Mrs P Lawlor of 84 yrs, Carrigacurra, Valleymount, Blessington Co Wicklow.

1) The Cross. This was one of the old names for the village of Valleymount, derived probably from " Cros " meaning cross Valleymount being built on a cross-roads.2) Monamuck. This is another old name for Valleymount derived from the Irish " Moin na Muc " meaning land of the pigs.3) Ballinaluck (?) This is a townland situated between Valleymount and Glendalough. This name was taken from the Irish " Baile na Loc " meaning the townland of the lakes.4) Ballinagee. This is a townland situated about six miles from Valleymount. This name was probably derived from the Irish " Baile na Gaoithe " meaning the townland of the wind.5) Ballinastocken was probably taken from the Irish

There was a ruin in Ballyknocken known as the old school-house. A priest out of Valleymount got the building of a school from my father's Grandmother until they would build a school in Valleymount. When they built the school in Valleymount the priest gave the key of the school back. A master by the name of master Black taught school there. Then a man by the name of Barney Byrne took it by force and when he died my Uncle John took possession of it. The Ballyknocken Band got it to practice in; then they left it and it remained there for three or four years. During that length of time the doors and windows got broken. Then a man by the name of Patrick Osborne bought it from my Uncle Thomas and got Michal Ryan to build it up again. Patrick Osborne is living in it now and has a shop there.

" Baile na Stocan " meaning the townland of the little stooks.6) Glenbride. This is situated about 5 mles from Valleymount. It is derived from the Irish " Gleann Brighde " which means Brigid's Glen.7) Glenree. This is situated about five miles from Valleymount. It is taken from the Irish " Gleann Rí " meaning the King's Glen.8) Humphreystown was changed from Baile Mhic Auligh which family once owned that townland.
Mary Quinn
ValleymountMrs J. Quinn, Teacher 45yrs

There is a forge in Valleymount and it is owned by Mat Tipper.
A man by the name of Mr Farrel owned it at first.
Before they got the shoeing-stone in Valleymount they used to shoe the wheels in Ballyknocken bog.
Before they started to shoe the wheels they lit a big fire for to heat the bands.
When they were hot enought they would put them on the wheels.
Then they would wheel them into the brook nearby for to cool.
The shoeing-string in Valleymount is round and there is a hole in the middle of it.

bales, Mr Bryan Valleymount, Mr Copeland Uppertown John.Kirwan Uppertown, and a few others
My father knew a man who used to tie his cows by the horns, when milking them his name was Edward Copeland he lived in Uppertown and he is dead about twenty years.
There is a big wooden cross hung over the cows heads to bring luck on the stock When people in olden times were milking they used sing and whistle and it is supposed that the cows would give there milk more freely. The only people I know who sing when milking are Mrs O Brien Valleymount Mrs Kirwan Uppertown, They only sing rhymes such as "Bó Na leath Adairc" "Cailin Deas cruidhthe na mBó" There are two stables at home and there is a horse shoe hanging over each stall which is supposed to bring on the horses. When I am calling the pigs I say "Hursh"Hursh" Rhode Island Reds are the breed of the hens at home When my mother is setting eggs she puts a mark of ink on them so as that she would know them from others

Sweat-House And Local Chapels
There is a sweat-house in Annacarney in a field owned by Thomas Mahon.
In days of of old it was known to cure many people.
About 30 years ago a man by the name of Tom Col was cured in it and he said to be the last person to be cured of Rheumatism there.
Running by the side of it is a brook. This brook is known as the Cockbrook.
A fire was lit in the sweat-house and let burn out. Then the ashes were removed and the patient was put in to sweat. When he had sweated enough he would come out jump into the the Cockbrook.
There was an old chapel where Michael Twyford lives to day. The priests said Mass in it before Valleymount chapel was built.
A contractor by the name of Dornon built Valleymount chapel and he also built the Four Courts in Dublin and Nelson's Pillar. He was said to be the best contractor of his day.
Valleymount chapel is about 130 years built.

From information I have received from Mr James Deegan Uppertown. He told me that the people of Dunlavin did not die of starvation during the years of the famine because Dunlavin was a very wealthy district then, There were three or four wealthy families living near it, some of their surnames were Dixon, Molyneux, Tynte, and a few others and those families supported the poorer people during the famine, but some Dunlavin people died of fright. Many people of Donard Valleymount, and other poor districts

fled but the soldiers began to overtake him and he knew that they would catch him. He did not want the soldiers to take the gold, so he pulled a sod off the top of a rock and found a split inside so he put the gold in the split and replaced the sod.The soldiers soon got near enough to shoot him and they wounded him in the leg.When he was in prison he told them if they wanted money to look in a split rock in Logstown Hill where they would find the gold he had hidden.
May Quinn
Valleymount
Mr M Conway
Contha
Valleymount

Local Ruins
The most ancient ruins around here, are the Old Chapel, and the Sweat House.
Both are situated in Carrigacurra, a couple of miles from Valleymount, but very little remains of them now, to indicate that a chapel once stood there, except the traditional name.
Long ago, when there was no chapel in Valleymount Mass was celebrated there. It was probably during the time of the Penal Days, when the Priests were not allowed, but severely punished, for celebrating Mass and administering other religious duties. The priests used be hunted to these desolate places.
Nothing remains of the Old Chapel but the ruined walls, which are broken down to about a foot from the ground, as the people that lived near its surroundings, took to their homes, any little memento, that remained there in expectation of luck.
The Sweat House is nearly completely concealed. It is built square, on the outside, and circular inside, and roofed with long flags, but the grass now grows on top of it, similar to a ditch and thus leaves it very hard to concern. There is an exit on top, to let the smoke escape. The Sweat House is about three feet in height, and four feet in length. In former days it is said, there was a cure

There are three Holy Wells between Blessington and Lacken.
The Holy Well in Lacken is used to cure all ailments. The people that go there put the blessed water on the sore and rub it well.
It has proved successful in most cases.
It is situated down under the Chapel.
There was a wall put around it about 2.5 years ago.
The wall was put over the well and caused the water to spring up outside the well. This is a beautiful spring. It was blessed by Father Germain then P.P. of Valleymount about the year 1867.
Then it was again blessed by Father Owens P.P. of Valleymount in the year 1865.

When the men would see the children running after him they would set the pack of hounds after him. The next day he turned himself into a hare and the men dashed from behind the wall and set the hounds after him.
The hare ran on till it came to a lake when he turned himself into a black pig and vanished into the water.
Ever after that the place where he ran was called the valley of the black pig.
Mrs. John Cullen 42 yrs Cassie Cullen
Carrigacurra Carrigacurra
Valleymount Valleymount
Blessington Blessington
Co. Wicklow Co. Wicklow

and sent them to the public house to Valleymount that time known as Butlers. When he had the place silent, he opened the crock and saw the gold.
He brought this home and with some of it he bought the present quarry known as Messrs Osborne and Brady from Thomas O'Reilly. Since then a very prosperous business has been carried on there.

The principal industry around here is the quarrying of granite at Ballyknocken.
These quarries are working at least 150 years, and even as far back as 1803 there was some fine work was done by the men working at these quarries. The date on Valleymount Church is 1803 and a visit to this Church will show that some splen-

There are many places of historic interest in the Parish of Valleymount such as:-1) Knocknadruce known as the briary bank over which there is a very ancient graveyard called Barnagress. It was the first to be in Ireland to be consecrated and registered in Rome. This graveyard can be seen from

some rocks in them.
There was a man riding a horse in these fields one time. The horse leaped out at the bottom of this field into another field and the man was hurt.
When he went to the Doctor, the Doctor asked him where was he hurt and the man said "Right under the Pyeparks."12) CORRIGANS
this is a rough stoney pasture.13) LONGLAND
is the name of a meadow field in Ballyknocken.14) RED GARDEN
is the name of a meadow field in Valleymount.15) LIMEKILN
is the name of a pasture field in Valleymount.16) WHITELOT
is the name of a meadow field in Carrigacurra.17) SCRUB BANKS
is the name of a meadow field in Carrigacurra.18) GARRETS FIELD
is a meadow field in Balleyknocken19) FOOTBALL FIELD
a field in Humphreystown20) BUSHFIELD
is the name of a field in Carrigacurra.21) BARNRUARY
is the name of a field in Ballyknocken22) PIGS EGG
is the name of a meadow in Annacarney.23) COOLATENS
is the name of a place in Toughar24) SMITHS ACRE
is the name of a meadow field in Valleymount.25) MARLEY BANKS
is the name of a bank on the Carrigacurra road.26) WELL FIELD
is the name of a pasture field in Carrigacurra.27) CAGE
is the name of a small townsland adjoining Monamuck28) PRAKE
is the name of a hill29) DALE HOLES
is the name of pasture field in Carrigacurra.30) LAMBS ACRE
is the name of a meadow field in Carriga-

The men would get a long pole and run it down through the drifts for 14 to 20 feet deep and the dogs would smell down and if there was a sheep in the drift the dogs would scratch the snow to give warning to their masters.Some of the old people knew that the way the snow started that there was going to be a storm.First if fell soft, then it came like hail stones and it came in a sweeping from Lacken so a lot of the pepple were prepared for it.This storm lasted from February to June on the hollows of the high mountains and for six weeks on low land.It was from twenty to twenty-five feet deep.A few cars of bread and such provisions were held up and could not travel through the drifts.The storm in 1933 lasted for a week or so and the roads had to be cleared.The vans made an attempt to bring provisions to Valleymount but they could not travel further than Humpherytown Bridge so some of the men got sacks and carried the provisions to the two shops in Valleymount.

a distance of twenty or twenty five yards. There he was found, still alive and well, and none the worse for his experience, by his anxious owners who had little hope he was still alive.
May Quinn, Valleymount, Blessington, Co. Wicklow.

75) GREEN ROUND MEADOW BANK
is a field 19 acres with a bank in it.76) BLACK LUMP
is a lump in a pasture field of William Miley.77) FURAWNS
is a level pasture near the Old Chapels.78) COW LODGE
this is a square pasture field, cows stay in it.79) LOUGHTER
is a big field in Valleymount. Owned by Thomas Mahon.80) CHRISTY'S FIELD
is a meadow field in Valleymount owned by Thomas Mahon.81) INCH OF CLARE
is the name of an Inch near Burgage.82) CASTLE INCH
is an Inch near Burgage.

The Granny's Rock
There are many old historic places in the county of Wicklow to-day:- There is a rock situated on Ballintubber. The Hill is called "Lackens" for shortness. The rock is in the shape of a woman. It was given the title of "The Grannys Rock". The hill was formerly owned by Mr J. Rielly, Ballintubber. It is now owned by Mr D. Healy, Ballintubber. The Rock is overlooking the Valleymount-Hollywood road. It was carved by workmen who worked in a quarry nearby. The quarry was situated at the top of Willses Lane, which is situated near Hump(h)restown House. Mr William Osborne owned Ballintubber quarry. His son now owns Ballinknocken quarry. His son's name is Mr J. Osborne.