There are a lot of old ruins around Oughterard.
The old town of Oughterard was on the fair green in Claremount. There were two public houses and one hotel and there were a lot of other houses the ruins of which are to be seen there yet.
There is an old ruin of a house in Claremount and a man named Isaac lived in it long ago and the place is now (cl) call Isaac's.
There is a house in the Factory beyond the waterfall and when the people left the house a well sprang up in it and it was called the

There were two hags long ago in Oughterard. One of them happened to be one side of the Corrib and the other on the opposite side. They began firing stones at one another until they had two great heaps of stones one at either side of the Corrib. Other people say that it were giants that were buried there.
Cailleach Bhéarac was another old hag that was living in Oughterard. She was always minding a cow.
At that time there was no fence between each person's land and the

On the day of the duel there was a continual stream of coaches and horses all wenching their way towards Oughterard and d'Esterre coming along in his coach saw the swallows flitting around the hedges, and having a very good shot he took aim from his carriage window, and shot one of the swallows.
Some of O'Connells party on hearing this conveyed the news to O'Connell, (who previous to this it is said never used a gun) who was not in the least worried but replied "the swallow had no gun." The ring had been marked out and around this representatives of both sides gathered.
Oughterard which is now a ruined and neglected old...

Once upon a time a man from Oughterard went to Maam Cross to a fair. When he was coming home night overtook him. After a short time he heard the noise of a motor

On May day around Oughterard the people gather May Poll and put it over the door, window and over the barn. It is to keep away the fairies. May Pole is another name for Mountain Ash. It is put up by the oldest person in the house.

They meant to make it as far as Finaun but they hadn't enough money. The women worked on the road as well. They got 4d a day and the men got 6d a day and the trades men 1/-
The roads around here are the Connemara road, they quay road, the Station road and two roads to Glann and the main road to Galway.
There is a old road going from ballinamuck Oughterard to bogs it is called stairs because their were stone stairs there long ago. It is seldom used now.
There is another old road in Jack O Flaherty's land from the main road to (a) some bogs. It is never used now. It is called the old bog road.
In Lemonfield Oughterard there is a path through the ground and it leads to Cregg (or Portacarron) some people say it leads to portacarron but no one ever went through it.

Grave Yards
There are four grave yards around Oughterard. One in Glann, one is Glengowla, one in beannreamar and the biggest one in Killeuimmim. It is called St buimmins grave yard. It is about a quarter of a mile down the Galway road. There is the ruins of an old church in it. Saint buimmin the patron Saint of the Parish of Oughterard is supposed to be buried in this church. There are trees and bushes growing in this grave yard, but they are being cut down now.Long ago a serpent

Lemonfield is a place where the sun shone right down on so one of the O'Flahertys - one of the tribes of Galway - tried to sow lemons in it but he failed. Ever since it is called Lemonfield and also the fields that surround it.Rusheeney is south of Oughterard it means small patches of land around a mountain.Barr- Rusheeney is a village South east of Oughterard on a mountain; it is supposed to be Rusheeney top.Camp St. got its name from soldiers who camped there.Macaire Mór got its name from a plain in it.
Cluais is the ear or end of Macaire MórThere are some fields in my father's land that got their names from their shape. An Gaírdin Fada is called the

An Droc-Scaol
In the time of the famine a man in Oughterard who caught a woman cutting nettles for food in his land. He beat her so badly that she died that night. Her name was Kate Muale.
Another woman was seen taking up a turnip peel out of a rubbish heap and cleaned it in her old clothes and eat it with hunger.
The potatoes rotted in the ground. Some of the people believed it was a punishment from God because there was nothing but cruel fighting before that.
The people depended on potatoes before the famine and when it came they had nothing to eat but Indian meal and butter-milk.
The meal was 3/6 a stone and the protestants would give it for nothing if they would turn protestants. There was a lot of jumpers around Oughterard and also in the glann

All the marking is done with pieces of sticks.
If a man sells a horse he does not give away his own bridle but he has to buy so many yards of rope in the shop for another bridle and he gives it to the buyer.
The principal fairs in Oughterard are the June and September fairs.
June and September are the (best) biggest cattle fairs. November is the best pig fair. The 26th of September is the biggest sheep fair and the 20th of December is the best foal fair.
Julia Clancy
Oughterard

and there he became famous as the world's champion ballplayer. He is over sixty years of age and is living in America. His brother lives in this village and his nephews and nieces come to this school.My father told me that Captain Jones, who lived in one of the Islands of Lough Corrib, swam from this Island to Oughterard a distance of about eight miles. He died about three years ago at a very advanced age.

There is an old fort in Rosscahill, between Oughterard and Moy Cullen. There is an underground passage about two miles in length leadining from the fort. At the entrance to this passage there are three white thorn bushes, under which there is a king buried. It is said he appeared to several people after his death. The old people said that when passing the fort at night a croud of people, cattle, horses etc. were seen there buying and selling. Later on the farmers from the adjoining towns and villages, met there with their stock for the purpose of buying and selling.

Long ago a family lived in Billemore very bad protestants they were. Ther was a blessed well in their land called St Cummin's well. The Catholics of Oughterard had great faith in the water of the well and they used to go on pilgrimage to it. The owner of the land hated to see the Catholics coming to it and he went to drown a dog in it. The dog would not drown for him, he made a second attempt to drown him and failed and the third time he killed the dog first and then threw him into the well. The next morning when the family arose the dog was sitting by the fire. There is no body of that family living there now. It is a catholic family that is in possession now and when we got our own goverment the boys opened the well and the people go on pilgrimmage to it as they used

In Oughterard there is a portion of the town called Clarville and it is said there was a haunted house there long ago. One night a stranger came to the house and he remained in it for part of the house. At about midnight he heard a great noise upstairs but it did not frighten him. Later on he saw a figure dressed in white coming down the stairs with a beard down to its waist. It came over to him and he asked him to shave him. He did so but it took him about three hours as he was getting afraid. When he was ready he told the man that when he was dying his last wishes were to shave him before they put him in the coffin and they did not do it for him. This was his penance to come back until he would get someone to shave him. The figure then disappeared and the man ran for the door to get out, but he was not a moment to soon because the house came tumbling down after him.

About two miles south, east of Oughterard there is the old historical castle of Augh-na-nure. It got it's name from a hill of yew trees near by. There once dwelt in that castle the famous tribe of the O'Flahertys'. There is nothing to be seen of this famous castle now but the ruins. It was well protected against the enemies as there is a deep river on one side of it and a very high, thick wall on the other side. There is a story told about a priest who went to look for lodgings to the castle and he was given them. When he was going to bed he brought his dog up with him. Just as he was about to get in the dog jumped in and the bed went down with him and he was drowned. When morning came the people of the castle expected to find the priest's room empty, but when they saw the priest in it they thought it was his ghost and they fled. He then escaped and went home.

There were a good many people around Oughterard long ago who had trades. Some were weavers, basket-makers, painters, thatchers and others. Mr. Harris of Old Chapel was a very good weaver. Frank Mc.Coy of Glengowla was also another very good weaver. Martin Darcy of Porridgetown was a very good thatcher. Mr. Phillips of Kilannin was also another very good weaver. Michael Sweeney of Collinamuck was very good at basket-making. Mr Mac Donagh of Collinsmuck

Some years ago there were a good many poets around Oughterard. The poetry they composed were little rhymes making fun of the people.Michael Walsh from Sheanafeasteen composed "The Rocks of Knockadoe". He is still

The roads in Oughterard are called New Quay Road, Camp St. The Station road, The Connemara Road, and the Galway Road.Some people cross the river on stepping. There are stepping stones across the river up the Connemara road which leads to the Spring Well in the Plantation.

There were alot of roads made near Oughterard in the time of the famine.
The Barna road was made from Barna to Galway. Leitir road was made from the main road near Moycullen to Leitir - a village on a mountain some distance (away) away.

road there is a great heaps of stones and it is called Conn Saidhbhín. The old people say that it was two old women that were firing stones at one another and they heaped them up like that.
The Principal roads of Oughterard are the main road, the Glann road, New quay road and Station Road.