Cill Cuáin, and Cill Ósáin are two townlands near Castletownroche.
They take their names from two saints, St Cuan, and St Ossán. The remains of a graveyard are to be seen in a field of Mr R. Magner's, Kilquane.There is a Castle near Wallstown Well, Castletownroche, called Johnny Roche's Castle. Johnny Roche built the Castle with his own hands. I knew Johnny Roche's brother, Pat, of Copse, Castletownroche. I was only a boy when Pat Roche lived. Pat Roche used always light his pipe with flint and steel & salt petre on a rag.
Johnny Roche built a wooden bicycle seventy or eighty years ago with his own hands, and used to ride it to Newman's Dromore Mallow to pay his rent there.
He contemplated ploughing his bit of land at Wallstown by machinery, making the mill wheel of a little mill which he built do the work.
The remains of this mill were to be seen by the river Awbeg near Wallstown Well.

Once there lived a man by the name of Johnny Roche in Kilnanare. He was a handy man. One time he tried to build a house. He bought a cord for to measure the walls of it. When he had a good part of the wall built he noticed it was getting crooked. A man named John Sullivan was walking along the road and he said "Your wall is a bit crooked Johnny" Johnny was very angry and he said " I wouldn't doubt Mick Flurry (of

There was a man named Johnny Roche living in Wallstown Killavullen Co. Cork about sixty years ago. This man made himself very independent of all his neighbours. He was a very handy man and he was called Jack-of-all-trades. Johnny got married and his wife went to America. After three years his wife left him. Then he travelled all America with nothing to trouble him. After the third year he came back to Ireland and spent the rest of his days amusing the people by his funny doings. The first good work he done was to build a mill by the banks of the Awbeg. This mill was first used for making cotton. The next use was to cut up stones to make headstones for the local graveyards. These works made the people very suspicious of Johnny and so he gave up his works and used his mill for grinding oats. The building of the mill was done by himself.

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Local ForgesThere is a forge in the village of Piltown. It is near the main road. The roof is slated and there is a small window in it. The blacksmith's name is Patrick Roche. He learned his trade from Artur Ruck. There was an old forge near the Pill ? in Piltown. The blacksmith's name that lived there was Johnny Collins. There is a rhyme about him. Johnny Collins was tall and straight and in his limbs he was complete. He could lift a weight from Ballygoire to glory. William Kennington works in the forge. The forge is situated near a little stream. Forge water is a good cure for chilblains.

Long, long ago there were very few shops here. Kiely's and Sullivan's of Barr-na-h-Eirghe near Kilbrittain had one each. Kiely's (who have the new house there now) forefathers had a bakery there. They sold groceries and bread. They made sweets and sold them there. Kiely's also had a bakery in Kilbrittain village. There were a few shops in Kilbrittain. Johnny O'Driscoll had a shoemaker's shop and made good shoes up to 30 years ago. He was over 80 when he died then. Dan Roche was a tailor who did great trade in the village. People brought the stuff and he made it up. He still lives. He is over 70.
Money was not plentiful but it used to go a long way. People paid 2d for a pint of porter, 2d for a glass of whiskey 2d for an ounce of tobacco and they got a good pair of shoes for 6/- or 7/- and the best suit for £1.

There is a well at Shanballymore, three miles form Castletownroche, at a place called Doonevaley, convenient to Johnny Roche's famous tower. This is a holy well and in days gone by patterns were held there, and several cures effected. Sore legs, toothache & earache were renowned cures.
It is told that a servant girl went one morning to this well for water to make tea for those who attended the Stations. The kettle was filled with the holy well-water, but no matter how long it was kept on a bright fire it would not boil.
The people, growing suspicious, made inquiries as to where she obtained the water and were horrified to find that it came for the local holy well. Next morning when the people attended the Stations in a neighbouring house, they were amazed to learn that the well had moved its location into the next parish with its tree bearing relics which had been placed on it.

Johnny Roche lived in the townland of Doonawanby which is in the parish of Wallstown. He was born early in the 19th century at Wallstown near Castletownroche.
Although he received very little education he was at an early age engaged in the duties of a blacksmith and carpenter in his father's house.
Then he married the daughter of a neighbouring farmer and he set sail with his wife to America, where they lived

so said above she carried a general cargo and a certain John Murphy was appointed 'watchman' during the Auction. he was ever afterwards known as 'Johnny the watch'.
the 'Salt House' where the auction was held was formerly a hedge school and a certain Miss Roche taught there.
Through somewhat out of place in this narrative I must conclude with this detail: When the ship was beached the sailors cut away the 'sea ropes' as the masts put a great strain on the leaning hull These snapped off with a roar heard four miles away I have been assured.
Pat Parker Ballinadrissogue now 84 years old, remembers seeing the ship in distress from the arms of his weeping mother

This is a well situated about four miles from Castletownroche near "Johnny Roche's Castle", Wallstown. It is dedicated to Naomh Bernárd, who is the saint of the well. People used to resort there for cure of sore eyes. I am sure some do still. The eyes were bathed in the water, and the water was drunk. A piece of rag was left on a tree when the rounds were finished. Usually three rounds were made to the well.
This well, and a well at Killura, Killavullen are twin wells. I suppose dedicated to the same saint.
There is a well in Mr. Dunlea's field, Bridgetown not far from the Abbey. It is on the right bank of the Aubeg, and it is called Bun Abhann. There is a rock on the left bank of the Blackwater at the meeting of the Blackwater, and Aubeg, which is called locally "Carraig a' terrat". I wonder is it Carraig an t-Searraigh. There is an old story that a colt leaped off this rock into the river in olden times, and hence the name on the rock.

Johnny Roche lived in Dunewalla. He was a married man and he went to America for some time. When he returned home he built a castle in the shape of a beehive, and in this he dwelt.
He then built a mill. It is said he made all the machinery for the mill himself. He cut timber and ground corn for the people in the vicinity. He worked in the mill for a long time, and it is said he cut his own grave in a large stone in the river.
Then he began to get queer and he made a donkey van for himself, and he went around the country in it. It is said he went to the exhibition in Cork.
Some say he went in his donkey and van, but it is said he went in the train, and he took boiled fish and

they are sown. The ridges are from three to four feet wide and the dyke from seven to ten inches wide.
Timber ploughs were made by Denis Forde; Pat Roche and Pat Kennedy long ago. Pat Roche used to do the ploughing with a timber plough and two asses because he had no horse. Timber ploughs are not used now. Smiths' spades
that used to be in use long ago. Thomas Kelly and Johnny Silke (two smiths) that used to make them. They used to last three times
the length of the spades that are to be got now. They were very heavy and had bróigín handles that is a piece of a faic in the bottom
of the handle then a piece of a faic above and an iron ring holding the two on together.
Whoever is in co with the man who is sowing the potatoes helps him to spread the slits. Potato cake is made out of potatoes. The
ingredients are potatoes; salt; flour and new milk kneaded and shaped like a pan cake and baked on a griddle or pan. When one side
of it is baked it is turned upside down and the other side is then baked.
These are the principal potatoes grown in our district: Feeney's; Up to Dates; Aran Banners; Aran Pilots; Great Scotts; Striped Champions; British Queens; Home Rulers; Ker's Pinks; Gladstones; Irish Queens; and Epicures. Epicures are the earliest potatoes. Home Rulers and Striped Champions are best for eating. Aran Banners and Feeneys are the

Great mowers.
Johnny Doyle, the singer, was also a great mowerGreat Swimmers.
1. Michael Roche St. Kearns
2. Larry Reville who lived at the edge of the shore Garrycullen - St. Kearns road. It is said he could swim from St Kearns to Kiltra shore and carry a load, in all weathersGreat Sailors -
The Roches of Winningtown were great sailors (See page 40)Great Horsemen
Mr. Henry Furlong St. Leonards could do anything he liked with a horse.

1918 a dhein sé é.
Do thug Sean O'Murthinle amhrán breágh,
Do bhí Seán De Róiste ag rinnce,
Agus Cáit Ní Samhna ag beiriú té,
Do mhórán Éireann daoine,
Sean O'Murthnille sang an Irish song-
Johnny Roche was dancing
And Cait Ní Samhna was boiling tay
To keep the girls prancing.
J. B. O'Driscoll danced all night
His movements were most charming
But the McCarthy Reagh's from Glounathuans
Danced out the top of the morning.
Do chasadh ann an seimh fear suairc,
An t-Athair Ó Baróideach
Ba bhinne an ceol do chuir siad ar seol

Ill sing you a song of a maiden called Bridget
Who has foolishly fallen in love with a midget
At sweet castle Roche dwells the beautiful lady
And the youth who adores her is young Johnny Reidy.
II
Where the murmuring stream by the castle meanders,
In the sweet twilight hours with his true love he wanders
And he tenderly presses the waist of the lady
Till she signs "Arrah leave me alone Johnny Reidy
III
Then enraptured they gaze on the Heavens all starry
Jihnny vows by bright [?] that sweet Bridget he'll marry,
And he stands on his toes while he kisses the lady
For Bridget is tall, and quite small is young Reidy.
IV
So deep was their love, and so keen their enjoyment
That envais fate gave consumption employment
To lodge in the thora [?] and kill the dear lady
And make smiddereens of the heart of poor Reidy.
V
As Bridget his darling grew paler and thinner
Johnny by degrees lost desire for his dinner
And ceased altogether fierce onslaught to make
On the steaming potatoes, the cabbage and steak.