on each side. Test Matches were held and the best players were selected. They were clothed in jerseys and short pants. The ball used was similar to the one used to-day but something bigger and heavier. They had two sticks standing in the field for goals, and on each side were the "point-sticks".
The Rathbarry and Ardfield team played another match in Tom Donovan's field, Ballylibert. The Ardfield team played a match against Rosscarbery in Ardfield about thirty years ago. Later on seventeen men were selected instead of twenty-one, and later still fifteen, as at present.
There was a game played about 75 years ago called the "Taking and Keeping Game". This is how it was played. One of the Ardfield boys would try and take the ball from one of the Rosscarbery boys and if he failed at first he kept on trying until he got it. A Referee was appointed to give fair-play.
Fred Calnan was captain of the Rosscarbery team, and

My grandmother (Mrs Hodnett) who lives in Ardfield has a spinning-wheel. It was last used about 12 years ago but is still in working order. Some of the thread spun on it is still n the house. The wheelwright was John Twohig of Clonakilty. The weaver in Ardfield district was Sullivan Buachán. The spinning-wheel is made of wood.

pooled their alms together and bought a wether to eat. The question then arose as to where the wether should be killed. The Milltown beggar said it should be killed at Milltown. The Ardfield beggar said it should be killed at Ardfield, and the Donour beggar swore that it would be killed in no other place but Dunour.
Then the fight began between them and the blows could be heard all over the fair but it ended in a draw for no one of them was too strong for the other. The Baron of the fair was then called upon to arbitrate and he said he would give judgement to the eldest of the three.
The Milltown beggar swore that he was the eldest. "When I was a young boy" said he "my father bought me a cargo of knives and forks. I sold none, I broke none, and I gave none away and this is all that is left of my cargo" So saying he showed an old knife and fork which was worn to the handle from use. The Ardfield beggar swore that he was the eldest. "When I was a young lad" said he "my father bought me a shipload of scissors, I sold none

seventy years ago the ruins of which are still to seen. A teacher by the name of Mr O Donovan from Ardfield used to teach there. On the lands of John O Brien Kilkern there still stands a school. A teacher by the name of Miss O Driscoll also from Ardfield taught there.
About a quarter of a mile east of Milltown in Castle Freke wood there still stands the ruins of a school called the Sprigging School. Embroidery and needlework is all that was taught there.

About the year 1839 the big wind swept across the area of Ardfield. It was about Christmas and it began only with a guest of wind, people never expected it and so were not prepared for it. It blew from the north west and lasted for two days just 70 years after this the old pension was given so when people gave proof of their age they often said they were born the year of the big wind. This storm did a great deal of harm through the area of Ardfield. Luckily enough it did not kill any person in this locality.

An O'Mahony family lived in one of the mud house in Crois na Sean-Chábán. The grandchildren now live in Muckross, Ardfield.

An old graveyard in ArdfieldThere are ruins of an old graveyard in the land of Corabally which is owned by Michael Cullinane. This was the graveyard in Ardfield before the one we have at present. There is about half an acre of land under this old graveyard. There are several flags to be seen in it, and some of them are covered with grass, these flags were used for marks on different graves. It is about three hundred years ago since that graveyard was used. A member of the Cullinanes was digging near the fence of the graveyard when he came across a very firm

Three beggars once lived in this parish, One at Milltown, another at Ardfield and another at Donour. The three set out for Bandon Fair and on their way they

Nettles are used as food for pigs and fowl. Long ago a man named Daniel O Leary of Ardfield made use of herbs in curing people from certain diseases.

Dan SullivanThere was a man living in the mountain his name was Dan Sullivan he was living where Mrs Foley is living now, he was a very good dancer he was the best around here. They said that he would dance up on the top of a plate, he is after leaving Ardfield about twenty five years ago, he was a tailor by trade.Margaret Calnan
Dunowen
Ardfield

About forty years ago there was in Ardfield Village a tailor his name was Danial Sullivan R.I.P. He lived where Mrs Foley lives now. He used go around from house to house taking the people's measures. and then he used make the clothes in his own house they used have a narrow table The people used spin the wool of the and send it away to be made in cloth the tools of the tailor were scissors a tape measure a thimble a sewing machine and thread

The Hungerford were the first occupiers of Camus, where Mr Michael Hea now lives and they held title over Camus, Inchydoney and Dunowen, and they were considered the most tyranical landlords in the whole of south and west Cork. they were persecutors of the faith and one day the parish priest living in Ardfield was going to a sick call beyond Camus taking a near way which led through their avenue the lady who lived there tried to prevent him some word were exchange between

About forty years ago the people were very poor in Ardfield They used wear no shoes until they were big and when they got the shoes they would not wear the shoes for any reason only for going to Mass, for they were very poor and they could not buy another pair. They were able to mend their shoes themselves when they were broken. They had very good trade.

There are several old ruins in this parish There are the remains of an old castle in Ballyluck and also the remains of a Coastguards station in Dunnycove. The Coastguard station is quite new only the inside is broken down it is made of bricks. It was owned by the coastguards. It was blown up during the time of the trouble. There are the remains of a protestant church in Ardfield Grave yard. It is about eighty years since this church was used.

There is a very big stone in the land of the Little Island which is owned by Patrick Hurley. This stone is about 5 sq feet, and is stuck down into the ground. It is believed that this stone was thrown down from Ardfield Mountain by a giant long ago.

Long ago before lamps were invented the people in Ardfield had many ways for making light. such as splinters these were pieces of bog oak which was found with the turf in the bogs. Tallow was the fat of the sheep melted, and shaped in a mould. The turf fire used often give sufficent light around the kitchen and then they would not use the tallow-candles or splinters only when up-stairs or in the rooms. They used make a hole in the middle of a turnip for to hold the candles

"Tom Cronin's watch"
The old boreen reminds me of a story I heard about twenty years ago. There lived in Ardfield an auxiliary postman named Tom Cronin. Tom did most of his journeys by 'shortcuts' and one of these was along the old boreen from the top of the mountain to Leary's Cross.
One day after his return to the Post Office he found he had lost his watch. Three months later he was travelling along the boreen which was flooded , so he walked along the top of the fence till he came to a gap, across which he had to jump. While in the act of jumping across he hear a ticking in the pool below him. he got down as low as he could and felt the bottom of the pool and there he found the watch ticking away perfectly after three months!
Tom used to tell how he saved that same famous watch on another occasion. He was a tailor by trade, but unfortunately for himself his patrons were few, so he occasionally worked as a handyman mason. One day he was on a roof, fixing slate, when the man on the ground remarked it must be near dinner time.
Tom took out his watch, but it slipped from his hand; he shouted to his companion to catch it, but seeing the latter was not quick enough, he raced down the ladder and caught the watch just before it reached the ground.
When I knew Tom he was over 60 and yet he was very agile no doubt. Once when I was home on holidays I was walking along the road with the late Rev. J Kearney P.P. Ardfield. Coming towards us was Tom who suddenly dashed forward and next we saw he had killed a rat with a quick blow of his ash plant. Father Kearney complimented him...

A man still living in Ardfield named Spillane was blind from his birth. When he was a little boy his mother brought him to the Tomb of Father John Power and spent a long time in prayer there. She then took him to the Cathedral where there were few if any seats then. However she procured some thing for him and putting on it the middle of the floor, whilst she went round the Stations of the Cross. At the fifth station the little boy walked toward her and questioned her as to why she was looking at that thing (station). He wanted her to tell him something about it. He was able to see for the first time. From that day forth his sight grew stronger, and never since had he any reason for complaint about his eyes

locked her children into a house and then burned the house children and all. She used appear to people on the road in the shape of dogs, pigs and other animals. She used to go into carts and very often the horse dropped dead while she was inside. There is a bush at Fisher[?] Cross in Ardfield under which she used to sit and no leaf has ever grown on that bush since. While she was alive nobody would go out after twelve o'clock at night for fear of meeting her. A priest banished her out in the ocean for seven years.

haunted by a spirit called "Spirid A Chamuis" (Camus being the name of a local town-land). It was supposed that she killed two or three persons and attacked several others but they escaped. At John Deasy's cottage near Ardfield creamery this spirit was often seen. She attacked the parish priest Father O Shea going up Greenfield hill he was on horseback and tore his pants against the fence but himself escaped. He came back next day when he was prepared and called her. After a time she answered and he asked her what damned her. She said that she was killing children on her hire. He then banished her