are given twice or three times during the day. Hay is given in the intervals - grass during the day - they are out in the fields unless driving or working or bunking.
They are clipped two or three times during the year - first clip about Nov. 1st.
Call for hens:- Tuk! tuk! tuk!
Call for turkeys:- Biadh! biadh! biadh!
Call for ducks:- Feed! feed! feed!
Call for horses:- Dioch! dioch! dioch!
Call for goats:- Pre! pre! pre!
Call for cats:- Puis! puis! puis!

There was an old woman who lived in Lear and she could change into a hare, and there was no dog able to catch her. She milked the cows about Lear in the fields and she got many a chase, and always ran in the direction of Ballinamuck. One day there came hounds from Cloone, and they raised the hare in Lear and she ran in the direction of Ballinamuck and back again till she went in on the window of her house. One of the hounds pulled the scut out of her, as she was going in on the window. The men went in to see was she inside, but all they saw was an old woman spinning. They looked round the house and saw that the stool was covered with blood. "Oh" said the man, "you are the black hare that no one could kill."

There was an old woman who lived in Lear and she could change into a hare, and there was no dog able to catch her. She milked the cows about Lear in the fields and she got many a chase, and always ran in the direction of Ballinamuck. One day there came hounds from Cloone, and they raised the hare in Lear and she ran in the direction of Ballinamuck and back again till she went in on the window of her house. One of the hounds pulled the scut out of her, as she was going in on the window. The men went in to see was she inside, but all they saw was an old woman spinning. They looked round the house and saw that the stool was covered with blood. "Oh" said the man, "you are the black hare that no one could kill."

We have a churn at home. It is four feet high, and it is two feet six inches wide at the top and two feet wide at the bottom. The sides are round. It is about ten years old. The various parts are called "staves". There are no marks on it. The churning is done once a week in winter, and in summer it is done twice a week. There is hardly any churning done since the creameries started. The churning was mostly done with churning machines drawn round with donkeys long ago. When strangers come in they help with the churning because if they did not they say they might take away the butter or the people would never get the milk churned if they did not take a dreas. The dash handle is always moved up and down when you are churning by the hand. Water is poured on during the churning. The butter gathers on the top of the milk when it is done. The milk does not want so much water in summer as in winter. It takes an hour or more to make the churn. Then the butter is taken out with a butter strainer and put on a butter dish, and spring water is put on it to wash the butter milk out of it, then it is salted and

"gold watch or gold chain". If he says "gold watch", he goes behind one; and the contrary carries him behind the other. When all the children have taken their places behind the two, in this manner there is a pull.
"Picky" is played in the following way. The following figure is drawn on the ground [drawing here]; each section of which, is called a "bed". A boy then takes a piece of slate in his hand, which he then throws into the first bed, and hops on one leg to the end of the figure. On his return journey he picks up the piece of slate. He then throws the slate into each bed in turn. If he fails to drive it into any of the beds, he is "out"; and also if he stands on any of the lines. When he has succeeded in driving the slate into each bed he can mark an X in one of the beds; and no one, save himself can hop into that bed.
"See-saw" is played this way. A post is stuck into the ground; accross the top of which a long plank is then placed. Two boys or girls catch each end of the plank; which then swings up and down

clubs and spades) and the highest in red (e.g. hearts and diamonds) are greatest in value. There are many games played smilarly. In thirty one (31) the best trump is worth eleven. In the game of one hundred and ten (110) play proceeds as in twenty five (25) except they play for a larger number.
In "Beggar my neighbour" the idea is to beggar your neighbour or take his cards from him. All the cards are dealt and held upside down. The player next to the dealer turns up his top card and if it happens to be a queen for instance the next player to him has to put two cards down on it and the first player claims the three cards and so on right around . Four cards must be placed on an Ace, three on a King, two on a Queen, and one on a Knave. This game dos not require much skill but it lasts a long time.
Children amuse themselves when sitting around the fire during Winter by telling stories.

"Snakes and ladders" is played with a dice and a card with one hundred squares on it. In this card there are a lot of snakes and ladders. Two or three players only can play this at the time. The dice which is cubical in shape, each side numbered from one to six is put in a box and shaken. If number six is "up" on the dice the player may move the button to number one on the card. If number one happens to be the foot of a ladder the button may be moved to the top of it. If your button happens to come to the head of a snake you must remove it to the tail of the snake and await your luck with the dice. If for example the dice shows four you may move the button four squares and so on until you reach one hundred.
The people of this locality amuse themselves by night - especially in Winter time - by playing various card games. One of the most popular of these is twenty five (25). Any number of people up to ten can play this game. Five cards are dealt to each and the next card turned up will be the trump. Whoever reaches twenty-five (25) first is declared winner. Sometimes they play for small stakes. In this game the smallest in black cards (e.g.

and that of the "devil". This is done thrice. If the "angels" party succeeds they are called "angels" and if the "devils" party succeeds they are called "devils". That concludes "colours".
"Tip of the handkerchief" is played by players joining hands and forming a ring. One person is chosen and getting a handkerchief goes around the ring saying:-
I wrote a letter to my love,
And on my way I dropped it,
Some one of you found it picked it up,
And put it in your pocket.
She or he is supposed to throw the handkerchief on some one and that person is to run after her or him until caught. Then the caught person is to join up in the ring and the other person is to repeat the performance. This is continued until everyone is called upon to chase.
In "musical bumps" players run around a person who is blindfolded. This person tries to catch some one and if he or she succeed they have to mention the name of the person caught. Then that person becomes blindfolded and carries on as before. This they do while music on an instrument - usually a mouth organ - is played. This game is much similar to "blind man's buff".

some person, and another person is chosen from the opposite side. Those two pull until one pulls the other to his or her own side. They begin again repeating the same thing.
"High Gates" is played by players joining hands and making a ring. Two persons will not join in that ring but will remain outside it to call on two others from the ring to chase them. When these two are caught they join the ring and the two who caught them will call on two others from the ring and carry on as before. When every body in the ring has been called the game concludes.
In the game of "Colours" all the players stand in a row while one gives them the names of various colours. A "devil" and an "angel" would then be chosen to confront the party. The "angel" may then name three colours and those of the party whose names correspond to those colours will have to join company with the "angel". The "devil" then does likewise and so on alternatively until the whole is arranged in two rows behind the "devil" and the "angel". Then tug-o-war is begun between the "angels" party

person would catch and twist it, while others would jump in, in the centre of the rope and continue skipping.
"Fishing" is played by choosing a "fish" from a group. A "fisherman" is blindfolded and stands in the middle of the room or circle while the fish run up to him and touch him. The "fisherman" endeavours to catch one and if successful has to name his "fish". If unable to do so he has to continue fishing until he is able to name the "fish" caught. Then the captured fish becomes fisherman and proceeds as before. "Nuts and May" is played by dividing the number of players in two parts, then those two parties would stand facing one another. One row moves backwards and forwards and while doing so they repeat:-
Here we come gathering nuts and may
Nuts and may, nuts and may.
Here we come gathering nuts and may
On a cold and frosty morning.
The opposite row then repeats:
Who will ye have for nuts and may,
Nuts and may, nuts and may,
Who will ye have for nuts and may
On a cold and frosty morning.
The other row then repeats the name of

The games I play are as follows:-
See-saw, skipping, colours, fishing, London bridge, Nuts and May, high-gates, tip of the handkerchief, high gates, musical bumps, lazy Mary, ludo, snakes and ladders, and over-backs.
I amuse myself at certain times of the year which are at Autumn and Winter by blackberry picking at Autumn and by making bird traps at Winter. Bird baskets are made by sticks and cords and when setting it a "goulog" (gabhlóg) and a "kipeen braig" (cipín bréig) or a "kipeen deerach" (cipín díreach) is used. The "goulog" is used to keep up the basket, and the "kipeen braig" to keep up the bough. Holly berries and haws are thrown under the basket in order that the birds would come in for them and by doing so they are certain to step on the bough. When they step on the bough immediately the basket trips, and the bird is held prisoner.
"See-saw" is played by having a block stretched on some high article and at each end of that a person would sit and weigh one another. Skipping is played by having a rope and at each end of that rope a

Long ago there lived a Castlegrace man in Dublin, and he used be opening boxes of vegetables that came in from the country. One day when he was opening a box, he heard a noise in it, which made him afraid, because he knew not what was inside, but after a while on opening it a leprechaun jumped out. The man asked him where was he from, whereupon the leprechaun said he was from Boherbue at the foot of the Knockmealdown Mountains. The leprechaun said he would give the man anything he asked for if only he would bring him back to Boherbue. The man hadn't much wages, so he asked the leprechaun if he could devise a plan to make his boss give him an increase. The leprechaun said he would, so the man and the leprechaun went into the manager's office. The leprechaun stole the key of the money drawer, and the man asked for the increase on his wages. When the manager went to the money drawer he found it was locked and the key gone. He said he would give the man

In about the end of the month of May the shades come into the shore. It is said that they be running their rounds that is to say that be running around the shore. During this time they are spawning and the female is hatching her young. They run into this net and when they do the corks go down and then the man knows that there is something in the nets. He then pulls this net in making sure not to loose any of them. He then puts the net out again. Where there is a fall in a river fish can be caught in a net also. But this net is not the same shape as that of the net which catches shades. It is the same shape as that of the mouth of a stocking. It goes out to a point. There is a double piece knitted at the top of the net so that the fish would not be able to get out. This double piece is known as the fox. When the fish to into this net they go through this piece and when they try to get back they are not able to succeed as they cannot come out. There is tradition about a man who caught over four hundred fish between four o'clock in the morning until seven o'clock in the morning. The eel is the most common fish that is caught this way. This fish is a very nice fish to eat. Before he can be eaten he must be skint. There are no scales on this fish like other fish. He is sometimes roasted on a grisset. That is a fout pieces of tin fasten together at either end. There are four little feet under this. Across the centre of this there are thin pieces of iron. The fish are left across these pieces of iron. More people fry the eel on the pan. There comes a lot of oil out of this fish and he is a lot nicer cooked this way than when it is cooked by roasting it. They can be eaten with either bread or potatoes. The shade is not so nice a fish as that of the eel or the pike. It has

Fishing is a very common sports game that is carried on in this district. There are various ways which they catch them but the method done with the rod and line is the most common way and here is the way it is done.
First there is a rod cut out of the hedge which is about three yards long. Then there is a line got about six yards long . At the top of this line there is a hook. About middle ways on this line there is a cork which is called a sink. There is a quill through this cork through which the line goes through. There is a worm on the hook and then the line is thrown out in the water and when the sink is seen going down it is a sign that there is a fish at the worm. Then the line is pulled in and the fish is taken off and the line is thrown out again. The perch and the roach are the two sorts of fish that are caught this way.
In this district there are fish caught with nets and they are as follows the eel, the pike and the shade. The nets in which those fish are caught are home knit. They are knitted about one hundred yards long and about thirty yds wide. There is a flat stick about six inches long got and it is pointed at either ends. There is a hole put in the top of it and so the net is knitted with cotton thread. Here is the way that they are caught. At about six o'clock in the evening just after the sun setting the net is got and there are cork fastened to the top of it. Then the person walks out into the river or the lake and he tramps the net down into the mud and he leaves the corks floating over the water.

pathway which lead to the road he met with four men who were carrying a coffin on their shoulders. He tried to run but he found he could not. He stood there until the four men came up to him, and then they asked him to help them carry the coffin. He helped them, and when they reached the graveyard the gate swung open and the five men walked in. They left down the coffin, and then the men asked the boy to watch it while they got weapons in some house. He watched and waited for a long time and as the men were not coming he said he would see what was in the coffin. He lifted the lid off, and he was greatly frightened for there he saw the devil with two long horns. He ran out on the gateway as quickly as he could, and if he had not been out in time he would have been killed for the gate swung behind him.

They let it steep for a while and then drunk it with ptatoes, or oatenbread. Then they got a porringer of porridge and would take buttermilk to it. In some houses there were no tables but baskets and lasads. They would set the lasad on a box in the centre of the floor so that it would be high. All would sit around it and enjoy a good meal. In other houses there was hanging tables with one leg. They had different kinds of bread namely boxty, oatenbread, and pancakes. The people also had salty herrings, fresh pork, and veal to eat. They sometimes had fish. On a good night they would stay up the greater part of it fishing. Some of the people had nets in which they caught the salmons. If they were not out ceilidhing they would eat nothing from their tea in the evening. But if they were out there would be potatoes left by the fireside for them.
The herrings were got in big barrels. One herring would do a few people. They washed the tongs, and left it across on the fire and well greased. The herring was left across on this. When roasted it was turned. Then it was lifted and a fork was stuck through its eye. It was left in the centre of the lasad. It was spun round for everyone to get a piece. Sometimes they warmed new milk and put a little butter in it and threw a

of boiled.
SodaBread. First the flour was put into a basin, and soda and a pinch of salt and some sugar was added. Sometimes they used buttermilk, other times they used cream of tarter. It was baked on a griddle oven or pan.
Oatenbread. First they got the dry oatenmeal and wet it with a sup of warm water. They put a griddle as support before it. Sometimes they got a few sods of turf and left it up to it. When the men would be working they would come in at dinner time and get a mug of milk and oatenbread. When a person would be going to America they would bring a few cakes of oatenbread with them. When they would get hungry they would eat some of it.
In olden times they partook of three meals namely breakfast, dinner, and supper. They went out at about seven o'clock and done a morning's work and then came in and took their breakfasts. For that meal they had porridge or oatenbread. Potatoes were not eaten at every meal. They used buttermilk and what was called bull's milk. They got oatenmeal and put it into a vessel and poured water over it.

Long ago the people made bread from the four kinds of grain namely, barley, rye, wheat, and oats. Sometimes they made potato cake, boxty, and oatenbread.
Boiled Boxty. First the potatoes were picked and washed. Then they were peeled and grated. The water was then wrung off them. A pot of water was boiled and the ray and boiled potatoes were mixed together. They made small hurleys of it and left them into the water carefully. It was boiled for about a quarter of an hour.
German Boxty. The potatoes were picked and washed. They were then peeled and grated. They were put into a strainer to take some of the water off them. Then they were put into a baisin and put some flour, salt, and some new milk on them. It was then beaten to a thick batter. The pan or oven needed to be very hot and well greased before the boxty was put down. The batter was put in about a quarter of an inch deep.
Baked boxty. It is made the same as boiled boxty only that it is baked instead

it into the shrubbery and turned his horse into a field. He was building the gap when the Revenue came. They asked him did he see Captain Gallagher, and he told them that a man on horseback went in the opposite direction to which he wanted to go.

According to local history the well now called St. Anne's Well was once situated on the side of the Ox Mountains which at this time was heavily wooded. The people of various countries came to visit this well on a certain date. Near the well was an inn where travellers and visitors stayed. The story says that but for the murder of a French lady who came from France to perform a station, that her first born child might be a boy, heir to his father's property the well, and the inn might still be there. At this time the Ceannidhe Ruaidh who was a pedlar visited the well and seeing the Franch lady murdered her for her jewellery. He buried the body secetly but what is believed to be her grave, is pointed out to this day. When her husband received no replies to his letters he grew anxious and went to Ireland to investigate. He arrived at the inn where he took lodgings and received information of the Ceannuidhe Ruaidh's character. One night as the Frenchman sat in the dining room the pedlar came in and sat at the table near him. The Frenchman thought he was from Dublin, and the pedlar boasted that he had more money than all the Dublin Jackeens from here to London. As he was saying this he pulled a handful of gold and silver from his pocket among which the Frenchman noticed a

On one occasion Captain Gallagher was returning from Ballina, and saw a woman going on the road before him. Every few yards she went she looked back, so the Highwayman came up to her and said "you seem to be afraid of somebody." She told him that Captain Gallagher was in Ballina and she was afraid that he would overtake her on the road. "Ah", said he "don't be afraid. I'll pull my horse to the ditch you get up behind me and I will take you home." They went along the main road and the woman pointed out when her house was.
He let her down off the horse and said "Never be afraid of Captain Gallagher" and to tell the people you rode home from Ballina on his horse.

This girl was friendly with two men. The one had planned to bring a party and carry her off. The girls people heard of this and they were not for this marriage atal. They would prefer the marriage with the other man.
So they sent word to the priest (who lived then in Ashford, we had no priest here in

This man married a girl. The girl was delicate. Wasn't it a frightful thing to do that. He didn't know that she was delicate. However she died a year after marrying. She was after having a baby. At that time the corpses used be laid out in a table. Well the friends of the

This man married a girl. The girl was delicate. Wasn't it a frightful thing to do that. He didn't know that she was delicate. However she died a yeer after marrying. She was after having a baby. At that time the corpses used be laid out in a table. Well the friends of the

6. Rye bread will do you good,
Barley bread will do you no harm,
Wheaten bread will sweeten your blood,
Oaten bread will strengthen your arm."
7. "An inch is a great deal in a man's nose".
8. The following incident relating to the following proverb is said to be true. In the Crimean war, an officer happened to be walking past an Irish soldier on duty, who raised hand to cap to salute. But the hand was only halfway when a stray bullet whizzed by and knocked off the cap without doing an injury. Whereupon Paddy, perfectly unmoved, stooped down, replacd the cap and completed the salute. The officer, admiring his coolness, said, "That was a narrow shave, my man". "Yes, your honour, an inch is as good as a mile".
9. "Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't know". A person in your employment is not giving satisfaction; and yet you are loath to part with him for another.
10. "You spoke too late" as the fool said when he had swallowed a bad egg, and heard the chicken chirp going down his throat.
10. "The life of an old hat is to cock it".
11. "When a man is down, down with him".
12. "Enough and no waste is as good as a feast".

1. "When needs must, the devil drives" i.e. A man in a great fix, is often driven to criminal or illegal actions to extricate himself.
2. "Time enough to bid the devil good morrow when you meet him" i.e. Don't go out of your way to seek trouble.
3. "A quick light dressing like the old woman gave the cabbage" - as said referring to something done in a slovenly lazy manner.
4. "What's got over the devil's back, goes off under the devil's belly" i.e. Ill-got, ill-gone.
5. "Firm and ugly", as the devil said when he saved his breeches with gads".
This is how it happened. The devil was one day pursuing the soul of a sinner across country. In leaping over a rough thorn hedge, he tore his breeches badly, so that his tail stuck out; on which he gave up the chasse. As it was not decent to appear in public in that condition, he sat down and stitched up the rent with next to hand materials viz. slender tough salley-rods or "gads". When the job was done, he spread out the garment before him on his knees, and looking admiringly on his handiwork, uttered the above saying - "Firm and ugly".

Those observed in this district.
The Wren's Day - St. Stephens Day.
St. Patricks Day.
Shrove. Shrove Tuesday. ? - night.
Chalk Sunday
May Day.
St. John's Day. Bonfires - St. John's Eve.
St Martin's Night - Spill blood. Kill cock.
Hallowe'en.
Little Xmas.
There are a great number of Feast days observed during the year. For instance we are just after Celebrating Halloween a night of much merriment in finding the ring in the cake, nut cracking roasting of beans, and snap apple.
St. Martin's night is to kill some bird and sprinkle the door post with blood, and an old saying if we get heavy frost before Martinmas we get a mild winter. Christmas a great Feast day as the proverb says a green Xmas make a fat Kirkyard another saying if you walk on snow on Xmas morning its very lucky. St. Stephens day a great day of fun for wren boys.

The name of my townsland isToomaline in the parish of Doon. The number of families in my district is about 26, the name that is most common is Hayes mostly all slate houses one or two of them are thatched one covered with zinc. There are old people over seventy in Mrs Hayes and Mr Pat Butler. I do not

roadside and fry or boil their day's gathering such as potatoes bacon onions or cabbage. The O'Riellys Cartys and Connors are well known in many counties. They usually make their appearance on fair days and to see them at the end of a good fair day they are in great humour after a few pints and can tell stories.
John Joe Ryan.
In Ireland we often see people travelling around in caravans. These travelling folk are divided into two classes namely gipsies and tinkers. Those travelling folk are continually travelling from one place to another, sometimes camping in a place where there is a good supply of food to be had for the begging but they never remain for long in the same. In this locality they camp in sheltered by-roads where there is not much traffic. Sometimes the people trade with them for horses and asses and the housewives purchases from them some house utensils made by the men folk. Some of the women make money by telling the men their fortunes. The people in this locality have nothng to complain as far as those travelling folks honesty is concerned.
Teresa O Dwyer.

Hurling the chief pastime in these parts.
Football to a lesser degree.
Pegging tops in Spring, also whipping tops.
Nut cracking in Autumn.
"Pickedie" for girls. Tipping stone with foot through squares.
"Stickles." "Jack Stones".
"Cussie furses" - Stilts. "Cock Robin"
"High Gates"
"Cap-ball" "Tig"
"Four-corners"
"Puckeen" - "Blind Man's Buff".
"Duck" "Leap-Frog"
"La-gin-la-John"
"Nuts in May". "Colours"
"Wall-Flower". "Statues"
"Darkie-Bluebell"
"Rottin-orange". "Ring-a-ring-a-rosie"
"Beans". "Snap-apple"
"Cat and Mouse". "Hare and Hound"
"Green Gravel". "Knuckles".
"All round the Mulberry Bush"
"The Big Ship sail through the Ally Ally-O!"
"Hide the Stone". "Conquers".
Skating. "Tumbling the wild cat". "Rolly Bowly".

Friday looked on as lucky day in these parts. Removing to new houses. Begin work. Don't visit doctor on Sunday. Don't buy or sell on S.
Don't visit sick on Sunday.
Don't start work on Saturday.
? Monday. First of year. M. a lucky day to get money but unlucky to pay money out.
Don't throw out ashes on a Monday morning.
Marriage.
Monday for health
Tuesday for wealth
Wednesday the best day of all.
Thursday for losses
Friday for crossess
And Saturday the worst day of all.
Plant Potatoes between 17th and 28th March.
Don't throw out sweepings of shop floor on Monday. Luck.
St. Swithin Bishop of Winchester from 852 to 862. At his own request was buried in the churchyard that the "sweet rain of heaven might fall upon his grave". On his canonisation a century later, the monks thought to honour him by removing his remains into the choir, but their purpose was prevented by a rain which lasted forty days from July 15th the day fixed for the removal

were made out of useless peices of cotton in all old fashion nothing like the up to date ones now from foreign lands but the Irish old fashion best.

"Floggins". Elder branch - centre emptied.
Ramrod - chewed (?) papers.
Hurling ball. Ball of thread - ripped old stocking, packed with corks.
Kite. Catapult. Bow and arrow. Slinger.
Cradle-birds - "cribs". Snares.
Blowing bubbles with old pipe and suds.
Daisy chains, rag-dolls.
Aghaidh fidil. "Eye-fiddler".
Scooped turnip.
There were various makes of toys in times gone by. Hurling balls were made of corks covered with many rolls of wasted thread. Tops and Hurley were fashioned of common ash trees. Floggins were made out of elder branches crammed with wet paper and forced out with a ram rod. Cages cribs were roughly made out of elder branches to catch birds in snowy or hard weather. It was a great custom to weave garlands of flowers to form chains for around the neck, and to make crowns for the head. Paper belts were made from various colours especially grease proof paper from cigarette boxes. Dolls of every make and size

Here is a list of the games we play at school:-
Hiide and Seek, Blind man's buff, Colours, Sally Water, Hawk, Bees, Around the green gravel, Twos and threes, Wallflowers, Come a Ceilidhe, Mother, and Dan, Dan thread the needle.
For "hide and seek" some one turns her back and all run away and hide. When they are ready they shout "Cuckoo" or something like that, then she runs away and tries to get them.
To play "blind man's buff" some child puts a cap over her eyes. All the children gather inside a ring of stones, she runs and catches some one. Whomever she catches has to be the man next.
Some three stand in different places and some one comes and gives them names. One is Hell, another is Heaven, another is purgatory. While one is giving out the names of places, another is giving out colours to the others. Then the colours are called by the one that gives out the names of the places. The children run to whatever place they like and then they are told where they are.
All join hands in a ring, with one in the

in October it is the sign of a hard winter. If the foxes bark much in October it is the sign of snow.
If the crook is damp it is the sign of rain. If the soot comes down the chimney it is the sign of rain. If a cool August follows a hot July it is the sign of a hard winter. If you see a rainbow in the morning it is the sign of rain but if you see a rainbow at night it is the sign of good weather. One Hallow Eve night if the wind blows from the north it is said that it will blow in the same direction for three months. If on Saint Swithin's day it rains it will rain for forty days.
If the smoke goes up straight it is the sign of calm weather. If you see a cat lying in the sun it is the sign of frost.
If the water in a lake is coloured black it is the sign of rain. If you see a fog over a river it is the sign of rain. If you see mice coming into the house it is the sign of rain or if you see rats gathering to the house it is the sign that winter is at hand. If

The man accordingly kept his eye on her for the belief in this household too was that a fairy could not move so long as a human eye rested on it. In the meantime Terry had gone for the gun and was charging it as fast as he could. He came rushing out fully armed and shouted to the man to enquire if she were still there. In the surprise and excitement the man turned around to assure Terry that she was still there, but when he again looked there was no trace of the little woman to be seen. I will not write the epithets which Terry said he poured on the servant man's head.

must say that somebody, that is, the name of the person who is the patient has sprained his arm and the weaver will do the rest.
An eel's skin dried and wound round the wrist was a recognised cure for tálach - apparently some kind of straining of the wrist muscles by unaccustomed heavy work.
Garlic minced with soot was applied to a calf's tail to remedy a decline in the calf. The calf was said to have a worm in its tail.
Coirneal Coisil causes abortion in animals.

sores.
A fox's tongue was a much more prized recipe for the same afflication, as also was the root of the comfrey plant.
A decoction of the cnádán (pronounced crádán) or burdock was also considered beneficial in illness of the respiratory organs.
The dandelion is consideered useful in case of stomach trouble.
In chin-cough or whooping-cough as it is better known nowadays, the cure was to ask a cure of a man riding on a white horse going beneath and around the horse's legs.
For different kinds of rashes a cure resided in the hand of the seventh son of a family.
Billeoga báidhte (water cress) boiled in milk and water is considered in some districts a cure for jaundice.
For sprains nothing can surpass the spraining thread. This is procured from a weaver. If you want one you must not ask for it directly. You

A very common cure for a rash that comes on newly born babies and which is called the fiolún is got from a plant called "glas a' chuillinn". It is also used in other skin diseases.
A cure for coughs was got by mixing "luibh na casachta", with various ingredients.
"Áine", or coltsfoot if smoked like tobacco was supposed to be beneficial to the respiratory organs.
"Airgead luachair", or meadow sweet was beneficial in some stomach diseases.
Goose grease was a common specific for burns.
The juice of the "cupóg" or dock was considered a cure for stings.
Nettles boiled and cooked like greens in springtime were and in some places still are considered a great cure for impure blood indicated by boils etc.
Soap and sugar ground together and made into a poultice is considered useful in drawing suppurating

cases of recovery their skin was pockmarked or as was said in Irish, they were "crosach". This man whose name was Tommy Barret appears to have been somewhat of a pioneer in the vaccination treatment against smallpox.
In certain families even to the present day cures are handed down from father to son. A very common cure was the treatment of the eye. Some of these cures were remarkably good, and unless the sight was totally gone in either person or animal whether from hurt or disease the "cure" was said to remove all trace of disease or injury. One of the plants used in this cure is the ivy.
Then there is in various places in the county a cure for cancer which if applied in the early stages of the disease - the cure in this case being a plaster which operates by bringing the cancer and its roots completely away with it - is said to be certain. The ingredients of this plaster are a closely guarded family secret

Though medicine appears, as a study, to have been confined to certain people who held the medical books handed down by their ancestors in olden times it is surprising nevertheless the number of cures or alleged cures that could be got among the ordinary people.
In this district until quite recently, and within the memory of people who are still living, a local man practised surgery to the extent that he used his lance pretty freely to bleed people - which apparently was his special cure for most diseases. He got some standing from the fact that he also used to vaccinate people against the small-pox which was then a veritable plague in the district periodically appearing and carrying away a large percentage. Even those who recovered from it, often did so in an impaired condition. Sometimes, as in the case of Raftery the Irish poet, they lost their eyesight, in other cases the were rendered deaf, and in nearly all

his sojourn there St. Patrick foretold that never again would anyody be killed by lightning in that district.
Tobar Cuimhne is within twenty yards of the main road from Kiltimagh to Swinford on the west side, and is within a few hundred yards of the former. This well is now surrounded by a wall and there is a hawthorn bush beside it. The well is said to have been formerly a quarter mile or more to the west of where it is now, but, one night it changed to its present site because a neighbour used its water for household purposes. The track of its journey is still said to be noticeable across the country.
No stations are performed there now but some say that on occasions buttons, small bits of cloth, and such likes are found there.
It is said by some that a black dog is seen close to the well crossing the road by people sent for the priest to anoint a dying person. The seeing of the dog is taken to indicate that the

There are two holy wells in this district, Tobar Pádhruig and Tobar Cuimhne. Tobar Pádhruig is in the Ballinamore demesne which until 1937 belonged to the Ormsby family - a family which appears to have come to this country towards the end of the 17th century from Louth in Lincolnshire. The well is marked on the ordnance survey map. Religious visits were not made to the well in recent times. But that is of course what would be expected so long as it was in the lands of the Ormsby family some of whom were notorious even during the past century for their harshness. Tales are still current of one in particular who was known as "Black Antony".
Last year the demesne was purchased by the sisters of St. John of God of the Australian province.
The tradition is that St. Patrick visited this district and blessed the well. There is also a tradition in the district that on account of somebody having been killed by lightning during

not see anything. They were terrifed but still they stayed in the room. Again they saw a very tall man pacing across the room but still the priests did not leave. The man disappeared and again after some time the priests heard the noise again. They waited a little while and then a black dog came into the room. Immediately he was seized by the priests and carried off to be buried under the cathedral.
When they were burying the dog they said to him. "That's your place now until the day of judgment" and his ghost was never again seen. One of the priests died after wards from the shock he got and the other went on a mission to America.

Denis Browne's death was rather cruel. After his death his ghost haunted the convent. There was one room in it and it was there he generally appeared. Everyone was afraid to enter the convent now so at last the priests determined to put a stop to Denis Browne's apparition. Denis appeared in different forms. There were two young priests in the district and it was decided that they should go to the convent and wait there all night. At night fall the two priests entered the convent and prayed there. After a few hours they heard a great noise but they could

Denis Browne used hang the blacksmiths for making pikes. There was a man called Bane who was a blacksmith and he used to make pikes. At last he was caught and brought to prison and when he was asked who he made the pikes for he would not tell them so they thought of his son who was at home. Browne said that the son would tell rather than be hanged. When the son heard that Browne was going to arrest him he went to the Blakes that night and knocked at the door. When Blake heard the knock he said "It's Bane from Dunmacreena or the devil from hell." When the Blake opened the door and Bane told him that Browne was going to hang him and his father, Blake ordered his carriage and he went to Claremorris. When he knocked at the barrick door Browne was not in and Blake got an axe and let out all that were inside. Browne was hiding upstairs because he knew that Blake would kill him.

[-]

One day a widow went to Denis Browne and told him that her son was always drinking his wages. "If I bring him here will you frighten him and tell him not to drink any more," said the woman. Denis Browne said he would and he told her to bring her son to him on the following day. She did so. When he arrived Denis Browne told his servants to get an ass cart. They obeyed. Denis then hung the boy from the shafts of the cart - before his mother's eyes.

and she and a few more girls let down the roll of tweed from the window and pulled Denis Browne up. When he was half way up they let him down again of a flop and he fell against the platform and was killed.

One day Denis Browne was in Ballinrobe and he was hanging the people. He was engaged to a girl named Regan and this day he was after hanging her father. When she heard that her father was being hanged she said that she would have revenge on him. They had a draper shop at this time and in it were some large rolls of tweed. At noon as she was going to her dinner she saw Denis Browne and she invited him to dinner. She let on that she was inviting him unknown to her mother. Their house was a three storey house

leap and jumped the river. From that day to this day that place is called. The Connaught man's leap" which no man ever jumped before or after that.Thomas McHugh, Curraghmore. Age 66 yrs.
Pupil's name Margaret Slattery.

Denis Browne was going to dinner with Lord Oranmore and Browne at the entrance of the residence there lived a widow and her son. As Denis Browne passed in the avenue the

off in their chariot and rode straight up to the convent in Claremorris and asked for Denis Browne. The reply that came was that he was not in. The priest shouted and said " send him out at once." So Denis came and the priest put him down on his two knees and made him walk on his knees out to the middle of the town and made him swear never to kill anyone from that on. So that was the end of Denis Browne.Pupil's name Kathleen Hynes Petter Fahy Mountain, Ballindine age about 73 yrs.

the wine. When the servant informed his master that the wine was purchased in Spain by himself, Blake thought he was telling lies, and ordered him to leave his place. But the servant would not allow himself to be punished in the wrong, so he brought his master the empty bottles which bore the Spanish labels and for further proof, he showed him the Spanish cloth which he had got for the priest.
No doubt everybody found it hard to believe that this man was in Spain and home in such a short time, but they knew that no Spanish wine could be had in the country at the time, and that the cloth was not purchased at home either, because it was too dear and the Irish always wore their own homespun cloth, so they had to dwell on the fact that the "good" people had been very kind to servant.

Next thing the man could remember that he was in a great city where a different language was spoken and where the people looked very foreign. He was informed that this was Spain. The fairies brought him wine the bottles of which bore Spanish labels. They asked him did he wish for anything else. The man did not like to refuse so he asked for cloth for a suit for his curate. He was provided with this. He was then taken to Galway where he purchased the meat. He arrived at Blakes in time for the feast and didn't relate his adventures to anybody. When the guests partook of the wine they noticed that it tasted very sweet and remarked that to the hoset who told them that that was Moons best wine. The company told Blake that he must be making a mistake but in order to confirm what he said he sent for the servant who got

didn't like to interfere with them. At last when he saw it was foul playing fourteen on one side and fifteen on the other he gave away to his feelings and shouted "ah that's not fair finish. " The hurlers were rather surprised to see that they had a spectator and they asked him to play with the side that was one man short. He did so, and the team which he helpt was victorious.
When the game was over it was about six o'clock a.m. The messanger then grumbled and stated that he would have to be back at Blakes at six o'clock that evening. The fairies asked him what he had to get in Glaway. On telling them, they told him they would take him to a place where he would get better wine than Moon ever sold. They touched his mule with a magic wand, and then he was able to travel as fast as the fairy horses.

he ordered the man to open the door After some time he answered in Latin and told the priest his story. Then the priest turned to the other man and asked him if he wronged the widow. This ghost will not leave the house until you return her the money. He admitted his guilt and paid the money back. O'Connell then opened the door and threw off the bullock's hide.

nights lodging. He came on the night appoointed. He knocked at the door and the woman opened it. He asked for lodging and the old woman gave it to him. He threw down an old bag of clothes on the floor and the woman gave him his supper. The old beggar slept in the kitchen and the others slept up stairs. During the night the man made great noise tossing everything in the kitchen. The brother-in-law got out of his bed and when he got to the top of the stairs, something resembling an animal rushed at him. He closed the door and called the woman He told her that it was a witch was in the kitchen. She told him that it would be better for him to go for the priest. He got down from the window by tying bed clothing together and brought the priest. When the priest came

There was once a wealthy farmer who lived in County Leitrim. When he died, his widow with a young family was unable to run the place. Her brother-in-law who lived in the house paid her rent and did all her other business. It was found out after some time, that this man kept all the money for himself which the widow gave to him to pay her rent and bills. The landlord went to evict her, but a brother of hers in Dublin went to O'Connell who was a great Councillor. He told him that his sister and family were to be evicted because her brother-in-law did not pay the rent. O'Connell sent a letter to her telling her that he would call at her home and would be dressed like a beggar. It was the custom for all beggars to call and get a

seeing the well she got it there. She did not tell the people of the house where she got the water and they were wondering why it did not boil. The reason was that it was holy water. Another story I heard about the well is that there was a blind man and cripple living at Knocknanuss. One day the blind man took the cripple on his back and they went to the well. Tradition tells us that the cripple saw the trout and that they were both cured. Some people say that they both saw the trout but that was impossible as one of them was blind.
The man who was cured was Owen O Egan of Knocknamuss and it was he covered in the well and put the statues there. He was a mason by trade and the stone over the well is marked with his name and date 1789.
Owing to faction fighting and other excesses the parish priest of the time put an end to the "pattern day". On the last occasion of the "pattern" (after it being banned) persons came as usual on the eve of the day and erected tents as usual for the sale of liquor etc. During the night while the owners of the tents were asleep, a crowd of local "bright" boys collected in the graveyard near. They had horns chains and anything that would make a pandemonium. They commenced to make a row about midnight and the owners of the tents thinking it was something supernatural fled and left all after them. Needless to say the boys enjoyed themselves and had a good time at their expense.

The blessed well is situated on the right bank of the river Kaitra a tributary of the river Blackwater. It is about three miles from the north bank of the Blackwater. The man that built the stone wall around it was Owen O'Egan and he also set the mountain ash tree on the top of it. He was born at Knocknanuss. He was a cripple and he was cured at the well. The figure of the devil is carved out on a stone on the left side of the well and the figure of God is carved on the right side of it. It is built in a very quiet spot and is only about two hundred yards from Richard Magner's Castle. The castle is impregnable because you could only enter it from one side and that is the western side.
The well is very nicely decorated with statues and pictures. There was a special traditional prayer said at the well but it was lost. The prayers that are now said at the well are a decade of the Rosary and lots of other prayers. The visiting days are the Sundays of May and Good Friday. In former years there was a "pattern" day every year but owing to the drinking and fighting of the people it was given up.
The well was built in the year 1789. Peoople paying rounds at the well drink the water.
It is said that there is a trout in the well and anyone with a disease that would see the trout would be cured.
This is another tale that is told about the well. Once there was a servant girl in a house near the well. When she came first she did not know where to get the water so

There is a castle in Castlemagner in which Richard Magner lived. He fought on the side of the Confederates at the battle of Knocknanuss. Magner was complained to Cromwell. Then Cromwell sent a person to Magner telling him that he would meet him at Clonmel. Cromwell asked Magner to join his forces and he said he would. After a time Cromwell became jealous of him but Magner did not know it. This day he gave Magner a letter to carry to the officer in Cork and told Magner that it was about an attack they were going to make an attack on the Irish but he thought this very strange. He set off to go and he was not very far away when he opened it and read it and the words that were written inside was to hang the bearer of the letter which meant in other words to hang Magner. He knew then that he had been tricked but he shut the letter again in a way that it would not be noticed and he did not pretend a word. He came to the officer who attended to him. Said Magner, "Mr. Cromwell told me to tell you to carry it to the chief man in Cork." When Magner got outside he ran away a great idstance from Mallow and made his hiding spot in a cave. He went to Cork and gave it to the man who opened it and read it. He took the man and put him into prison. He did not hang him because he said that the man was very faithful to Cromwell. He sent word to Cromwell and when he heard it he was very angry and sent back word that he had been tricked. When Magner was gone the land was given to a soldier called Bretteridge by Cromwell. The soldier sold the estate for 30 shillings to Harstonge. His descendents who became Earls of Limerick sold it to the Becher family (still existing) for £12,000 and now the planters [?] are gone and the farmers have purchased under an Irish Government

Out from your magificence
Give what you can afford
For he who gives to the poor
He lends it to the Lord.
Remember too in holy writ
God's word you have to-day
For what you offer in my name
I surely will repay.
Those missioners have come to you
With clemency and love
They are the true disciples
Of the Lord above.
So all enlarge your offerings
It will surely clear your way
And where's the man can promise
To live another day.
Embrace the opportunity
It may not come again
Mind this you erring mortals
All both women boys and men
Saint Augustine's words you often heard
And to them must give in.
He says remember your last end
And you will never sin.

Attend ye Roman Catholics
This year of eighty-eight.
This holy mission opens
You'll ever mind the date
By good Father Cornelius
Who'll advise you true and kind
An orator a scholar
With the great and gifted mind
Besides the gentle Father McGrath
The kindest man you see
And then you have along with him
That saintlike Father McGee
Also good Father Cooney
The curate of our flock
Not speaking of our parish priest
The pillar of the rock
The mission opened magnificent
God's praises rent the air.
The priests and people all came in
Round by Dromahair
Those Missioners are here every day
To hear your confessions
And join you in prayer

Who was but twenty-six.
It was a mournful accident
In sorrow to relate.
Now God help his aged parents
His loss they'll deeply mourn
Still thinking on that loving son
Will never more return.
His brothers and his sisters too will shed a silent tear
In memory of that grand young man
Their loving brother dear.
And to attend his funeral
The country flocked around
Killorgue, Manorhamilton
And Kiltyclogher town
From Dowra too the people flow
Belinaglera too and Glan
Dromahair also came there
For they all loved this young man.
In Aughlougy churchyard
That consecrated ground
Surrounded by his weeping friends
His body was laid down
In fact throughout the country
All great respect did pay
Near thirty pounds of offerings

He was respected well.
A full man grown
And sixteen stone
No finer grand young man
Who would neet you with a smile
And a clasp of friendship's hand.
It was to Manorhamilton
Young Grogan started there
The twelfth day of November
They held their monthly fair
Who can foretell the future
We all can see the past
That fair of Manorhamilton
It was to be his last.
For late that night
With all his might
To reach his home did strive
But alas his mother's roof
He never reached alive.
For sad and dismal was his fate
And mournful was his fall.
God grant it was a message
From the great Almighty's call
And now beneath that homely roof
With sorrows there transfix
Lamenting for that fine young man.

There was one poet in this district and his name was Nicholas McCarthy. He was about eighty years when he died and he was buried in the Abbey in Dromahair. Nicholas McCarthy composed "The death of Patrick Grogan" and "The mission in Killargue". McCarthy was neither a tradesman nor a farmer. He could read and write. The people liked McCathy well. He died in 1903. Any person he saw he could make a song about him.The Death of Patrick Grogan.
Attend ye sons and daughters all
And loving mother dear.
A sad and mournful story
I have to let you hear
Concerning Patrick Grogan
That we've all known heretofore
But long around Drumkeerin town.
We'll never see him more.
Convenient to Drumkeerin town
Pat Grogan there did dwell
And through the country far and near

all tumbling in the deep
Twas early then next morning the news went up and down
It reached the land of Corry which was their native land
Such dreadful lamentation was never heard before
For the neighbour men and women and their orphans twenty-four.
The wild birds of the air they'll cause to sing no more.
The blackbirds and the thrushes they will quit Mount Allen grove
The trees in June will bloom no more they'll wither and decay
Since the pride of our dear country took its lodging far away.

pleasant gale
They sailed away most cheerfully which causes us to weep
But that evening near Scraveegan they were perished in the deep
As soon as Johnny landed to this to them did say
Make haste and make your markets all early in the day
They all agreed to leave at three and sail along the shore
But the Lord decreed as you may see poor Johnny was no more.
Says Owens to Myles McPartland the wind is getting strong
If we reach the shelter of the beach we'll row into the quay
And its there we'll land the women and cast anchor untill day
But death made its appearance and darkness filled the skies
The people at the harbour they heard the mournful cries
They lighted up their torches for to give them some relief
But the boat upset and they were left

There was a boat lost on Lough Allen on Good Friday night in 1831. The people of Corry left on a boat to a market in Drumshanbo and when they were coming back night fell on them, wind arose, and the boat was lost and there were thirteen lives lost. There was no attempt made to rescue them because there was no other boat on the lake at that time. Then when the people who lived along the shores heard the cries, they lit torches and went out along the shores to show them light. There is a song composed about this disaster.Song.
On the thirteenth day of April 1831
It being on Good Friday morning at the rising of the sun
The neighbour men and women all gathered to the shores
But thirteen of this number returned home no more.
Between Rooskey and Corry they hoisted up their sail
The wind blew from the East and they had a

The landlord who ruled this district was Lord Leitrim. He was a very cruel man to the people. He raised the rent every year and any person who did not pay the rent was put out of his home.
This Landlord was about thirty five years in the district and the people wanted to shoot him. He had a steel jacket and he could not be shot when he was wearing it.
One day he was coming to put some people out of their homes and on his way he was shot. He was shot between Manorhamilton and Enniskillen. The parties that shot Lord Leitrim came across Lough Erne on a boat and lay in ambush for him. They shot Lord Leitrim and they also shot the driver although he was a catholic because they were afraid he would tell on them. They went back again in the boat and went to some other country.

There is a castle in the townland of Belhavel but it is in ruins now. It was owned by a man named Montgomery who was landlord in this district long ago. It was a very large building and there are many stories told of people who went astray while going through the rooms. This was after it was laid waste.
When people went into it they brought a handful of grass with them and left some in every door that they went through and in this way they could get out without much trouble.
It is said there were over fifty rooms in it. There was a fish-pond on the roof and the water was pumped from the lake to it and people caught fish there.
Montgomery went about in a coach drawn by four horses and he always wore a suit of steel. One day the coach was passing the parish priest on the road and Montgomery and his driver began to laugh at the priest. The priest did

house round. Then Monover went out and put arms round the house and lifted it round.
Then he came in and asked for something to eat and Finn's wife made a big cake and put the griddle into the heart of it and when it was baked she gave it to Monover. Monover found the cake very hard but he was ashamed to say anything. When he had it eaten the teeth in his mouth were all lost. Then he went out to take a drink in the stream and Finn's wife threw an arrow into the stream and Monover bent down to take a drink and the arrow went into his mouth and stuck in his throat.
Monover died after that and he was buried up on the side of a hill. When Finn came and saw what happened Monover he was very angry and he said it was unfair to treat a man in this way.

Once there was a giant named Finn who lived in Larkfield on a very high peak of O'Donnell's rock between "Killargue and Manorhamilton". He was a very strong man and he could take a rock about six hundred weight and throw it over ten yards.
His name and strength spread over many places so that a giant from another country heard of him. This giant whose name was Monover said he would come to Ireland to fight Finn and he named the day he was coming.
When Finn heard this he was afraid he would be beaten and he said he would hide. He told his wife to say he was away and that he would not be bck for a long time. When Monover came the first remark he made was that the wind was blowing on the door and Finn's wife said that if the men were at home they would turn the

other hare.
Another nice game is "Dressing the tongs". One person takes the tongs and asks another to dress it. If the person who is dressing it says the words "Yes", "Aye" or "No" he loses the game.

There are many simple games which are played by the fireside during the long winter nights.
There is a game called "Jack" which is very common in this district. Any number of people can play it. They take a bit of a thin stick or a wisp and light the end of it in the fire. Then one
person takes it in his hand and says "Jack" my man if you die in my hand the straddle and mat will go on your back. When one person has it said he hands it to the next and he says the words holding the stick in his hand while he is saying them. The person who is holding the stick in his hand when it quenches loses the game.
In the summer the children play "Hares and dogs". They would have a couple of places in the field for burrows. One half would be hares and the other half dogs and when a hare was caught he had to play as a dog until he caught some

[-]

Before flour could be purchased in the shops people had to make flour from the oats or wheat which they grew on their own land.
The people around here got the grain ground in a mill that was in the locality. When they brought the oats to the mill they had to first get it dried on a kiln. When it was perfectly dry they got it ground and this was what they made their bread from. They had an article made from bits of sticks which they left standing in front of the fire and left the cake on it to bake. In olden times they ground the grains of oats between two flat stones. They also had a still more ancient way for baking bread. They would put down a good fire on one flag of the floor and let it burn away until it had the flag warm. They would then clean the coals off that flag and put on the cake. They would then put the coals on another flag and when they had that flag warm they would put the cake on it and so on until the cake was baked.

Bread long ago was made from home grown wheat, and oats.
People remember querns being used. The different kinds of bread used were Potato-cake, Boxty-bread & oatmeal bread. Potato cake was made from boiled potatoes and was made when potatoes were dug.
Oaten-meal bread was made from oat-meal which they bought in the shops. Boxty was made from boiled potatoes and all the family used to help in grating the potatoes against a perforated tin. In kneading the

oven and pan.

yet to be tested by William's weight before the final verdict of "The'll do" given. William next "patted" the old thatch for weak or rotten patches, which were carefully removed by hand. Next irregular patches were beaten flat with a small rake and the whole levelled down to the eaves.
He always started at the right hand gable and proceeded in "bays" about 2 feet wide towards the left. If the two sides were to be done he transferred his ladders to the other side - starting always at the right.
The thatching proper starts now, and having fixed some sheaves within reach, at his left and the scallops stuck on end in a sheaf-butt, he reaches out his hand, takes hold of a sheaf, rips the binder, and proceeds to place the sheaf in its place at the eave.
The straw, when flattened out, was fixed by means of a scallop placed horizontally and several other scallops were driven through this and thus the straw was fastened to the old roof.
Sheaf upon sheaf, then until the top was reached. The ridge was raised slightly and the sheaf inverted for the "capping" or "ridging" as it was called. Next the whole piece was well beaten with

As thatched houses were very common in the country, the thatchers job was a wholetime one, and the thatcher was much looked-up to by all the countryside. There is no thatcher living in this part of the parish since William Corbett died. William, God rest his soul, was a fair-sized man of great girth. It was not every kind of ladder would support his great weight, for he was at least 18 stones I am told.
When a house was to be thatched or repaired William sent word some days ahead to have the scallops put "steeping", which meant that they were to be placed in a pool or barrel of water to soften. This helped in the twist later one, when the work was being done.
William set out early and arrived at the house before 8. When breakfast was over, a considerable amount of time was spent in setting up the ladders, testing for weak or defective rungs, and joining the two ladders together with a stout rope. The ladders were

The performance was in aid of a little hunch-back, named Forde, a native of the Pike, Drumcollogher. The occurrence took place on a Sunday Night on the 5th September, in the year 1926.
Owing to this dreadful disaster, most halls and picture houses in the country were remodelled, and a sufficient number of exits provided.Another Happening:
Towards the end of June in the year 1919, a party of volunteers marched from Broadford to destroy the old Courthouse at Drmcollogher.
Having secured entrance thereto, they proceeded to sprinkle the floor, roof, and furniture with petrol. While this operation was still in progress, somebody entered smoking a cigarette and all at once the petrol became ignited, the doors slammed to, and four of the party were trapped in the blaze, one, though badly burnt, escaped with his life, the remains of the other three lie in Killogholehane Churchyard, which lies about a mile to the south of Broadford.

Cinema Fire in Drumcollogher.
A dreadful disaster occurred in Drumcollogher about 12 years ago. Films were being shown in an old upstairs hall, which was reached by a timber stairs. No precautions had been taken to cope with a fire, as nobody ever thought such a happening possible.
The film that had been just shown was exposed on a table, at the back of the spectators, and a candle which was used to give light to the operator, got turned over, the film took fire, and all efforts to extinguish the flames failed.
Many of the spectators rushed past the blaze to the stairs, but several in the front seats rushed into a small dressing room to the right of the stage, where they were trapped. Forty-nine persons were lost in this great disaster. The news of this geat calamity travelled round the world. Large sums of money were subscribed and dependents of those lost in the flames are still receiving grants from the funds.

One day there happened to be a fair in Newcastle West and John Barry went there. He met a man by the name of Billy O'Brien, a dealer in goats.
Billy asked John had he any goats for sale, and John said he had a fine puck goat and to come up to the house to buy him. The next day was raining, and up comes Billy all the ways from Newcastlewest to Barry's house to buy the puck.
He arrived in Dromdeveen some time after dinner and found John inside. He asked him about the animal he had for sale, and John said that the young lad had carried him to the bog for a load of turf and that he ought to be at home soon.
Billy O'Brien was waiting, and waiting and Barry had every second look out the door for fear the young lad might get turned with his load. Still there was no sign of his coming and Billy was getting uneasy for it was growing late.
Then John Barry stood up, and told Billy that on second thoughts, he would not sell the

He thought he might have given her too much oats at their house, so he returned again to the house in the glen. He worked for three months. When his time was up, the old man gave him a magic table cloth. On his way home, he called into the robbers and spread the cloth out on the table, and he said, "Let there be food there" and there was food. That night the robbers stole the cloth and put back a cloth of their own in its stead. Next morning he went home and spread the cloth on the table but no food appeared.
His mother was very angry, and he left again for the house in the glen and again for his wages he got a magic blackthorn.
The old man told him to call to the robbers' house and they would have some sport if he sang a little song for the stick. When he came to the house he sat down on a chair and started to sing:-
"My little blackthorn get me the cloth and the hen." The stick started to beat the robbers until it had them nearly killed, and Tadg never stopped singing, he thought it was great fun, and in the end they had to give him the hen and the magic cloth. And

call when he would be coming home.
He went on until he came to a small house in a deep glen. Here there lived a grey old man who hired Tadg for three months, and when they were up, he said he would go home to his mother, and then the old man gave him his wages.
He gave him a little black hen which used to lay a golden egg every time she got a fistful of oats. Then they parted and Tadg went back to the robbers house. When he came in they laughed at him, and said, "Is that all you got?", but Tadg got a fistful of oats and said, "My little black hen lay me a golden egg." He did this many times until the hen had layed twenty golden eggs.
That night while he slept, the robbers stole his hen and put back one of their own instead. When Tadg went home his mother was very angry with him. Tadg got a fistful of oats but the hen would not lay.
Next morning to set out for the robbers' house and told them that the hen would not lay. They said it must be that she had got too fat and that fat hens do not lay.

There was a man there once who dreamt for three nights in succession that there was gold hidden in a fort not far from his home.
On the first night that he dreamt he awoke, and saw the Queen of the fort passing on her way to Knockfierna. The second night the same thing occurred, but he was afraid to go.
The third night he woke up and saw the Queen pass. He was told in his dream that it would be his last chance.
He then made up his mind to go to the fort. The first room he went into was full of people, sleeping. The next room was full of silver and there was a cat tied by a chain there, and every time he tried to get at the silver the cat spat at him. He left that room and went into the next one, in which the gold was, and there was a dog tied by a chain and when the man stooped for the gold the dog made a spring at him.
He lost courage and left the fort without

from the other, they will not be married. Hallow E'en night is a night of great amusement and enjoyment in every house. My mother makes a sweet cake, and in it she puts a ring, a medal and a sixpence. Then at supper we have a greater desire for searching, than for eating.
Whoever will find the ring, will be the first of the family to get married, and the person, who gets the medal, if it is a girl she will be a nun, and if it is a boy he will be a priest. Whoever will get the sixpence will be very rich.
At home we always get a bath of water, and put an apple into it. We all dive in our turns for the apple, and whoever can raise up the apple off the water in his mouth, can keep it. Then we get an apple and we hang it off the ceiling, and whoever takes a bite off it, can get the apple.

On May day the fairies are supposed to be out. It is not right to pick any flowers or cut grass on this day.
A story is told of a little girl who went out picking flowers on a May day. When she was picking them, a fairy woman appeared to her and asked her to give her the flowers. The little girl refused to give them. So the woman went away again. The girl went home and she got very sick and died. The night of the wake, the people were very much surprised to see that the little girl was carried out of the bed by the fairies.
On Saint John's day people light bonfires. It is a custom to have a green goose for dinner at Michaelmas.
On HallowEen two beans are put on the hearth, and a name of a boy and a girl on each one. If the two beans hop together, these two will be married, but if one hops away

Tuesday night all unmarried men, and women have to go to Skelligs, and they must carry a log as a Penance for not being married. It is also called pancake night. It is a custom on this night to make pancakes, and to put a ring in them. Whoever gets the ring is said to be the first of the family to get married.
On Ash Wednesday, the people put blessed ashes on their foreheads as a sign of penance. Holy Thursday is a great day of Devotion in the Catholic Church.
On Chalk Sunday people are marked with chalk on the backs when they are coming out from Mass. It is said that any request you would pray for, at three o'clock on Good Friday would be granted. Good Friday is usually dark and gloomy.
On Easter Sunday it is the custom to eat more eggs than one. If you got up at four o'clock on Easter Sunday morning, you would see the sun dancing.

up, and a male member of the family goes out one door, and comes in another door, to wish all the family a happy New Year.
The water is said to change into wine at midnight on the feast of the Epiphany. A story is told of two men who stopped up to watch the water changing. At twelve o'clock they went out to the river. One of them got afraid, and he went in home, and went into bed. The other man stopped watching, but when his comrade went out in the morining, he found him on the bank of the river dead.
It is said that you should not twist a wheel on Saint Martin's day or on Saint Stephen's day.
On Saint Patrick's day people wear shamrocks. There is a graveyard in the parish of Shanagolden, and it is called Knockpatrick. It is said that a soul goes to Heaven out of Knockpatrick graveyard everySaturday. On Shrove

Saint Stephen's day is a day of great enjoyment. On that day, the young boys go out in the wren, and gather money. In Christmas eve night candles are lighted. The doors of every house are left unlocked on this night lest the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child would be travelling outside, and would wish to come in. It is said it is good to die during the twelve days of Christmas because the gates of Heaven are open during those twelve days. Some people light candles on New Year's Eve to burn the old year out. The first person who should go into a house on New Year's day should be a man, and he should wish all a happy New Year. People also stop up until twelve o'clock on New Year's night to welcome the new year in.
The bells also ring at twelve o'clock to ring out the old year, and to ring in the new year. After midnight on New Year's Eve in some houses, the people stay

This continued for two or three churning days. They then sent for the Priest, and he came. He then told the woman of the house, who was a very mean woman, and who often refused the poor people of that locality for a drink of milk, to give milk, both new, and sour, to all the poor around her. She did this, and the next churn day, she made her butter as usual.
On another occasion, when churning, the cream was put into the churn apparently all right, yet no butter was produced, owing to the fact that it had been interfered with, by some ill-minded neighbour.
Butter-milk is a very healthy drink, and the old people love it.

sold it there. The people also comhaired in the making of the butter. All the cream was brought into one house, and the women made the butter, and washed, and salted it, and put it in the firkins. Each owner was given a firkin for himself. It was then taken to the market and sold. A man made about three pounds of a firkin of butter.
Many stories are told in connection with churning. There was a farmer named Crowley living a short distance from this locality. He had seventeen or eighteen cows. He did not send the milk to the creamery, but made butter at home. The churning went on all right for some time, but then it could not be made. The cream was put into the churn and churned for a considerable time, but this was of no use, the butter could not be made. The people of the house got tired of churning, and they gave it up.

The usual amount of potatoes sown in this district is about one Irish acre. The farmers sow the potatoes in the Spring, and dig them in the month of October and early in November. They are stored in heaps. The farmer has a great deal of work to do before he digs the potatoes. The potatoes are sown in ridges because the land is not dry enough to make drills. The ridges are made by means of a plough, or spade, or loy. They shovel the mould in the month of May. The potatoes are cut before they are sown each piece is called a split. When the stalks are strong they spray them for fear of blight. This is done two or three times. They are sprayed with a mixture of blue stone and washing soda which is put on the stalks with a little brush.

The potato crop is usually the most important crop grown on our farms. There are about eight acres sown under potatoes every year. The farmer prepares the land, first he spreads manure on the land. Some turn the land themselves and others get it ploughed. When the land is prepared the potatoes are sown in ridges. Some of the local people help each other each day. When the potatoes are grown they are dug, and the children pick them from the earth. The potatoes are then sorted - the big ones put into one heap and the small ones into another. When they are a while there, they are brought in and put on lofts to dry. The best types of potatoes that grow in our district are Champions, Irish whites, Kerrs Pinks, British queens, eppicures etc. Some time ago people made starch out of the potatoes. First they scrape them, and the water that remained they would mix it with blue and pour boiling water on

house mixes washing soda and bluestone in a barrel of water. Then he goes along the furrows and sprays the stalks with a spraying machine, or a bucket and brush. In Autumn the men dig the potatoes and when the children come home from school they pick them. The farmer then puts them in heaps and covers them with rushes and mould for the winter months. The names of the different varieties of potatoes in this district are, Champions, British Queens, Arran Banners, Kerr's Pinks, Epicures, Irish Whites, Presidents, Flounders and Irish Queens. Kerr's Pinks and British Queens grow best in this district.

There is about an Irish acre of potatoes grown on our farm each year. My father and brother prepare the soil for it. The potatoes are sown in ridges in this part of the country on account of the land not being very dry. The spade and plough are used in the making of the ridges. The ridge made by the spade is a two sod ridge, and the manure is put in the heart of it and covered in with mould from the furrow. The seed is sown later and then the rest of the mould is put on top. The spades were made in the blacksmith's forge up to lately; but they are now bought in shops. In preparing the seed, the potatoes for sowing are first gathered in bags. The woman of the house then splits them, leaving at least two eyes in each split. The man of the house then sows them and when the children come home from school they close the holes with a mallet. During the Summer months the man of the house

Carrowkeel (See page 63; no 9) contains three houses one slated. There are 20 people - twleve of whom are children and one over seventy years of age. The land is fairly good arable land bounded north and south by two streams. A public road divides this townland in two sections.
Treenamaryly (Page 45; no 21) contains ten houses; five of which are vacant presently. There is one slated house. There are 16 inhabitants - one of whom is over 70 years of age. Land poor.General
The foregoing 21 townlands comprise the Ballinameen school district. There are 252 houses and 836 inhabitants in it. Generally speaking the land is poor and boggy, and in places there is congestion. Housing is improving rapidly under the present housing schemes.
Heretofore the houses were almost all mudwall cabins. Irish has not been spoken in this district for the past 40 or 50 years, of course occasional words and phrases still linger in the every day speech of the people

Acres (Alders) a lowlying townland for the most part, containing four houses - three thatched and twelve inhabitants one of whom is over 70 years. Land rather poor.
Ardcola (see page 66; no 30) a townland of seven houses one slated; 23 inhabitants three over 70 years. Land fair.
Knockglass (see page 62; no 1). In this large townland there are 27 houses - 12 slated, and 15 thatched. There are 94 inhabitants - seven of whom are over 70 years of age. The land is just fair. There is a large hill from which the townland takes its name.
Scurbeg (?) In this townland there are thirteen houses all thatched. There are 44 inhabitants five of whom are over 70 years of age. Portion of this townland is boggy and the remainder consists of rather poor, hard, dry, clay land.
Sheeane (See page 62; no 5) contains 19 houses three of which are slated; there are 60 persons in - ten of whom are children and seven over 70 years of age.
The land is hilly and fairly rich. A public road and a stream run through the townland. There is a "Fairy Mound" on the top of Sheeane hill.

Carrowcully (See Page 70; no 41) contains five houses and sixteen inhabitants - formerly had very many more houses and inhabitants. One person over 70 years. Four of the five houses are thatched. The land is good arable land.
Oldtown. 7 houses all thatched; 31 inhabitants one over 70 years. Land good. Many more houses in the townland before the Famine.
Lackin (See page 65; no 24.) Five houses - three thatched, ten inhabitants - two over 70 years. Land fair. Contained many more houses in former times.
Rhenaboll (See Page 66; no. 31). Ten houses - eight thatched. Fair arable land, and moorland. 89 inhabitants, three over 70 years.
Carrowmoneen (See page 67; no 32). Three houses - one thatched, many more houses formerly. Ten inhabitants, three of whom are over 70 years. Land good.
Lisphilip (See page 69; no 38). Five houses all thatched, 20 inhabitants one over 70 years. There were many more houses in this townland formerly. Land rather poor, hilly and hard.
Tullaghan (See page 64; no 13). Contains 13 houses 54 inhabitants one over 70 years, one slated house. Land mixed arable and bogland, little hills around.
Tully (See page 64; no 14) seven houses one slated, 21 inhabitants - three over 70 years. Land poor. One large hill in the townland - remainder lowlying.

Oft gave me a greeting there was joy in meeting
As "Famed Burton Constable Hall."Her well refined and cultured mind
The most enobled that I've met;
Her cheery voice and her stories nice
A treasured memories I won't forget.People in trouble or need always she freed
Her words were kind with a generous hand;
And no person knew what she'd say or do
Her many traits were noble and grand.To the faith she did stick a devout Catholic,
Allulia to the Mother of God did sing;
May her soul find rest in the home of the blest,
With Jesus Christ the King.

Elegy on the Death of Mrs Chichester-Constable, formerly of Runnamoat House, Ballymacurley, Co Roscommon.
My friend sincere that I held dear,
From this world was called away;
A double casket holds her remains, cold,
And mouldring foot to clay.
Her peaceful dying was most edifying
Full conscious to her last breath
And joined in prayer her family there
To the moment of her happy death.Lying in state her remains did wait,
In the Chapel at Burton Constable Hall,
The parting scene laid in mausoleum
The mourners tears like rain did fall.
Death closed the career of that lady so dear
To husband, children and the neighbours all
Left in mourning her home historically known
As "Famed Burton Constable Hall."Friends in Runnamoat in their sorrow I wrote
Peals out their old time mead of praise
She was loved and well known - 'twas her Irish home
In the long past happy days.
A hostess gentle so handsome and gentle
And alway courteous to me when I'd call

on horses that wouldn't shy or baulk.
At fence or bank that I could see.From Tinny Park the Misses Corry (two)
Their horses looking fit and fine
With them the hounds were kept in view
At kill or capture did shine.Mrs Stevens came from Castlecoote
And never feared bank or wall
Her hunter always able to do it
And once I never saw her fall.And Miss Walpole from Castlemore
They always kept in her place
With Miss Cotton, Briarfield oft she rode
Both being front rankers in the chase.Other heroines I'd like to name
But time and space do not permit,
If the musing jade returns again
Ladies, believe me, I'll see to it.

At Point-to-Point races
Her pluck and earnestness had seen
Coming first in many cases
Horsemanship good judgement keen.Miss Anne Bagot from Curraghmore
On a hunter almost fit to fly
With Miss Crofton, Mote Park, in joy galore
And then a lovelight in my eye.Kilbegnet's pride to hounds would push
With spurs of slinging steel,
Then a picture for the painter's brush
Was the Late Mrs Johnnie Sheil.Of the ladies all I knew her best
With me many a day spent here
Oh! May her soul in glory rest
So also her husband Johnnie dear.The beautiful Misses Balfes (two)
With their father oft times come
These two every fence and bank knew
Hunting was their sport and fun.Mrs John P Mulligan from the Walk
And the late Mrs E.J. Blakeney

"A friend in need is a friend indeed"
And no better ever trod,
True by good example he did lead
The way to the Almighty God.His witty words I'll hear no more,
Or with him converse sweet;
He was well read versed in lore
His equals were hard to meet.Friends will miss his sound advise
And his warm clasp of hand,
His voice, so clear, so sweet and nice,
His discourses so enobled and grand.And in the service of thy Lord,
With age he had grown hoary;
May Heaven above be his reward
With a crown of glory.

Dear Brother Benedict is dead,
His life on this earth is run;
Many kindly words are said
Now about that holy man.In habbit brown and white cord
He toiled most assiduously,
In the vineyard of thy Lord
To the age of eighty-three.As he lived so he had died
In solemn prayer peacefully,
Wholly resigned and satisfied
He left the Monastery.To his pious brother bade adieu
And their holy happy home;
I hope to join the chosen few
On God Almighty's Throne.His paths were paths of righteousness
Always sincere and just.
Overflowing with truthfulness
A safe custodian of any trust.

Of me you needn't fear,
Come in to tea yourself enjoy
I bid you welcome here.In response to my call
Sweet music out did pour;
"The Harp that once thro' Tara's Hall"
Was played up to my door.Quite gaily he sauntered in
And on sitting down to tea
His racy chat followed then
The evening spent with me.Later a battle of wits raged
Each in turn asserting our right
The works of poets and authors staged
Till we said Good Bye at midnight.

On the twenty-fourth of September
In the year of Our Lord 1893.
These lines I write to remember
My afternoon tea.All alone I was enjoying
A sup from "the cup that cheers"
Until music most annoying
Came thundering in my ears.Jumping up from my seat
With fork and knife in hand,
And beating a hasty retreat
Ere I would make a stand.My excitement and my worry
Was plain to be seen
By the Piper in his hurry
Playing "The wearin' of the Green."Looking at the table knife
The music soon was stopped
Then fleeing for his life
The piper off he poppedCome back, come back, my honest boy

Then twas all determination
With no sign of fatigue or tire,
Oran playing with admiration
On Roscommon's goal-posts opened fire.On their well directed attack
They scored their fourth and fifth goal.
The laurels go to "Winnie Mac"
The highest name on honour's roll.

The referee's whistle and shout
Called off the play "'twas half-time."Refreshments then were dished out
And in no light-hearted way,
The smiling faces round about
The boys brave the ladies gay.No word of victory or defeat
Was heard about the ground
With fifteen minutes to eat,
Until the referee's whistle sound.On the ball being thrown in
Roscommon's alert come to the fore
In vain they tried again and again
But their forwards failed to score.In a slightly rough and tumble game
Oran received its first throw in,
When the blond in blue won fame
The first goal for Roscommon.Now after Oran nice puck out
I've seen flying grass and gravel
Along the line of route
Wherever the ball did travel.

After a really fine puck-out,
The Roscommon's forced attack
Was completely smashed no doubt
By Oran's captain "Winnie Mac".Then into the Roscommon's territory
The ball did swiftly race;
Oran's ladies were playing cheerily
And scoring their second goal.Again Roscommon's long put out
The ball far down the playing pitch,
With many a cheer and shout;
"That goalie's blow was no hitch."Then up and down the field
Leather paying for all the blame,
While contestants their camogies wield
Spectators loud in praise of the game.Out of the midst of the exciting play
Quite leisurely the ball did stroll
In the hub-bub of fine array
Oran scored their third goal.Now Roscommon's last puck out
Sent the ball down the side-line

Looking through my opera glasses,
On Sunday at the Sports field,
Their first time I have seen lassies
The camogies to wield.Not nearer than one half-mile
A leafless tree I've found;
I sheltered in its boughs a while
Far high above the ground.At the schedul'd hour - half past three -
The Roscommon ladies towed the line,
Their colours shining brilliantly
They were looking fit and fine.Then come the ladies of Oran
All winsome, blithe and gay,
Their name and fame is soarin'
Seems ready for the fray.When the play was started
On the Roscommon's ground the ball did roll
Too soon its backs were thwarted
By Oran scoring the first goal.

And 'tis now they have made a beginning,
The wheels are land'd the wool is rape-oiled
The process of teasing, carding and spinning
The warfs and weft yarns in bales nicely coiled.Up to fancy knitting all ladies are waking
After slumbering for years in oblivion's shade
Their mother's and grandmother's places are taking
Scarfs, gloves, socks and fancy hose are made.

At Farragher the wheels of industry are moving
On the road to prosperity swiftly and free,
Students attending the school are improving
Their results of exams show that to me.For boys woodwork is really enticing;
Its a clean healthy, business-like trade
To measuring, joining and morticing
Best attention must always be paid.For boys who have to live on the land
Earning bread by the sweat of their brow,
To them vocational instruction will stand
Selecting manure, seed, machine and plough.The ladies, God bless them, clean they are looking
With truck'd up sleeves they ply to and fro,
At baking, buttermaking and cooking
Essential duties housekeepers must know.Other duties are home nursing, home sewing
Tending the sick, darning and making clothes
Ladies with these traits are worth knowing
They're seen with their garments at local shows.

I'll miss his old-time sound advice
"On the righteous paths to stray"
His exemplary life, most honest and nice
Ah! the kind words he used to say.Alas! 'tis sad the end has come;
In the church his graceful form I'll miss
But "God's Holy Will be done";
May her pure soul rest in bliss.

A friend has passed away
He has crossed the bourne
In the early hours of to-day
From whence there's no return.His soul has winged its flight
To a bright realm of bliss,
Where the after life is bright
And eternal happiness.The sad news "he is dead"
Like lightenings flash did roll
Many a silent prayer was said
For the happy repose of his soul.A neighbour good and kind
Most faithful and sincere,
His memory will be kept in mind
His good deeds treasured here.I'll miss his friendly clasp of hand
The next time that I call;
His genial smile, his welcome grand
On our meeting in the Hall.

VI
On reaching the selected spot
Up went the Master's hip hip! hurra.
The trail of the stag was quickly got
And the yelping hounds away.VII
Then across fam'd Boho's plains
Its sandbanks and stone walls
At the big jump into Diamona Paynes
There was no baulks or falls.VIII
Then hunting south of the Deer Park gate
The hounds were madly roaring
Thro' Curran and Newton in regal state
And the stone wall plains of Oran.IX
Thro' Rockfield, Cloverhill and Donamon.
Where the stag was safely took.
From a boghole with clamming
Quite close to the Rover Suck.X
They closed the opening meet run
With old Sol sinking down in the West.
In the fire-side stories of sport and fun
Still it's re-told with gusto and zest.

The sound of the huntsman's horn
The trap of the horses feet,
And the neighbouring swain that morn
All come to the opening meet.II
Of the old Roscommon Stag hounds
Then so well and widely known.
Their hunting prowess knew no bounds
Full of mussle, brawn and bone.III
Southpark House was the starting place
Was enfete [?] for the opening meet.
Where all comers to the chase
Received a welcome treat.IV
After their sumptuous repast
They moved off in gallant array,
To Lisolway Cross trotting fast
Where the stag was enlarged that day.V
Their scarlet coats and shining steels
Glistened in the sun's brght ray.
The hounds close on the Master's heels
And prancing for the opening day.

The Crib aroused my feelings,
For on its clean straw lair
Were Mary and Joseph kneeling
In solitude and prayer.II
No royal residence did seek.
Humility was the thing
That left them in a stable bleak
For the birth of Christ the King.III
And Bethlehem was in their mind,
As the birth-place of Thy Son.
From Satan's wiles to save mankind
Into the world had come.IV
In company with the ass and ox,
Laid on a bed of straw.
Devoid of all regal frocks
The light of day first saw.V
The map the three wise men
A guiding star they followed
Into the stable at Bethlehem
That remains for ever hallowed.VI
Now on every Christmas morning
Glad tidings to the world does bring
The Saviour of mankind is born
Jesus Christ the King.

hands and feet but she had a nose so big that her face was hidden behind it.
To make a long story short, she did the work and did it so quickly that the girls eyes could hardly follow her movements and before long she had the linen finished. When the queen came she was more surprised than ever. She said the girl was the most wonderful worker she had ever seen and that she was worthy to be her son's wife.
It is thought that the three hags that helped the girl were three fairies for since or before they were never seen. The poor widow had once done a good turn to the fairies and the fairies it is said never forget to pay back a kindness, or revenge an injury so these fairies were sent to help the girl when she was badly in need of help and well indeed they performed their task.

When the queen had left the girl felt just as she had on the day before. She looked at the loom and she looked at the heap of thread, but little as she knew about the wheel she knew less about the loom. She sat down and began to cry. Before long she heard a knocking at the door. She expected it was her friend with the big foot but no, it was not. It was an old woman with a big hand, a great big hand so thick almost as a man's leg. She sat down and started to weave and soon the girl saw how expert the big hand was at working the shuttle and in a jiffy she had the weaving finished.
The queen was surprised that evening even more than she had been the day before at seeing all the thread woven into cloth. She praised the girl and brought her off to dinner.
On the morning of the third day the queen came after breakfast as usual and brought the girl into another apartment where she had not been before. There was the linen she had woven the previous day. The queen gave her a box containing needles, scissors, thimble, and thread and told her to make the linen into shirts. The girl had never as much as dressed a doll, so she did not attempt to do anything with the line. She waited for a long time, and there was no appearance of anyone coming. She gave up hope and began to cry. Then she heard a knocking and forthwith there appeared a woman stranger than anything yet seen. This old woman had ordinary

and an old woman came in hobbling awkwardly as if she were lame. She came over to the girl and asked her what was troubling her so the girl told her the whole story without putting a corner of a lie in it.
The old woman sat down and put her right foot on the treadle and in a jiffy she had the spinning finished. The girl noticed that her foot was an enormous size for it covered the whole treadle of the wheel. The girl looked on in astonishment until the woman had finished. The Queen came in the evening. She was delighted to see all the flax woven and she praised the girl very much and then brought her in to dinner. The widows daughter never saw such a dinner.
On the following day the queen brought the girl into another room in another part of the palace. Here was a loom and beside it all the thread which was spun on the previous day. The queen told her to weave the thread into linen and she would come back again at sunset to see what she had done.

Q. Head like a thimble, tail like a rat you may guess for ever and you'll never guess that?
A. A pipe.
Q. As round as an apple as deep as a cup all the men in Ireland would not pull it up?
A. The sun shining in a well.
Q. What is it that God never sees, seldom the king sees it and we often see it?
A. His own equals.
Q. Long legs crooked thighs, small head and no eyes.
A. A tongs.
Q. One head and one foot and a heart in its head?
A. A head of cabbage.
Q. Why is the letter B like fire?
A. Because it makes oil boil.
Q. What does a spider do when he is late for dinner?
A. He catches a fly.
Q. Why is a little man like a good book?
A. Because he is often looked over.
Q. Why is a pig in a parlour like a house on fire?
A. Because the sooner it is put out the better.
Q. What is the best tree for preserving order.
A. The Birch.
Q. Who was the first whistler?
A. The wind. What tune? Over the hills and far away.

27. Gorthagorra.
28. Paurkathobber.
29. Stramefield.
30. The Sthrameen - Villagers bring their horses to drink at this running stream, which is at the end of a boreen leading to Creemully village.
31. Tobber Rank.
32. The Moneen and the Culleen
33. Neddy Noran's and Brannan's.
34. Hawkins Field in which there is a fairy fort.
35. Morris Field, The Hill Field, The Fort Field.
36. Tubbernapraychaun. The Red Bog. The Long Bog.
3. Black Mick's Boreen.
3. Garaveen More. Stonepark.
39. The Locheen, The Pig Garden, Clarke's Field.
40. Madge's Field in which a strange light is always seen at night.
41. The Slough.
42. Moire Lambe's Garden. Sally's Garden.
43. The Scraw Lugger.
44. The Cornereen.
45. Coen's Roadeen.
46. Sleeven. The Trenches, a marshy place in Creemully.
4. Hill Sixty or The Boulevard.
48. Glan-u-wawn.
49. The Blind Boreen - all furze and no end to it.

1. Names of Fields in the locality.
2. Hill of Furze.
3. Bogeen.
4. Taylor's garden.
5. Long field, Middle field, High field, Fort field.
6. Well field containing a clear spring well.
7. Peter Cuniff's well.
8. Hedge field showing blackthorns.
9. Martin's garden.
10. The Park, The rocks.
11. The Pound, The Mill field.
12. Mock's garden.
13. Harry's land.
14. The Alley.
15. Black Mick's garden.
16. The Bottoms - land along the River Suck.
17. The Hollow well - in a hollow on the roadside.
18. Clovereen's garden, Maxwell's garden.
19. The Curlews.
20. The Gawrie Com.
21. Abraham's wall.
22. Tobar Linn.
23. Gort-na-long-way.
24. Gortnahonie.
25. Rossawn.
26. The Kill field and the Kiln Field.

A group of children sit round the table and play Churneen. Each child says Churneen and places her closed first one on top of the other, every second turn, until all closed fists are perpendicular.
A child then asks "Where is the milk that was in this Churneen?" All answer Its gone down into the other Churneen. Then the 'fist' on the very top is removed. And the owner of the next highest 'fist' asks where is the milk that was in this Churneen? and so on until the last fist rests on the table. The owner asks the rest of the group the following questions:
Where is the milk that was for the priest? They all answer, the cat drank it. Where is the Cat? Under the bed. Where is the bed? The fire burned it. Where is the fire? The water quenched it. Where is the water? The bull drank it. Where is the bull? The butcher killed him. Where is the butcher? Dead and buried. This finishes up the game.Snail, snail, put out your horns the cows are in the garden
Snail, snail put in your horns the cows are gone out of the garden
Children gather round a snail box and sing above two lines.

grazing; three plump partridges; two ducks and a fat hen. Here are six yellow hammers in an oven baking, five piggy wiggies in a rye-field rooting, four grey geese in a green field grazing, three plump partridges, two ducks and a fat hen.
Here are seven parsons in their pulpits preaching, six yellow hammers in an oven baking, five piggy wiggies in a rye-field grazing, three plump partridges, two ducks and a fat hen.
A group sits round the fire, a small object say a button, penny or box is handed from each person while saying above rhyme, starting with 'Here is a fat hen'. When it becomes difficult to remember the lines of the rhyme towards the end, the person who makes a mistake gets a slap, or gives a forfeit, and retires from the game and so on.
44. As round as a apple, as deep as a pail
It never cries out till its caught be the tail.
Freagra. A Bell.
45. As I looked out through my window I saw the dead carrying the live.
Fr. A Boat.

Bob the stool.
The family usually sat in the middle of the kitchen around a skib of freshly boiled potatoes in their jackets. They peeled them with their fingers - fingers were made before knives and forks - they then dipped their potatoes in salt, which was scattered on a stool, convenient. This was called 'bob the stool'.
Kitchen is the word used locally for any 'help' to a dinner e.g. butter and onions fried, a herring along with potatoes. People say it is hard to get 'kitchen' on a Friday to make a tasty dinner.
Stirabout. When people set about making Stirabout or Porridge; they first went into the barn or sciobal, threshed the oats with a flail, brought in the oats and put it in a pot over the fire to dry. They kept turning the oats with a piece of iron called a 'Hand' - shaped like a butter patter. When dried they put it into a mill or quern and ground the oats into meal hulls and all. They then sieved it with a fine riddle (or sieve). The meal was boiled in a big pot of water and was stirred with a potstick. When the potstick stood up straight the meal was considered cooked and was served on a big dish to the family.

Bread.
The flour mills which flourished here 60 or 70 years ago supplied the whole countryside with the best wheaten flour.
People made white cakes, potato-cake, boxty-bread, oaten-meal bread and brown bread.
They used bread soda and buttermilk as ingredients for the flour cakes. They were usually called soda cakes and were baked in a pot oven.
The housekeeper cut a cross on the dough, before putting on the lid. This cross helped to bake the bread as the heat went down through the dough. Then it was ornamental when the bread was baked brown.
Very nice griddle bread was, and is, still made in this locality. The white flour is used and kneaded into dough. This is cut in parleys and baked on the griddle. It is very light and tastes something like the scones which are so much appreciated.
Long ago hand querns were used. Just sufficient grain was ground each day to supply the needs of the family. Nearly every family had its own 'quern'. They had oatmeal for Porridge and the wheat was turned into wholemeal and flour for baking.

Oat-cakes were commonly used. These were made by mixing oatmeal and water, kneaded and rolled out on a board and shaped into large round cakes. They were baked on a griddle and were often browned by standing them vertically on the hearth, before a bright red fire. Those cakes were exceptionally hard and required slow chewing. No wonder our forefathers had such beautiful white sound teeth which went to the grave with their owners!
When people had to go long journeys to fairs or markets, they always brought a bit of oatcake in their pockets, lest they would get the féar gorta on the road.
Sugeen was the name given to a drink of oatmeal and water. When men were out working in the fields in summer, they always had a vessel of sugeen near at hand to allay their thirst. They sometimes call the drink Whitewater.
Sheerins was the name applied to the hulls and coarse meal of the oats steeped in a crock of water and allowed to ferment. This was used as a drink by the people instead of milk. They usually eat potatoes and salt with sheerins and often it formed the principle meal.

Boxty was a great favourite dish in olden times. It was made in the following manner. Raw potatoes were got and scraped, after being thoroughly washed and peeled. The 'rasped' potato was mixed with flour in a dish or basin. A little salt, and soda added and all mixed with milk and kneaded into small parleys which were finally baked on a well greased griddle.
Another method was to wash potatoes, then to rasp or scrape them on a grater after peeling. A little flour, salt and soda were added and then a milk batter was made in a bowl and Boxty pancakes baked in a pan of hot fat. They were served on a dish and eaten piping hot.
New milk was put into Noggins and placed before each person who helped himself to the delicious Boxty cakes.
Noggins were used before the introduction of cups and saucers. Noggins were usually made of wood. They were round in shape and had thick wooden handles. They were about twice the size of a cup, something like a large delph mug. The bean a tighe usually scoured them once a week and gave them an airing in the sun before arranging them on the Dresser in the kitchen.

The following games are played in my district. Ghost in the Garden; Hide and Seek; Nuts in May; High Gates Luke and John; Colors; Dan, Dan thread the needle, sew, sew, sew; Hare and Hounds; Leap Frog; Daddy Limbo; Hold the button fast; Skipping; Bull in the ring; Handkerchief; Odd or Even.
On their way home from school children pick daisies in summer and they sit down on ditches to make daisy-chains. They put them round their necks and wear them for the evening.
When blackberries are ripe they spend hours in the evenings, sauntering through fields and boreens, picking and eating the ripe fruit.
Sloes come in for special attention. The blackthorns are found growing plentifuly in the school area and often before the fruit is ripe children pick the green sloes and eat them.
The beech trees afford them plenty of amusement. One tall boy or girl shakes the high branches and the youngsters make a rush for the ripe nuts which fall down in a shower.
Boys and girls climb up the beautiful high horse-chestnut trees in this village. They gather ripe chestnuts and make whistles of them.

There are now no storytellers in this district although it excelled in that respect about 50 years ago. There were very many more houses in the district 60 or 70 years ago than there are now - three times the number in fact. There are only traces of many of those mud-wall cabins of former times, to be seen at present. People emigrated to England and America from every house in the district and indeed, still continue to do so. The most common family names are O'Connor, Beirne, Brennan and Duignan.

four of whom stand on the four corners of a square, and one inside the square. The children forming the square have got to keep changing places. If, while doing so the "fool" succeeds in usurping the place of one of the other four he retains that place and the one who lost his place is the fool in the middle.Round the Green Gravel.
To play this game a number of children join hands and go round in a ring singing. "Round the Green Gravel the grass grows green,
Many a fair lady fit to be seen, Washed in milk, dressed in silk and the last to pop down". They then sit down as quickly as possible, and the last one down leaves the ring and tells the name of her favourite flower, e.g. "Rose" to the girl who acts as umpire. the umpire then says "Turn your back for shame, Rose is your name". This girl goes back and takes her place in the circle, but with her back to the centre. The game goes on until all the girls in the ring have their backs to the centre.Other games played by the girls in this school are "London Bridges", "Tig", "Tap a little girl on the shoulders", "I sent a message to a friend", etc.

known, has an entrance-hole in the centre, or elsewhere.
Some of these forts are said to have been disturbed in the past by the owners of the land on which they are situated.
The people who so interfered with them for the sake of stones for building purposes; road-making; etc. have all suffered as a consequence. Some are said to have died sudden or violent deaths; others to have been confined in lunatic asylums until death, etc.
The locals talk about people who were taken into feastings in great palaces under some of these forts and who, while there, saw, and spoke to people whom they had believed to be long dead. On occasions some of these fairy captives were supposed to have told how they could be rescued and restored to the ordinary work-a-day world again. The people also speak of great armies of Fianna, etc., under enchantment in great Palaces

All forts in the Ballinameen school District are regarded as "Fairy Forts" - especially by the older people.
They are known as Lis, Rath, Fort, and Dún, and give rise to several local place names notable Dúinín (Dooneen), Ráth Álainn (Rathallen), Claon Ráth, Lisphilip, Lios garbh, etc. (see pages 62-73). They are all circular in shape, and almost all within view of one another, so much so that during the last Survey of Ireland, almost every one of them was used as a site for a Sapper's mark.
The forts of these districts are all surrounded by one, two or three earthen banks.
Just one - Ráth Ruadh - is surrounded by a row of tall beech trees, (see place-names, page 63, no 10.) None of them so far as is

The travelling folk of nowadays differ very little from the travelling folk of olden times. They have the custom of going around from house to house begging for alms. They travel from place to place in caravans. These people are not at all poor. Some of them sell small articles namely, pens, brushes, cans, jugs and sauce pans.
Usually the travelling folk are not welcomed in our homes If the people chance to see them coming, the door is at once closed. They are not admitted into the house.
As a general rule they sleep in tents on the road sides or in the lanes.
They carry no food with them at all. They depend on the food they obtain in each house. The alms they usually obtain are flour, bacon, tea, sugar, eggs, etc. Some of the travelling folk go around on bicycles. The best known among the travelling folk or tinkers who visit our district are Stokes,

Saturday is supposed to be a bad day to begin anything; or to change into a new house. The Proverb says "Saturday flitting makes for a short sitting."
Good Friday is considered a lucky day to plant some potatoes; or generally speaking to sow some seed of any kind.
St Swithin's Day falls on 15th July. It is thought that if rain falls on that day that it will rain more or less every day for the succeeding forty days.
Most people in this district believe that the sun dances with joy at sun-rise on each Easter Sunday morning.
Young people try to rise early enough to see this but seldom succeed in being out at the proper time.

house. If a cow, calf, horse, or any other domestic animal becomes ill during the year this 'cake' is sought out, and a tiny piece is administered as an antidote.
In some houses in this district St. Brigid Crosses are made, on the eve of St. Brigid's day, that is on 31st January. These Crosses are supposed to ward off disease, and one is placed in the dwelling house, also one in each out house to keep disease away from both people and animals.
It is the custom in this district to kill something "for God and Martin", as the country people say. The killing may be done any day from 1st November to 11th November, but not later. The latter date is St. Martin's Day. The corners of the house are sprinkled with the blood of the animal so killed.
Garland Sunday, the last Sunday in July, is our local Pattern Day. Some thing has already been said about this on Page 70.
Friday is thought to be a good day to begin any new undertaking.

Early on January 5th some good, strong, stout rushes are procured. These are "peeled" and cut into twelve equal lengths of about six or seven inches each.
A cow-dung of rather dry, firm, tough texture is got and ashes is kneaded into it until it becomes quite dry.
This is then flattened out into the form of a cake of about eight inches in diameter. The twelve dips are stuck into this cake and it is left on a stool or chair on the middle of the kitchen floor. The twelve candles are named after twelve members of the family, some of whom may be absent or in exile. The family kneel, the candles are lighted,and the rosary commenced. The members of the family are supposed to die in the order in which the respective candles named after them burn out, or extinguish.
When the rosary is finished and all the candles have burnt out, the cake containing the burnt out candle stumps is rolled up into a ball and is hidden away behind the rafters in the roof of the

field will be lucky for the year, and will produce a good crop.
This belief regarding the efficacy of a live coal from the bonfire seems to be of pagan origin.
The month of July is known locally as the hungry month, because the local supplies of food from the previous year are then exhausted, and of course the food from the new crops is not yet available.
People born in July are thought to be big hearted or generous.
On August 15th in this district before now nobody would dream of putting a vehicle on the road, because of their reverence for the Blessed Virgin. This day is known locally as "Big Lady Day".
The eighth of September is known as "Little Lady Day". All Pilgrimages to shrines and wells of Our Lady are performed from 15th August to 8th September both dates inclusive.
It is an old custom in this district to light twelve rush candles or "dips" as they are locally called, on the night of 5th January - the Eve of "Little Christmas Day", as the sixth of January, or the last day of Christmas is called.
These twelve candles are lighted in honour of the twelve days of Christmas.

In Oisin's wanderings through Eirin in search of his relations and friends he arrived in Callow one evening as it was growing dark. Everyone wondered at his great size for they had never seen anyone like him. He inquired if anyone in the village had seen Fionn and his people but he was told that they might have been in the district a long time ago but no one living then had seen them. He was also told that they were heard of, that it was told they were great warriors, that they lived long long ago, but that they must have been a long time dead. The poor old man was entertained and was provided with every thing of the best. He remained over night and related some of the great feats of the Fenians and all who heard him were amused. Early on the following morning he set off in the direction of Kilnamanagh. St. Patrick happened to be in this very place at the time and when the old man heard the saint's teaching he became greatly interested for he had never heard anything like it in his life. The old man made his way to the saint and asked him if he knew anything about Fionn and his comapanions. The saint pitied the poor man, instructed him in the Christian Faith and baptised him with water from the well - St. Patrick's Well - which is still to be seen near the old graveyard in the townland of Kilnamanagh.

time during the day and often during the night she used turn to God in prayer and she hoped she would be able to put together a little money with which she could buy a small cow. Time passed by and the poor woman was finding it harder and harder to get along. In her greatest distress she never despaired. One morning when she looked out she saw standing at the door a beautiful speckled little cow. On opening the door the little animal went in and stood on the middle of the floor till she was milked. Then she left by the same door and the widow saw no more of her till evening when she returned to be milked. The little cow came each morning and each evening and the widow milked her. The poor woman had then plenty of milk and butter and she had no occasion to work for the neighbours for she made a good sum on the sale of the butter and it wasn't too long till she was able to clear the debt on the little home and to be able to buy a small cow with the savings. Then the little cow came no more. The widow bought a nice little cow at the next fair and she kept her little cow as long as she lived. She believed that it was the fairies sent her the little speckled cow to help her in her need. Only a short way off there was a fairy fort where peoople often saw cows like this one.

Mrs Malone had been married some years when her husband Mike fell sick and lasted only a few days. They were a most affectionate couple and the poor woman's grief showed itself for many a year after. Often she used to say to herself that she did not know what she had done out of the way to deserve such a heavy blow from God but sure she used to say to herself "God knows best" and hope that poor Mike's soul was happy with the creator and many a time she prayed that God would take her to Himself.
And now must she part with the little home in which poor Mike and herself spent so many happy years together. It was a dear little home to her but how can she keep it? Mike's deth left a heavy debt on the little home and the rent would be due any day. Their savings were very small for her poor husband could not much more earn enough for the support of himself and his wife. It is true they had a little patch of ground but it was so poor that it is not nearly able to give a living to the both and Mike had to take a day's work whenever he could get it. The poor widow would try to keep the little home if it were only for Mike's sake and she would meet the little debt on the little home and pay the rent with God's help. She helped the neighbours when ever they called for her but all she could have out of her small wages was so little that it would take her a long time to clear the debt. Many a

he was dragged enough after his work that he would sit in the house and take her advice. Jimmy kept it the secret for long but now he believed in the stories he had heard and he knew well there are things seen at night.

living man who always put his trust in God. Jimmy was on his usual visit in his brother-in-laws one particular night and after having spent a couple hours there he thought it was time to be leaving so he bade good night to all and left. The night was not very dark and little stars were twinkling in the sky. At the end of the boreen that lead to the house was soon reached and when Jimmy turned to go in a monster like a mighty bull with two large glearing eyes and two long horns faced Jimmy. Jimmy raised the blackthorn to drive it away but the monster became furious and opened its huge mouth as if to devour him. Jimmy's hair stood on an end and perspiration covered his body and he began to tremble. He thought of making the sign of the cross and no sooner had he done this than the monster gave a loud bellow rushed into the adjoining field. When Jimmy came to himself he slowly made his way to the house lifted the latch went in and sat down. He asked his wife to give him a drink of cold water. She noticing him pale and frightened looking asked him what was the matter with him and Jimmy replied he had a headache and was not feeling well but he said it would pass off. That night and for long after Jimmy was very restless but he would give his wife no clue of his trouble. After that Jimmy always found something to do at home when his days work on the farm was finished. He used to say to his wife that

Jimmy Magee had a nice little farm of land and lived in a snug little house at the end of a borreen. He was married and had a young family. Jimmy was industrious and might be seen working on his little patch of ground when many of his neighbours were asleep in the morning. When Jimmy returned from his work at dusk, and had something to refresh him after his day's work, he very often, when the long nights of Winter arrived took a strole to the house of his brother-in-law who lived only a few hundred yards away and passed a couple of hours there for as he himself used to say "he would like to see how they were there and he felt that the ramble used to do him good. His wife was against him for going out at night and when Jimmy would say to her that he would go over for a little while to see how all were in McGuirk's she used to say to him that he was up early and that he should stay inside and rest his bones but Jimmy would not feel happy the night would not make his ramble and with his blackthorn stick in hand Jimmy struck off. During his life Jimmy never had seen anything as he himself would say and did not believe stories he had heard. He was a good

Once upon a time there lived a mother and three sons. The eldest of whom was named Jack. When he was old enough he went to seek his fortune. This day he came to a farmer's house in which he asked work. Next day the farmer sent him herding cattle. There was a castle near by and he reminded him that it was haunted with wild animals. Next day he threw the wall and let the cattle in. The cows had extra milk that night. Then he saw a giant and he killed him. Then another giant came up to him with two heads and he killed him also. Then another giant came up to him with three heads and he killed him. Then he went into the castle and there he saw a witch with cruel eyes and he killed her and her dog. Then he called his master to come and inspect the place and he did come. Both of them made an inspection round the place and at last his master found a barrel of gold and then he chased the boy home to his mother without giving him any of the gold.

The farmers do not like thistles, duckweeds, ragworth, crowfoot, chickweed, coltsfoot, groundsel, nettles or dandelion for they either choke or smother the useful plants or they extract from the soil the food which should feed his plants. These weeds are either cut or pulled before they grow too strong. Rushes, sedge (a sort of coarse grass), 'Flagger' (Iris), 'purple flower' grow on poor wet marsh land and stock refuse to eat them.
'Blackheads' and 'bóhalán' are injurious plants and cattle do not eat them. The farmer likes to see clovers or trefoil growing in his pastures and meadow lands. These grow only on good dry land.
Leaves of docks, nettles, chickweed, and bóhaláns' are plucked, cooked mixed with meal and are given to pigs and fowl in summer. Dandelion leaves are given to young pet rabbits.
Herbs were very much used to cure ailments in former times. In almost every garden garlic was grown. It was boiled and the water in which it was boiled was drunk by delicate people or people suffering from bad coughs. It was also given to farm animals when they were suffering from colds or coughs. The bulbs were cut up and tobacco leaf was mixed with them. A sort of paste was the result and calves were 'vaccinated' on the tails with this. It was thought to be a protection against "blackleg" - a fatal disease in young stock. Formerly when Veterinary Surgeons were not to be got some knowledgable man who was generally a herd and had experience of cattle, sheep, horses etc. was called on to treat diseases in those animals. "Doctors", called quacks made use of herbs, such as ivy leaf to cure ailments. The country people believed they could cure them and they used buy bottles of medicine from them.

Such women are locally supposed to go out on that morning with a can into which they gather the dirt left by the cloven hoof in recent cow tracks, together with other things. After this they are supposed to have all the butter of these cows until the spell is broken.
Most people in this district would not dream of borrowing or lending anything on May Day; or paying out money on that Day.
Nobody would dream of bathing or boating during Whit Week, as it is thought to be dangerous to meddle much with water during that period. Also animals born at this time are supposed to be wicked and dangerous. Even people born during whitsuntide are believed to be crack shots, and a blow from such a person is said to be very much more dangerous than a corresponding one from a person born at another time of the year.
Such people as said to be liable to hurt one even when they have no intention of doing so.
St. John's Eve, that is the evening of 23rd June is the "Bon fire Night." There are certain places, cross roads, etc, in each district where large bonfires are lighted each year. People dance and sing around these bonfires from before sunset on St. John's Eve until almost daybreak the following morning. Old people sit around on the fences and tell stories. When leaving each one takes a coal from the fire, brings it on a stick and throws it into one of his fields. He does this to ensure that the

It is thought that no water should be thrown out on New Year's Day. Neither water nor ashes should be thrown out on May Day. People say you would throw out your luck with these things on the above mentioned days. No country person would give away Milk on May Day, or allow anybody outside the members of the household to milk the cows on that day.
It is on May Morning that "the bad women of the district" perform their witch craft to "bring the butter" from their neighbours.

It is considered unlucky for a woman to come into your house first on New Years Day. It is an old custom not to throw out ashes on that day, or on May Day, or for a woman to come out on the road before you, or to give away anything out of the house on May Day. It is supposed if you pay out money on "Hansol Monday" that is the first Monday of the New Year, you will have ill luck on all your undertakings for the year. No one, only a member of the family, would be allowed to milk cows on the 1st May. It was the belief that if anybody else milked there would not be any butter got on the milk for the year.

On this day also all those witches were supposed to renew their powers.
On November Eve there are several tricks played such as ducking for apples in a basin of water, and placing three plates on a table with a ring on one, water on another and clay on the other. Then you would be blindfolded and have to walk to the table and leave your hand on one of the plates. The plates would have been changed while you were coming to the table. If you left your hand on the table with the ring, it was a sign that you were going to get married. If you left your hand on the plate with the clay it was a sign that you were going to die.
These tricks were all played in view of finding out your future.

89. I have a roomful and cannot take a spoonful?
Ans:- Smoke.
90. What is the difference between a blind man and a sailor in prison.
Ans- One cannot see to go and the other cannot go to sea.
91. As I looked out my Grandfather's window I saw the dead carrying the live.
Ans:- A train.
92. Twenty sick (six) sheep went out a gap. One died how may came back?
Ans:- Nineteen.
93. I have a little knife, its as sharp as a lance and if you were on top of it, it would carry you to France.
Ans:- The Moon.
94. Where was the first candle lighted?
Ans:- At the top of the wick.
95. Where was the last nail struck?
Ans:- I wasn't struck at all yet.
96. When does a farmer bend sheep without hurting them?
Ans:- When he puts them in folds.
97. When does a chair hate you?
Ans:- When it can't bear you.
98. What sign is it when you hear the cuckoo?
Ans:- That you are not deaf.
99. Said a child to its father how is it that you are my father and I'm not your son?
Ans:- A daughter.

77. Where did Noah strike the first nail?
Ans:- On the head.
78. What flies but has no wings?
Ans:- News.
79. As bright as a shilling, as round as a ball, it can climb our church, steeple and all?
Ans:- The Sun.
80. What part of a cow goes into a barn first?
Ans:- Her breath.
81. Where was Moses when the light went out?
Ans:- In the dark.
82. One bright day in the middle of the night, two dead men got up to fight, two blind men went for the police, two dummies told them hurry on.
Ans:- A noble fine lie.
83. Round the house, and round the house and their heads down?
Ans:- Nails on your shoes.
84. The more you cut off it the longer you make it?
Ans:- A drain.
85. Spell red rogue with three letters?
Ans:- FOX.
86. Black and white and read all over?
Ans:- A newspaper.
87. As round as an apple, as deep as a cup, and all the men in Derry wouldn't pull it up?
Ans:- A well.
88. Long legs, short thighs, little head and no eyes.
Ans:- A tongs.

66. It's round, it's sound, it's just a pound and would not weigh an ounce?
Ans:- A sovereign.
67. Black and white went up the hill black came down and white stood still?
Ans:- A black hen layed an egg.
68. What is it that holds water although full of holes?
Ans:- A sponge.
69. Why is smiles the ongest word in the English language?
Ans:- Because there is a mile between 1st and last letter.
70. What is that which is brought to the table, cut and never eaten?
Ans:- A Pack of Cards.
71. Which is the best way to make a coat last?
Ans:- Make vest and pants first.
72. Who may marry a wife and yet live single all his life?
Ans:- A clergyman.
73. What author was never slow?
Ans:- Swift.
74. Why is a baker a silly fellow?
Ans:- Because he parts with what he kneads.
75. Why is a giraffe that can't hold up his head like next Friday?
Ans:- Because his neck's weak (next week).
76. Under the fire, over the fire and never touches the fire?
Ans:- A cake in an overn.

54. Why are there so few horses in the Isle of Wight?
Ans- Because the inhabitants prefer Cowes to Ryde.
55. What is the greatest riddle?
Ans:- Life - because we all have to give it up.
56. What is the differene between your overcoat and a baby?
Ans:- One you wear and the other you [?]
57. Born at the same time as the world, destined to live as long as the world; yet never five weeks old?
Ans:- The Moon.
58. Why are clouds like Coachmen?
Ans:- Because both hold the reins (rains).
59. What is it goes in dry, comes out wet and everybody likes?
Ans:- Tea.
60. Why is a lawyer like a beggar?
Ans:- Because he pleads for a living.
61. Where does the cock crow when all the world hears him?
Ans:- In the Ark.
62. If all the Holy Innocents were buried in one grave and nothing to be seen only their toes, how would you know the boys from the girls?
Ans:- No girls.
63. What is it that has feet but no legs?
Ans:- A yard measure.
64. Why is a mouse like a turnip?
Ans:- Because the catt'le eat it.
65. Why is a jumper like an orange skin?
Ans:- Because it is easy to slip on.

sé rith a chur ar an ngaoith dá ghéire. Fuair sé marcuigheacht. An fear deiridh ar casadh leo "Béal gan smid" bhí dorn leis i n-a bhéal aige. Fuair sé marcuigheacht ar bórd luinge chomh maith.
Annsan ghcuaiseadar go léir ag deanamh ar an rí is d'innis siad fáth a dturais leis. Fé mar a d'innis an seanchairdhe ní raibh an inghean sásta an fear seo as Éirinn a phósadh cé gur dhein sé fé mar ba thoil léithe féin é.
"Más féidir le h-aoinne agaibh gach crann atá san bhfaraois a leagadh roimh tigheacht na maidne, pósfar an bheirt againn, gan aon ró-mhoill" Seo le "Géar-ghorm" is do bhí gach crann leagtha aige sul ar tháinig comfheascar na h-oidhche sin fuí, ach ní raibh an inghean sásta nó go bhféadfadh duine aca an taobh eile de'n domhan do bhaint amach agus a bheith thar ais in n-aon lá amháin. Do thóg "Cos-luath" an bóthar fada air féin ach nuair do tháinig deire an lae áirithe seo, ní raibh "Cos-luath" tagaithe abhaile. Amach leis an bhfear ag a

When the cat is out the mice can play.
The cat has leave to look at the queen.
There's no story without an author.
Never let your right hand know what your left hand does.
Two heads are better than one if they're only sheep's.
Losing the sheep for the ha'porth of tar.
A wolf in lamb's clothing.
One kith one kin.
A chip of the old black.
Procrastination is the thief of time.
The hard road for the old dog.
A short life and a merry one.
Eat and drink for tomorrow we die.
A straw shows how the wind blows.
Those that have the thing gets the thing.
Poverty is no disgrace.
When you get a inch you take an ell.
Standing in your own light.

Looking for a needle in a bundle of straw.
Twill never burn a hole in your coat.
Tis better to be idle than badly employed.
The last straw often breaks the camel's back.
There's no smoke without fire.
Castles falling and dunghills rising.
Win gold and wear it.
You'd know the track of (your his her) hatchet.
A straw shows how the wind blows.
There's many a score against you.
I have a crow to pluck with you.
Fill and flow over, Kileshandra Measure (Dúrach).
Don't cut your finger.
I'll never take the light out of your door again.
The pick of the bunch.

What's bred in the bone breaks out in the marrow.
Showing you bread in another man's window.
When he puts on his hat his house is thatched.
Catch a weasel asleep.
The dog that carries in a bone will carry out a bone.
The devil you know is better than the devil you don't.
Rats always go where they'll get something.
Little cats have sharp claws.
LIttle dogs have long tails.
The scum always rises to the top, but the cream does too.
Hills are green far away.
A fool and his money soon parts.
People often scratch where there's no itch.
You can't get wool off a goat.

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's lug.
You never miss the water till the well runs dry.
You never miss the shelter till the bush is cut.
Never throw out the dirty water till the clean comes in.
Beauty won't boil the pot.
A beggar woman's story.
On your own calf ground.
The courage of a cock on his own dunghill.
Still water runs deep and the devil often lies at the bottom.
It's not all lost that's in danger.
You can be sure of nothing except what you've got in the palm of your hand.
Little said is easy mended.
Taking it easy lost the ducks.

There's never smoke without fire.
The seed will run to poreens.
The buttermilk often breaks through the stirabout.
New brooms sweep clean.
At the mouth of the sack the wisdom lies.
Fair and easy goes far in the day.
You can't whistle and chew meal.
Never bid the devil good morrow till you meet him.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
The darkest hour is that before the dawn.
Before you marry be sure of a house wherein to tarry.
The luck of the lousy calf.

When you have a cow and a calf every one will bid you Good morrow.
When poverty comes in on the door love flies out the window.
Keeping the wolf from the door.
Even a little can go long way when a cheerful heart divides it.
The rich man's dog has a grand bark.
Don't speak till your spoken to nor answer till your called.
Silence is golden speech is silver. Keep a shut mouth its always sweet.
Too much to say is never impressive.
A long tongue often gets a short shrift.
You can't live on air. Watch your shop and your shop will keep you.
Silks and satins put out the kitchen fire.
The fat is in the fire.
Penny wise pound foolish.
Learning is no load.
God fits the back for the burden.

When the wine is in the wit is out.
There's no hearthstone like one's own.
A short visit is often best.
His bark is worse than his bite.
When your hand is in the dog's mouth draw it out easily.
The best hurler is often on the ditch.
Birds of feather flock together.
One sack one sample.
Robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Ask my brother am I a rogue.
You can put it where Nabby put the noggin.
There's as good fish in the sea as ever was caught.
Praise a fair day at night.
You can see the mote in your neighbour's eye while you cant see the beam in your own.
Every woman thinks her own geese swans.
Trust the fox with a gander.
A chicken of (your etc.) age would take long plucking. (won't tear in the plucking).
When you spend too many summers love making Winter brings on an old age.
Buying a pig in a sack (poke).

It's a long lane that hasn't a turning (turn).
Too long churning spoils the butter.
When the old cock crows the young ones learn.
A watched pot never boils.
A burnt child dreads the fire.
Locking the stable when the horse is stolen.
There's reason in everything but eating the seed potatoes.
There's never a hill without a hollow.
Ill got ill gone.
Feathering his own nest.
What you won't hear won't sicken you.
A slice from a cut loaf is seldom missed Cut my head and give it a plaster.
Don't put in your guthy (guth) among clean spoons.
Where there's muck there's luck.
A borrowed horse must have hard hooves.
It's a proud horse that won't carry its own oats.
If it's only a goat you have be in the middle of the fair with it.
A poor stand is often better than a good run.
Hear and see and say nothing.
Eat and drink and pay nothing.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
The more hurry often the less speed.
Looking for a needle in a bundle of straw.
Never spur a willing horse.
What you tie with your tongue can't be loosened with your teeth.
Constant dropping wears the stone.
Spare the rod and spoil the child.
As the twig is bent so shall it grow.
First put your own house in order.
A burnt child dreads the fire.
Vessels large may venture more but little ships must keep near shore.
A fool and his money soon parts.
Building castles in the air, the higher the climb the greater the fall.
You must creep before you walk.
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Many hands make light work.
Never venture never win - Fortune favours the brave.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
Eating the seed potatoes.
There's no oats without chaff.
Long winnowing cleans the corn.

Doctors differ and patients die.
There's no cure for death.
Standing on a slippery stone every day in the week.
If you want to know me come and live with me.
You never burned a cliabh of turf with her.
You never burned a pardog of turf with her.
Hunger is good sauce.
Life is sweet said the tailor when he was running from the gander.
A windy and a wet May fills the haggard with corn and hay.
The reevog days blew the wind that killed the old cow.
Thats the tune the old cow died of.
One foal makes many and the old foal is the worst of any.
A whistling woman and a crowng hen should be left at the four cross roads.
When Larry mounts his back (laziness).
Ill got ill gone.
Enough is as good as a feast.
Putting two and two together

he told the king she would be sitting up in the morning. So the man went alone this time and when he came the next day she was sitting. So he gave her another pill and he told the king she would be as good as ever in the morning. When he came the next day she was as good as ever and the king thanked him and he wanted him to marry her. But he said he could not marry until some one made him afraid. So he went on his journey. The gentleman's daughter used to ask every one that came in did they know any way to make him afraid. This day a poor old woman came in for flour and the girl asked her did she know any way to make him afraid. The woman told her there was a dove in the garden and she was to make two pies and she was to put the dove in one of them. She was to lay the table for two. He was to sit at the top of the table and her father at the side of the table. The girl made the two pies and put the dove in one of them.
She invited him to tea and she gave him the pie with the dove in it. When he cut the pie and saw the dove in it he was afraid to eat and she saw that he was not eating and she asked him why he was not eating and he said he was afraid. So the girl made him afraid and they got married and lived happily ever after.

Who even would cure her would get her in marriage. The man could not say his prayers so he took out the dead man's skin and said "Dead Man's skin that those two devils may be put to their two shoulders in the ground. So the two devils were put to their shoulders in the ground.
They told the man they would give him three pills that would cure the princess they also told him how to give them. They gave him three pills but when the man got the pills he took out the dead man's skin and asked it to put the two devils down in the ground and the two devils could not be seen. Then the man went to where the princess was and he would not be let give the pills to her. When the king came the man told him he was going to cure his daughter but the king said that it was no good because she was going to die. But you can try and cure her said the king. So the man gave her one pill and he told the king she would be greatly improved in the morning. "How could that be" said the king, "you are going to kill my daughter. But the man said he was not. The man was going away but the king would not let him. The man said "well let two guards come with me so" said the man. There did two guards go with him and when he came to the house the king was delighted to see him coming. His daughter was greatly improved. The man gave her another pill and

family were there and there was an insect stinging his nose and he would not let him sleep. The man said he would go if anyone would show him where it was. They showed him where it was he went and brought a gun with him. There was a wall around the well and the lions were around in a ring and the king in the middle of them. The man looked in and all the lions were asleep but the king. When the king was going to sleep the little fly used to rest on his nose and would not let him sleep. The man fired a shot this time and shot the fly. So the lion leaped up and asked "Who was the good man that killed that fly and the man said "It was I." The lion thanked and said "I will give you anything you ask. The man asked for the water and the lion told him he could get all he wanted. He filled the barrels with water and brought it back to the ship. The people thanked the man for it. They said it was the loveliest water they ever drank. They landed safely. So this day the man was passing a Church and he said to himself it was a long time ago since he was in a Church. So he went in to say a few prayers. When he went in he saw two devils fighting to see which of them would cure the Princess. This Princess was a lovely lady and she was very ill and no doctor could cure her. Those two devils had pills to cure her and they were fighting to see which of them would cure her

That evening all the people left the town. This was the man's third night and he said to himself it would be the worst night. So he asked the dead man's skin to help him. He sat down at the table playing cards and taking an od slug out of the bottle of whiskey. At twelve o'clock he heard great noise upstairs and he said "Who is there," will you come down and play a game of cards with me. Then he saw a man coming down and he was dressed in black silk and lovely gold buttons down in front of his coat. "Now I have some one to play with me" said the man. The man came up to him and thanked him for what he did for the last two nights and he asked him up stairs that he wanted him to do something. So they went up stairs and the first room they went into there were two men fighting. He ran in between the two of them and they were fighting a long time when the man gave one of them a kick and threw him out the window.
Then he was fighting along time with the other man and he gave him a box and throw him out the window. When he had that done he was very weak. So they went into the other room and he saw two bulls killing other and he ran in between them and gave one of them a kick and throw him out the window. He gave two or three kicks more to the other bull and threw him out the window. So the other man thanked him and brought into the next room.

These are some streams that flow into the River Suck Sianán Átha and Polla Clocha.
These are some hills near my home Mullach adtuaidh or the Northern hill, Lios-na-Gcaora is so called because berries grow in the fort. Fuarán is so called because a Spring Well is there. Cnoc-beig is the hill of Beig.
The oldest bush round my home is a White Thorn which was planted by my Great Grandfather more than a hundred and ten years ago. It is a large bush and has a tall trunk. People never bring the flowers of the White Thorn into the house because they say the fairies come in with them.

The names of the fields on my land are Ruaidhteach. In my neighbour's land are Goirtín, Páirc Mór agus Dúnán. The Well Field got it's name because a Spring Well is there. Another is called the Flax Field because flax was sown there long ago. There is another called Cooney's Field because a man of the name of Cooney owned it and another is known as Roger's Field after a man called Roger.
In a village near by some fields are called Béatáil because the surface was burnt to prepare it for tillage. There is wet marshy ground in Pollach. Carraigín is near Ballymoe and is so called because there are little rocks in it. Another field is called Currach because marshy grass grows in it. Gort-na-Seamróg is in the village of Curnamuckla and a lot of shamrock and clover grow in it. Tobar Mac-Aoda is near the village of Lara. The Dubh Doire is a piece of bog which stratches to the north of Curliskea and Bookla out to the public road leading to Castlerea. Black Oak was found in the bog. It is marked as "The Wirra" on the map.

[-]

Names of fields in Mr John O'Hara's land in Curnamuckla are Gort-na-Seamróg, the Fallow Field, Haggard Field, The Rushy Field, Bush Field, Three Corner Field, Páirc-an-Caiptín, and High Field. These are names of fields in Mr. Eddie Kane's land in Cloonruff. Gort-na-Mullach, Hazel Field, Clais-na-h-Altóra is in Cloonruff. Many years ago that is where the Priests celebrated Mass when the Catholics were not allowed to go to Mass. The Flag-stone is there still to be seen which was used for the Altar but the Pillars have fallen down. Cnoc-an-Aifrinn is beside it and the people go to see it still.
Gort-na-"Molly" is in Cloonruff. The "Molly Maguires" were living there. The men were joined in a Secret Society to force the land from the Landlords. At night they dug up the land and that is why they called it Gort-na-"Molly".
Poll-mór is in Curnamuckla. There was a grave there for babies who died unbaptised.
Other fields in this district in Curnamuckla are Lake Field, Monk's Field, Penpark, Quarry Field, Pond Field, Thistle Field, Tom's Field, Wood Field.

each other called "Trinnse beag" and "Tóin-na-nGeirrfiadh".
One day long ago there was a man from "Trinnse beag" drunk. The Police arrested him and asked him his name and address. He said that he was Jonnie Griffin from Trinnse beag. They asked him to spell Trinnse beag but he said that he did not know how. Then they asked him what was the next village to Trinnse beag, and he said that it was Tón-na-nGeirrfiadh. They said that they never heard of such a place and they had to let him from when they couldn't find out his adress.
In Clooneygrassson about two miles from this school there is a certain bush called "Egan's Bush". It is so called because a man named Egan died under that bush.

What Bishop wears the biggest head? The one with the biggest head.
It is a very small thing, smaller than a mouse, it has more windows than King George's house: A thimble.
Black and white and red all over? A newspaper.
Spell black water, in three letters? INK
As flat as a penny, as round as a ball, it climbs over the church, its steeple and all? The Sun.
What is the first thing you do , when you fall into water? Get wet.
What are three quickest ways to send a message? Telegram, Telephone, Tell-a-woman.
It went to America, and stopped there, it came home because it didn't go there? A Watch.
Three quarters of a cross, and circle complete, two semi-circles, and perpendicular to meet. A triangle standing on two feet, two semi-circles and circle complete? TOBBACCO.
If you were in sin, and I out of sin, what would sin be? Sun

Because the sooner it's out the better.
As round as an apple, as deep as a cup, and all the men in Ireland could not pull it up? A Well.
What ship do we all like to avoid? Hardship.
Two "a's" "m's" "r's" and a "G". Put them together and spell them for me? Grammar.
Two lovely maidens dressed in white got the fever, and died last night? Two candles, which were burning, and wore out.
A steel bar, going through a bone bridge and a brass man driving it? The brass man is a thimble, which is driving a steel needle through a button.
Two "n's" two "o's" an "L" and a "D". Put them togheter and spell them for me? London.
What goes up, when the rain comes down?
An Umbrella.
What is it, the more you take from it, the bigger it gets? A hole.
Why should a hen never be untidy? Because she always carries a comb.
What is the strongest thing in the world?
A Snail because he can carry his house on his back.

14. I sold twelve loads of turf at three and nine pence a load. What did it all come to. Ashes.
15. In a room there are eight corners and in each corner there sits a cat, and on each cat's tail there sits a cat and in front of each cat there sit seven cats. How many cats in the room. Eight Cats.
16. Give it food and it will live, give it drink and it will die. The fire.
17. Little white Betty, the longer she lives the shorter she grows. A Candle.
18. I shot at three birds on a tree. I killed one how many remained. No one.
19. Around the mossy banks, around the mossy banks and in goes stumpy. A Wren.
20. Spell hard water in three letters. ICE
21. Around the house, around the house and lies on every window. Snow.
22. I have an old man in the garden, if you pull his leg his nose will bleed. A Water Pump.
23. Wears shoes, has none, flies high, and lies low.
A football.
24. As long as my arm, as deep as a well. It never cries out till it's caught by the ear. A Bell
25. Over gravel I do travel. Over sticks I do stand, I

milk it isn't, it hops on the road like a marble stone, but a marble stone it isn't. A Mag-pie.
3. It's put in dry it comes out wet the longer it's in the stronger it gets. Tea.
4. What was it that was four weeks old when Adam was a boy, and not five weeks when he was a man. The Moon.
5. It's in the moor but not in the mood. It's in the river but not in the flood. It's in the priest but not in the people. It's in the spire but not the steeple. The letter "R".
6. It goes with the train. It's no good to it, and it cannot go without it. The Noise.
7. What would make more noise at a gate than a pig. Two pigs.
8. Little Jenny Huddle sitting in the puddle with her green dress. A Rush.
9. What it makes all day, cover it at night. The Fire.
10. Long legs, short thigh, small head and no eyes. A tongs.
11. Three feet but no legs. A yard measure.
12. Head, foot, four legs. A Bed.
13. What's aways behind time. The back of the clock.

2. If there was a goose, a sheaf of oats, and a fox on one side of a river, and a man wanted to get them to the other side in a boat how would he get them across?
Bring over the goose first, and sheaf of oats. Then bring back the goose again, and bring over the fox Go back for the goose.
3. Up the chimney down, but it cannot come down the chimney up?
An Umbrella.
4. "Ink-Ank" under the bank, ten drawing four?
A man milking a cow.
5. Itty Attie on the wall. Itty Attie got a fall. All the men in London Derry would not make Itty Attie as it was before?
An egg.
5. Forty sheep went out a gap. Forty more followed them. A shepherd and his dog. How many feet went out the gap?
Two feet.
7. What is impossible?
Trying to make a woman say "yes" when she is inclined to say "no".
8. What is nonsense?
Drinking soup with a fork.

Most of the herbs I know are very dangerous. Some of them are good for cuts or burns. For instance their is a leaf called St. Patrick's Cabbage. If you get a cut on your foot you could get one of these leaves. Put it inside your stocking in the morning and the cut would be nearly better in the evening no matter how sore it is.
There is another weed and it is very poisonous. It is called Jack in the pulpit. It first grows a leaf like a mangel leaf. After a while it grows a flower. It is coloured purple. When it is about a month out it gets withered. A series of red knobs then gather. These knobs are the poison.
Cumfry is known by its white flower. It is great for bad cuts. It is not the flowers that cure the however. Its root is black and if you put it on a cut it will stay on it till it is nearly better.
A dockin is an enemy of the farmer but it is a great friend for anyone who gets a sting of a nettle. If it is rubbed on the spot that is stung it will soon be

one belonging to the Kitts who are deceased and the other belonging to Daniel Casey who is deceased also.

My home is situated in the townland of Anratabeg and in the barony of Ballintubber South.
It is situated on the main road between Roscommon and Lanesboro'. There are at the present time ten houses inhabited in it although about ninety years ago there were fifty houses in it. Of the present inhabitants four are drawing the old age pensions namely: Mrs. John Connor, John Irwin, Patrick Donohoe, and Joe Kelly.
The greater portion of the land on the north side of the road consists of bog and it is from this the people get their fuel.
There are not many ruins around here although there was a great number of people in it long ago. The most of the ruins are hardly discernible. There is a house of Peter Davis's, a house of Michael Gills, a house of Nertneys and a house of Carleys and there are two houses in the bog.

[-]

The name of my village is Weekfield. It is also called "the village of the lark". It is in the parish of Cloontuskert in the barony of Ballintubber South. There are eighteen families in it and sixty seven people.
Most of the houses have thatched roofs. There are five people over seventy years. There were nearly twice as many houses in this district as there are now and some of the old ruins can yet be seen.
During and after the famine a great many people emigrated, mostly to America.
Some of the village has very good land and some of it has bad boggy land. There is one river which flows through the whole village. It has no name.

[-]

a man ninepence a day to put stones on it and so on till became a road. After the rich man died the road was let go to loss.
There was an old road from Gardenstown road to Anratabeg boreen and out to the main road from Lanesboro' to Roscommon. Some of the boreen was closed but the track can yet be seen.

The road which led from Lanesboro' to Roscommon is now closed. It led from Lanesboro to Cloonadra. Then it turned to the left and went up to Gardenstown and turned towards Weekfield and passed through the village of Mountcashel and Ballagh and on to Cloonageeragh. Then it turned to the left and on to Roscommon
The road was turning this way and that way. It had about fourteen miles on the old road. There was a new road made from Lanesboro to Roscommon and it is only about seven miles in length.
There was another old Road leading from Gardenstown to Gallagh on by the shores of the Shannon and on towards Portnahinch. It is said that a rich man lived in Gardenstown, and his herd lived in Portnahinch. When he was driving the cows they made a path and in the winter the rich man payed

[-]

The old road that connected Lanesboro' and Roscommon before the new road was made in 1705 was twenty one miles in length.
The winding trail as it was, wended its way from Roscommon through Cullenboy near Beechwood, Roscommon, on by Cloonmurla by the O'Hanly tomb, opposite where Mrs. Mattimoe, Beechwood dwells, out by Beechwood down to Carrowcrin, turned to the right out through Cloonageeragh at the present Ballagh Church, Kilrooskey, on by Mountcashel, out the Shamores where Jimmy Brians, Mountcashel lives, Lanesboro' side of the brickyards, Moneen, on to Chruach na Gcorp out at Bearna Baughal near Mrs. Farrells, Gardenstown, Lanesboro' followed the course of the old road to Cloonadra on to Moher out at Ballyclare hill round by Cureen into Ballyleague. Another branch went through Coolgarry, on by the Abbey to Portnahinch

[-]

There is a cross roads in Moneen. Long ago the people gathered together at it and danced the whole night. Every night now a number of young men gather there. If the night is bright they play pitch and toss.
There is a monument in Cloontymullen but it was put up in recent years to the memory of Johnny Scally, Gallagh who died during the rising of 1916.

The local roads are known as The Lisnaria Road, The Ballagh Road, The Gardenstown Road, Cloontymullen Boreen, The Boreen.
The Lisnaria road leads to Portnahinch and the Shannon. The Ballagh Road leads to Sliabh Ban Mountain. The Gardenstown road leads to the Shannon, Gardenstown and back to Cloonadra. Cloontymullen road leads to Cloontymullen road leads to Cloontymullen village. The boreen leads to Anratabeg.
The people who made them worked at sixpence per day. Before bridges were made across water planks were put across and the people carried their hay and turf across it. The plank was very narrow and sometimes a hand rail was put along on it. But they walked across it oftenest without any hand rail.
There was one of these rivers in Portnahinch and it was very dangerous crossing it as in some places it is eight feet deep.

[-]

on the road or any level place.
Flogging tops.
Whips are made and the tops are whipped with them.
Skipping.
A rope is bought and a person hops over it.
Hide and seek.
Any number of persons can play this game. They are counted and whoever a certain number falls upon seeks. The others hide and when they are hidden the seekers look for them. Whoever is found first then seeks.

The games we play nowadays are different to what our ancestors played. These are tig, hide and seek, high gates, gander, spinning tops, flogging tops, Jack stones, marbles, skipping, see saw.
Tig.
It is played by any number of persons. All are counted and whatever child a certain number falls on has the "tig". He runs after the other and whoever he catches has the "tig".
High gates.
Everybody catches hands and one follows another in and out under the hands. This continued until one is caughed. Then he calls out whoever he likes.
Gander.
This is played nearly like tig, only goals are put up and instead of tigging the child they are caught.
Spinning tops.
Tops are bought or made and put spinning on the

[-]

was a Landlord in Kilteevan gave out a half pound of meal to each person. The Government helped these depots very much.
Before the famine very few emigrated but after it about a million left the country. They went in small boats and a great number died on the way. They were only thrown into the sea. Some of the ruins of the houses can yet be seen.
When the potatoes failed people pulled briscauns and nettles and eat them. Sometimes they eat nothing for three or four days. Then when they eat they died. They were always digging out in the field to see if they could get any sort of potatoes that were left.
One time a man left them up on the loft for seed and his wife cut out the eyes from them all and eat the rest. When they sowed the eyes the next year they had a great crop.
The blight was not so bad in this district, but it was bad enough every place.

In 1846/'47 almost the whole population of Ireland subsisted on the potato. But in 1845 the potato crop failed. This caused famine and the peasants died in such numbers that they were badly buried. The fever and plague came upon the poor people.
At that time a secret society called the "Molly McGuires" were in Ireland. This was a very cruel society and they punished severely anybody who did not join them They put them into a barrel with spikes on the side Then they were rolled along the road till they died To punish these wicked people God put Famine in Ireland.
At that time there were nearly three times as many houses in my district as there are now and so the farms were very small. Oats, wheat, and barley were sowed but they were sold to pay the rent to the Landlords.
Some of these landlords had pity for the poor people and they formed depots to help them. Mr. Maypother who

Cures in wells.
The water in Faulagh well in Cloonadra if teamed before daylight is a cure for a retching.

sugar together is a cure for boils.
Sore eyes.
Cold tea when bathed against the eyes cures them.
Sties.
Ten gooseberry thorns are pulled on Monday and Thursday, nine are pointed to the eye and the tenth one is thrown away. The sign of the cross is made while pointing the thorns.
Chillblains.
Castor oil is applied to the chillblains to cure them.
Worms.
Mrs Elliot, Moher has a cure for stomach worms. She makes a plaster and applies it to the stomach. She also prepares a tonic to drink.
Burns.
A live man keeper is licked and then the burn is licked. This is the cure for a burn. The person who licks the man keeper has always the cure for a burn.
Cuts.
The yoke of an egg, flour and sugar is made into a pastry and applied to the cut.

Corn.
House leek and vinegar when mixed is a cure for corns.
Sore throat.
Potatoes or salt roasted and put into a cloth and put round the neck is a cure for a sore throat.
Stomach.
A twine was got and a warm knot was made over the stomach. This was believed to cure the pain immediately.
Cancer.
A man named Yorke living in Cloondra Co. Longford has a cure for cancer.
Jaundice.
Earth worms gathered before daylight, roasted, cut up in milk and drank cures jaundice.
Whooping cough.
The parent of the child with whooping cough asks the owner of a white horse what cure he has for whooping cough. Whatever he says cures the cough. The soup of a boiled porcupine when drank is also a cure for whooping cough.
Boils.
To mix soap and

There are many cures in this district and there are some people who have cures for certain ailments.
Ear Ache.
The juice of a roasted onion squeezed into the ear eases the pain.
Tooth ache.
Tobacco is put into the sore tooth to cure it. Some people believe that breadsoda when put into the tooth cures the pain.
Itch.
Miss Pollock, The Walk, Roscommon has a cure which she applies on the spot where the itch is. It is a black ointment but no one knows the ingredients only the curer.
Ring worm.
A seventh son in any family has a cure for ring worm. They cure it by touching the effected spot and making the sign of the cross.
Warts.
Apply water to the wart which is found in a stone or a rock.

evening and left six boiled potatoes on it she would get money but she was forbidden to tell anybody. She did this and got two and sixpence on the hearth every morning. Her mother had her annoyed until she had to tell her where she got it. After that the money ceased being left on the hearth.

There is an old fort situated in Gardenstown, Lanesboro.
It is a round high mound surrounded by a close ditch, outside this is another ditch, outside this is a deep drain and outside this is another ditch. These forts were built for the protection of Kings in olden times but no one here knows the origin of this fort.
A cave leads from this fort to Cruach-na-Gcorp fort situated in Anratabeg. This entrance cannot be found as some years ago a man named Jim Tighe of Gardenstown lost a sheep in the entrance of the cave and he closed it.
Jim Tighe's mother was up in this fort one evening milking and she heard lovely music in it.
Next morning she was up again milking and she found a glove in the Fort. When she took it up it started dropping blood. She was milking another evening when a little man appeared to her and told her if she swept the hearth every

Mary Bodkin, Johnie Casserly, Mickey Crahen, Paddie Brady, Mad Winnie. Some of those went from house to house begging for food. Some of them sold religious pictures and Rosary beads.
Mickey Crahen made cloths brushes from horse hair and sold them.
Paddy Brady was a great matchmaker and storyteller.
Mickey Lohan always carried a clieve for gathering alms. The school children always called him "lashey" to see him go down on his knees and curse them.
Mary Bodkin always carried two flour bags under each arm and a pitcher in each hand.
Johnnie Casserly always made a speech to free his country in spite of the English man's nose.

Nowadays as well as former times many kinds of poor people travel the country. Some had certain camping places for making and selling tin cans.
There were different families of tinkers named Cawley, Lawrence, Stokes and McDonagh.
When they came round this district they camped in Briens avenue, on the Gardenstown road and on Dunnegan's boreen.
There were also other families who swept chimneys named the Quinns and Greens. They travelled round sweeping chimneys with a brush and a scraper.
There were also poor families who went round and slept in houses for a night. Those were, Mickey Lohan, Sally Quinn

[-]

Sally Quinn always begged what she eat and stayed a few nights in every house. Mickey Crean went about gathering horse hair and backs of brushes. From these he made white wash brushes and paint brushes and sold them.
Mick Lohan went about gathering potatoes and then he went to Roscommon and sold them.
Ann Connor went about selling Rosary Beads and scapulars.
Andy Carty made beads and his wife make scapulars. He was gathering bottles and would give a pin or a needle for a few bottles.

Many travellers visit our village but the most frequent of these are the Quinns. They visit our village once a week but do not stay. Sometimes they stay on an old lane close to our house. There are two women in it, Brigid and Mary. They sell ballads, pins, chains, tiepins, broaches, hairgrips and other articles.
The Joyces visit us also, but not so often. They have a van and stay on the same lane. They sell delph, pictures, statues, candle-sticks and other articles. They have a house in Athlone and they always come for the horse fair day of Lanesboro, the 12th of February.
Long ago many travellers visited my mother, Sally Quinn, Eliza Ellet, Ann Walshe, William Ratagan, Winey Naughton, Jack Duffy, John Cooke, Jimmy Casserly, Mick Lohan, Mick Craen, Ann Connor, Mary Casey and Mary Bodkin.

The "Point of Gardenstown" where the old alley, Gardenstown, Lanesboro, Roscommon formerly stood is hallowed in the minds of the older people in this locality. It was the hosting place in former times where games, pastimes and contests took place.
The old harbour can yet be seen and the foundation of the old Castle.
Just to recall memories of its ancient glories it was to here the white horse riderless returned from the battle of Aughrim. His master "Delimere" was shot off the horse and he was owner of the Castle. What a love and instinct the horse had for the old home stead.
The Fairy Garden closeby is a place of revelry for the fairies at certain times but there is some sort of weed you must have in your possession if you

all the inside is taken out. Then it will make a good whistle.Bullet gun.
A strong feather is got from a goose's wing. The feathery end is cut off and the gun is made with the thick end. A piece of raw potato is put in each end and shot out with a stick.Spinning tops.
A spool is cut in the form of a top and put spinning.Titem totem.
A square top with a round end is made from a piece of wood. The letter "p" is printed on one side, "n" on the other, "a" on the other and "h" on the other. Money is left down and the top is put spinning. If the letter "p" is up another penny is left down. If "a" is up whoever spins the top takes up all the money. If "n" is up none is taken up and if "h" is up half the money is taken up.

arrow. This was an old warfare and when the poisened arrow struck anybody he was killed.Slings.
A piece of leather was tied between two strings. A stone was put in the leather and fired at bird.Slaitin.
This is made with two rods crossed in a stream. There is a loop in one end made of hard ash, and placed in a position that while the snipe is feeding along he gets caught in it.Kites.
Two sticks are crossed. Light brown paper is glued to the cross. A loop of twine is tied at the cross. A tail is added to the end with a light tassel of paper. The tread is tied to the loop and the kite is let fly in the air.Necklace.
Daisies are strung together in the form of a necklace and worn round the neck.Whistles.
A small hole is bored in the side of a chestnut and

In the olden times and even now instead of shooting birds and animals snares, bird cribs, bow and arrows, slings and slaitins were made and set for them. Many toys were made also kites, necklaces, whistles, bullet guns, tops, titem totems.Snares.
Three strands of fine wire were plaited and made into a loop. It was set at the mouth of the rabit burrow. When the rabit came he put his head into the loop. His body not being able to go through the rabit pulled, the loop tightened and the rabit was choked.Bird Cribs.
Rods are tied together in the shape of a cradle and when it was set properly birds were caught. Every child makes these cribs especially in frost or snow and they put a bread crumb or an apple in it which coax the birds.Bow and arrows.
It was made with a rod, a board, a twine and a poisened

Long ago when there were no toys children had to make their own toys to amuse themselves.Slings.
Slings are made by getting some strong twine and a piece of leather. Tie the twines on each end of the leather. It will send a stone 40 yds off.Catapult.
A catapult is made by getting a forked stick and some rubber. Tie the rubber on to each end of the forks tightly. Then get a stone and put it in, and it will send it as far as the sling.Crib.
Cribs are made by getting some bole-tree rods. Bore holes in the rods and fasten them. Then get four thin sally-rods and bend them. Put them

One of the cures for a sty is to get nine gooseberry thorns and point them to the sty and throw away the ninth thorn. Another cure is to get up early in the morning and when the fire is down spit on the hearth and rub it on the sty. Do this for nine mornings.Earache.
If a person has a pain in his ear and puts black sheep's wool in it, it will cure it.Toothache.
If people suffer from teethache, if they go to the graveyard and get a tooth and rub it on the sore teeth the pain will disappear.Ringworm.
The seventh son of a family is able to cure ringworm. Some people have the cure also, but they would not tell anybody what it is.Boils.
Get the root of the crawdawn and boil it in new milk. Then strain

Long ago there were no doctors or hospitals and people had to seek other remedies for their ailments.Warts.
There are many cures for warts such as to get up early on a Sunday morning and the first person you see going to Mass walk a few steps with them and say to yourself three times "I am going to Mass with the Mulligans" and do this for three Sundays.
Another cure is to get a black snail and rub him of the warts. Then hang him on a thorn. According as the snail withers the warts disappear.
Another cure is to get three blades of grass and rub them of the warts and say three "Hail Marys". Then bury the grass in the ground and as the grass withers the warts disappear.Sty.

[-]

He found out that the two bottoms were in it right enough.
He set to work and took out one of the bottoms. Lo and behold what did he find but the space between the two bottoms filled with Bank Notes.
You can guess his surprise. He was a very poor man and of course he became very rich. His descendents are still living in the parish. This is a real true story and it happened about a hundred years ago.

Some years ago there was a priest living in a place called Carrowquill. He was a parish Priest in Dangan. His name was Father Keogh. It was he that had the present little Catholic Church built.
One time he wanted a press made. He went to the Carpenter and gave orders for his press. The man who made the press lived in a place called Ballagh. His name was Forde. When the priest left particulars about the press he also told this man to put a double bottom in it. The carpenter did as he was told.
After years and years the priest died and an auction of Household furniture was held. All the people of parish who could afford to buy were at the auction and everybody who could bought. Among the articles auctioned was the press. This poor man who was living in the next townland called New Road bought it.
Nobody passed or took any notice of the press. Nobody knew about the double bottom being in it.
Years and years after that the man who made the press met the man who bought the press. They talked over many things but in the end the thought struck the carpenter about the press. He asked the other man did ever examine it. The other man said he did not. When he came home that evening he examined the press very carefully.

This hapened on a Hallow Eve night. There were two girls living in this house. Their names were Peg and Etna. Peg was very rough and wild but Etna was very mild and gentle. They were playing tricks with the object of seeing their future husband. It was said that anyone who would get into a haunted room and start peeling an apple while looking into the mirror would see her future husband in the mirror. Peg took courage and braved it. As she started to peel the apple she heard terrible laughing. Immediately she saw a man in the mirror. The next day a man came to this old haunted ruin. It was the very same man she saw in the mirror the night before. Then Peg fell very much in love with him. They planned that they would get married and then go away. They were to go on a certain night, and Peg arranged that Etna was to go to bed early than night. At a late hour the knock came to the door. By some stroke of ill-luck Peg was not ready to answer the door. Then Etna came down the stairs and she had a good light. She looked down at the feet and what did she see but the cloven feet. She knew than the visitor was no other than the dievil. She pointed out this to Peg and she saved her from eternal damnation. Peg got very ill and never did much good after. That ended the Hallow E'en tricks in that neighbourhood for a long and many a day after.

Pointing the scollop the night of the big wind.
Never judge the book by the cover.
Having an axe to grind. Having something up your sleeve.
Letting it in on one ear and out on the other.
Make hay while the sun shines.
Striking the iron while it's hot.
A hair from the tail of the dog that bit you.
A clean sweep. Scraping the skillet.
Better to wear out than rust out.
Every dog is cock on his own dunghill.
The butter will run throught the bruteen (broosie).
Melted like the snow on the ditch.
Where's the snow that was last year?
Like the step mother's blast.
It's a long lane that hasn't a turning.
Often the weak can help the strong.
Look before you leap.
Turning away they're sour said he.
Such trash is not the food for me.
How many like the fox despises
Those heights to which they cannot rise.

Tis as well to be hung for the sheep as a lamb.
You must creep before you walk.
Look before you leap.
On the right side of the hedge.
Wait till the hurry goes off you.
The more hurry the less speed.
The blind leading the blind both fall into the ditch.
Spare me going up the hill cane me going down the hill and work me hard on the level road.
Cut according to your cloth.
Fight with your match.
Knocking the breastmilk out of your nose.
Example teaches better than precept .
Windfalls.
The tune the old cow died of.