School: Ladhar (B.), Bán-Tír (roll number 3269)
- Location:
- An Ladhar, Co. Chorcaí
- Teacher: Pádraig Ó Halladáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0361, Page 444
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- XML School: Ladhar (B.), Bán-Tír
- XML Page 444
- XML “Casting the Stone”
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- Jerry Horgan, Fermoyle, tells great stories about long ago when all the fine strong men in the district used to be "casting" the stone when they met on summer evenings at the cross roads, and at the fairs and the patterns.
"When the boys got ready for the "cast" he says, they pulled their braces off one shoulder and the sport began. There was a great "sugawn of a lad" above at Nadd, we used call him "Pollo", his right name was Seán Callaghan and he could heave the stone farther than any one. He went to America afterwards where he was killed by "sunstroke" while working as a labourer on the streets of New York. Then with pride he adds "shure my brother Denis could bate any man at casting the stone when he was only 17 years." "He had a big rough limestone "carrig" below in the "Faha" and he used be at it every minute".
"Twas "kind" for the Irish to be good weight throwers", Jerry added. "Shure Finn and his Fianna were famous altogether. My grandfather told me that Finn and Oscar had a great challenge one day and that Oscar threw the stone on top of a high mountain. And where do you think did Finn throw his stone but across the country and into the Irish Sea and ever since it was called "Ireland's Eye".
- Collector
- Pat Halliden
- Gender
- Male
- Informant
- Jerry Horgan
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Formaoil, Co. Chorcaí
