village of Sneem.

Toby Butler, a shoemaker residing near Sneem, great grandfather of Denis Delahunty, plasterer, Sneem, was a renowned bonesetter.

the oldest person, in this village. Mrs. Brien is over eighty years and she lives in the village. Mrs. Teahan lives in Oureagh Sneem and is about the same age. There are a few old ruins in this place such as the old Barrack and Drryquin house that was burned down. Any other old ruins of houses that were there are built up now. The rivers are the Sneem river and the Ardshallane river.

There is a graveyard still in use and is situated about four miles south-east of the village of Sneem in the Tahilla parish which is combined with Sneem. Assuredly it was an old fort in days gone by as it is full of subterranean channels. It is a raised circular mound - an exact circle on top. This fort is supposed to be joined to Dunkilla Fort a little further south.

I was sitting by window - it was open. Sergeant Doyle of Sneem and a constable called on me and said "You are up very late at night". I agreed. "You are often out at all hours yourself & saw many queer things" I suggested to the Sergeant.
Well yes - I'll tell you this: "I was out one night on beat in Sneem accompanied by a constable. We stood in a doorway where we could see well without being seen. It was a moonlit night.
While we were there a horse and car came down Sneem Village quickly

Before national schools were established in Sneem area the people were taught in little thatched cabins during the Winter, and during the Summer months they were taught in the open-air under hedges or fences.
There was one of these thatched cabins situated in Derryleigh and another in the village of Sneem. Nora Casey from Gerrah taught in Derryleigh and Patrick Brien taught in Sneem. Patrick Brien lived in his own home, and Nora Casey lived for a week or so in the house of each pupil.
As payment they got a bag of wool and a few potatoes from the

date and proceeded to Kenmare. (This date and meeting place was made known to Purefoy Governor of Kenmare by some spy. They all met as Askive 1 1/2 mls from Sneem and decided to rest there for the night before continuing the journey in the morning.
Purefoy - Cromwellian Governor of Kenmare sent his soldiers by boat to Derryquin 2 1/2 mls from Sneem. From there they came to Askive and swooped down upon the defenceless peasants and killed almost all of them.
The few survivors continued on their journey to Kenmare, but Captain Barrington, Kenmare attacked them at Sliabh a' Marbhuithe 8 mls or so from Sneem.

blue colour. Two days after this the tailor died, and ["after" struck out] a few weeks after this the tailor's ["ghost" interlined with carat] was seen around the place again.
Mrs. Hussey Gerah. Sneem
Mrs. J. Hussey. The Village Sneem +
Mr. D. Cronin The Cottages, Sneem.

used was made of thread rolled round a bit of wood, and it was covered with leather by a shoemaker. Two poles marked the goal, and the man who stood at the goal was called the strong back. The employed a referee to see that both sides got fair play. The best player in the game between Sneem and Tahilla was a man named Johnny Clifford from Sneem. Hurling was always played in a field, but some other games were played along the road. One of those games was "Bowling". A large iron bowl about the size of a hurling ball was thrown along the road, and the man who threw it farthest won the game. This game was illegal and fines were imposed on people who were caught practising it. They also slung the sledge-hammer here, and threw the half-hundred weight. About sixty-two years ago the great game mentioned was played between Sneem and Tahilla, and a song was made by a Sullivan man about it. The following is the song and the names of some of the players are mentioned

There was a game of hurling played between the boys of Kenmare and the Sneem boys long ago. Twenty-four men at each side that always played. The best players were always chosen, and the players always selected the team themselves.The Sneem team won in the game. They wore grey flannel pants and white flannel shirts. There were several games played between Sneem and Tahilla at that time and players from both places played other teams also. The shoes they wore were leather ones, and they had blocks of rubber underneath them. They were called "Slitters". The ball they

the potatoes, caught the woman by the arms and wrenched them from her grasp, and coming into the kitchen he took the girl by the hair and threw her outside the door - ordering her to be gone within seven minutes. Eugene was married to a very good and charitable woman - the daughter of Sigerson in Ballinskelligs a land-agent - who strove to soften his heart towards the people but her efforts were in vain as he was unyielding. Things change and times change, however, and the day came when Eugen himself became a poor and miserable wretch and he sat by the Westcove Cross begging pennies from the passers-by. The little lads of the place whose fathers he had tyrannised came along and teasing and jeering him threw fist fulls of "committee meal" down inside his clothes.At the beautiful castle of Derryquin down by the sea at Parknasilla near Sneem lived the Wardon family who were landlords of the Sneem district. The majority of their servants and apprentices were English, many of whose descendants still live in Sneem - Blands, Stokes, Greys and Ernests but a few local "faithfuls" were in their employment also among whom was the infamous "Crags" O'Connor. It was the Fall of the Famine years. Wardon's potatoes, turnips and all his crops had been stored up into the barns and nothing

Doroghy ( O'Sullivan families are distinguished by this name. It is used in School Register of Blackwater National School as a surname (the name Sullivan being omitted) Register dates back to 1868
BAWNIE (Bán) An O'Shea nickname in Droumlusk townland, Sneem, Kerry
"Mountain" - An O'Sullivan nickname in parish of Sneem, Kerry
Rúntach - An O'Sullivan nickname in parish of Caherdaniel ("proud" self opinionated) (secretive)
Riabhach - An O'Sullivan nickname in parishes of Sneem and KenmareDonn - An O'Sullivan nickname in Sneem and KenmareJug (or Jeeug) An O'Sullivan nickname in Kenmare

Bolg an Uachra: Name of Rock between Sherky Island and Mainland (Sneem) north side of Kenmare Bay.

were in it. While he was out of home it was destroyed and burned and the other residence was owned by Lady Fraser. It is situated in Askive a few miles from Sneem bridge village and it was also burned and destroyed but the walls are standing yet. In Sneem village the barrack was burned but the the walls are standing there yet and there are several ruins of old thatched houses in this village that fell. Major["s" struck out] Herd's residence was built about sixty nine or seventy years ago. There was an old Church in Coad where the people heard Mass long ago and the walls of it are standing still and it is called the "old Church". The remains of a fort are to be seen in Staigue. This fort was built in a night by invaders but they were surprised in the morning by enemies and they had to go to the sea and leave the fort unfinished and it remained so ever since

Every little Irish glen has its own famous sons and daughters to boast of, whether the number be great or small. How often do we hear our old folk telling tales of the remarkable power and strength of people who are now dead and gone. Strangers might be led to believe that in these poor mountainy districts round the wind-swept headlands of Iveragh and Dunkerron, there is or was not anybody worthy of note. We know that is not so. Just look to Sneem which is one of the humblest little towns in the barony facing the broad expanse of Kenmare Bay, from it have come that notorious Casey family, which are famous the whole world over. Sneem can also boast of two other athletes Mossie Fitzgearld and Champion Cronin from Tahilla who was a well known runner and who held the championship of Kerry for running for many years. The Egans from the same place were great runners too. West Cove near Caherdaniel has Ned Seán Óge to its credit. This Ned is Ireland's hop-step and jump champion. A man known as Muiris a' Tobach though small in stature, was very strong and on one occasion he lifted two smiths' anvils, one in each hand at Florrie (?) the Smith's forge at the Black Shop near Westcove. This Muiris was a splendid step-dancer.The family of Fitzgeralds who came originally from the Glen but are now settled in Steigue and Glenlough about six or seven miles from Sneem were famous dancers and singers down through the years. But all the soft tones of voice and the deft movements of the feet seemed to have been gathered together in the person of Marcus Fitzgerald Glenlough

"Triúr agus cuígear ó'n Sgairt,
Fear agus a seacht ó Bhórd-Eoghain-Fhínn
B'iad a dhein an cómhrac ceart
Ar ínsín theas ar bruac an Sín."The girl notified a priest who anointed the maimed men and all who took part in the faction fight were dead before morning.
John Mountain of Bealach near Sneem more commonly known as the "Graffa" was famous for climbing and rowing. He came from Sneem to Waterville to a Regatta, across the Glenmore mountains a distance of about fifteen miles. Having missed his way he had to climb through the Inch Cliff, where no man had come before, nor has anybody done since. When he arrived at Waterville the paddle race was about to begin. The most skillful oarsman of Iveragh were preparing for it . There were the pick of the O'Mahonys' from Ardcost near Caherciveen, the brawny Fitzgeralds from the Island near Ballinskelligs and some of his own neighbours, "the Shine" Connors from Sneem. He brought the race with no mean margin from all those verteran oarsmen.
James Hallissey of Tooreens, a townland about nine miles from Waterville was a noted horseman. Having milked the cows on a Summer morning he would set out for Killarney and come back again before sun-down. His mother used to walk to Caherciveen nineteen miles distant and back again in one day. She used to carry her butter in a wooden bucket on her head and having sold the butter bring back her groceries in the bucket. The Donnellys' of Raheen were counted among the best singers in Iveragh, the most noted being Sylvester Donnelly whose favourite songs were, "Ar Eirinn ní n-eosfainn cé h-í" and "Ag seoladh na ngamhan faoi'n bhfásach".

In Castleisland there lives a humorous character named Francis Costello. He pretends to be very wise and intelligent, and when anybody tells a good yarn or recount the great deeds of someone in days gone by, Frank must always have one better. Number of the town lads gather at Frank's Corner each time to pass the time listening to Frank telling stories or arguing on some point. One night when all the boys were together somebody remarked, to start off the conversation, on the great feats of the Casey brothers of Sneem, Kerry, as boatmen, boxers, wrestlers, etc.
Frank who was listening on remarked after a while that he could see nothing wonderful in any thing they did, as he saw more wonderful feats being performed nearer home without going to Sneem at all. Somebody in the crews asked him to give one example or to tell them of any great feat performed by anybody about Castleisland. Well says Frank when I was a young fellow I had a terrible temper and would not allow anybody to insult me a second time without having satisfaction. My brothers were wicked and hardy lads but cooler than I was. My father then always kept a good store of sticks well seasoned over the smoke of the fire to be used by us to defend ourselves in our fights with others. In the village of Currans about 3 ms. from Castleisland there was a fair held once a year on 6th May and that fire is

There was a boat going from Newport to Limerick with a cargo of coal. There were two hundred and fifty tons of coal in the boat. The owner of the boat was from Arklow. His name was Captain Kearns. He had eight men in the boat with. It was a three masted vessel. She ran into Sneeem harbour for shelter in bad weather. It was very stormy and a high sea was raging. She remained in Sneem harbour that night.
In the morning she was blown out of Sneem harbour and was put up on builig. Her sails were torn and she was holed. They were trying to get Kenmare before she would sink. Some of the men said they would go

There was an old Parish Priest lived in Sneem long ago. He was a great judge of dancing singing and other games. A pattern used to be held in a place called Cromane. On the pattern day all kinds of games used to be there. The Parishes around used send their best men and women to take part in the events. There was a man from Cahirciveen whose name was Donal O'Sullivan, he was a school teacher. He represented Cahirciveen, and
a young girl nmaed Miss Julia Kirby represented Sneem. She was also a school teacher, the two of them danced together, the reel - jig, horn pipe, and blackbird. Each Parish were cheering for their own, there were three

se "cé hé an blagárd atá ag cur na buachaillí óga ag troid. Chuladh Dóran é sin, agus bhí sé ar buille[?] (ar buile-furious?). Bhí an fear ó Drombhilly agus Dóran a thabhairt léasa teangan[?] (scolding - a tongue lashing?) dá chéile ar feadh tamaill. Annsan d'imigh Dóran abhaile ana mear go dtí Sneem. An oiche sin nuair a bhí sé sa bhaile, do chuir sé amach fir agus capaill ag bailiughadh airm. Fuair sé morán cabhair ó Cathair Saidhbhín agus ó Chill Orglan agus ó Sneem agus ó áiteanna eile ar thaobh na fairrge.
Thánagadar an maidin na ndiadh san go dtí Ceann Fiadh in mbáideanna beaga. Bé sin maidin an Phátrúin. Do shiubhal na Dórans agus an arm treasna Bhéicín. Annsan thosnuigheadar ag troid leis na Fills[?]. Do ghlaodaigh na Fills[?] air daoine an Pátrún cun cabhair a thabhairt dóibh. Fuaireadar an cabhair