The name of the townland in which I live is Arthurstown.
There are ten families in Arthurstown and forty people. The most common name in Arthurstown is Carroll, because they are living there the longest.
Most of the houses are slated.
There is nobody over seventy living in the district. Neither is there anybody there who can talk Irish.
Houses were once more numerous than they are now. There were thirty-six houses in Arthurstown in former times, while there are only twelve now. People emigrated from there to America and Scotland.
The land there is good and rich. There are no bogs or hills in it. There is a new plantation about two acres in area. At one time there were old woods but they are all cut down now.
There was a priest living in

(about three miles from Passage East)
He was buried in Crooke Churchyard. (The burial-ground for Passage East.) Dr. Long of Arthurstown wished to secure the body and for that purpose employed the body-snatcher. He went into Hendrick's public-house in Arthurstown for drink before he crossed the river to Crooke.Here two Arthurstown men got on his track and guessing that he was going on some under-hand business they determined to follow him. The body-snatcher crossed in a boat to the Blynd Quay in Passage. (The only Quay there at the time) He had a few hours start of the others as they had a delay in getting a boat and in crossing over. They arrived at the Blynd Quay about 1 o'clock at night and saw the body-snatcher's boat tied there. They took the short cut to the grave-yard up the Wet Hill. At the top of the wet hill one can meet the main road.Here there is a bridge over a stream which flows under the road. On both sides of the bridge is a stone wall. As the two men approached this bridge

The name of Arthurstown is in no way connected with the history of St. James's Parish, any further than it got its name from the second Baron of Templemore a couple of generations ago.Arthurstown is built on a part of the two townslands of Coleman and Mersheen
The mill-stream running through the village divides the two districts. When James 11 left the fort of Duncannon as a fugitive he took his departure

recovered the bodies. They are all buried at Ballyhack graveyard. The captain's body was found in a life jacket at Arthurstown strand the next day.

Rathbody and the lane going down to his house from Arthurstown was called the Bride's Lane, because all who wished to get married had to go down to the priest's house to get married.
On the Arthurstown road there is a big hill called the Priest's Hill, which is said to have been the scene of a priest's murder. A man who lived in Reaghstown used to keep a gambling house.
The priest who lived at Rathbody went up to him and advised him not to keep a gambling house any longer.
After a while, when the priest was gone, the man was thinking over the priest's advice. He got angry, and he followed the priest down the road and killed him on this hill. On the stones of the road, there are red marks which look like streaks of blood.

were all or most part of Catholics and having no convenient place to go to Mass they formed the design of building a chapel for themselves. It is most likely their project was seconded by Parochial aid but the soldiery supplied at the labour and workmanship. It was built in the rudest manner, nevertheless it served the people of Duncannon and district as a place of Catholic worship for a hundred years.The strand and bay of Duncannon like Arthurstown or King's Bay formed a terminous for the vallies that drains the water from the main portion of Dunbrody estate.

about to raise the alarm when it occured to them that under circumstances they themselves might be charged with the murder of the body-snatcher. They decided to remove the two bodies. They took them to Dr. Long's house in Arthurstown, and told their story. The Dr. refused to believe them and said that they must have murdered the body-snatcher. They indignantly denied the charge and told how the rope was twisted on his neck."Rope?" said the Doctor - "This man was strangled by a giant - look - ." He showed the two horrified men the marks on the victim's throat of two giant thumbs and of eight fingers at the back of the neck. Thus he bore the mark that the vengeance of God overtook him.The three witnesses hushed up the up the story and the body of the bodysnatcher was buried secretly by night in the Doctor's garden. Now-a-days the bridge is often pointed out to the wandering stranger as the place where "a dead man hanged a live man."

About a hundred years ago the terrible practice of "body snatching" was carried on in this locality and in Crooke Churchyard. The local body-snatcher was a disreputable character who lived across the river in Arthurstown, Co. Wexford. This man was a notorious bad character and was on one occasion denounced publicly by the Curate in Duncannon Church. This he resented fiercely but as the Curate was of remarkably giant stature he contented himself with scoffing openly at the Curate's reproaches. Thereupon the Curate declared that before long this creature would meet with a sudden and horrible death.Events proved the Priest a true prophet, and the manner in which the body-snatcher met his death gave rise to the expression "The dead man who hanged the live man."A man named Williams died in Dromina House, Woodstown

great runners and walkersPatrick Brady was famed for running. He used to run in the footrace at the sports and a large number of people would attend to see him running. He was a native of Arthurstown Co Louth
Joseph Sharkey was also a famous runner and he was always called to sports for running he would beat every man that tried to beat

great jumpers Thomas Brennan was a famous runner and he was always called to sports for running, he would beat every man in the races. All the people looked upon him as a famous runner, he was living in Reaghstown Co Louth in the year 1845. JosephnHoey Arthurstown was a famous jumper, he could jump over any man as high as himself.
James Reenan from Reaghstown was able to walk from Reaghstown to Ardee in a half an hour in the year 1919
Written by Bridie Sharkey 23rd Nov 1937

Great Mowers
Thomas O'Neill was the best mower in this world. He could mow an acre of corn in less than a half hour and he would mow a field in a day. He was a native of Arthurstown Co Louth and lived in the year 1836
There lived in Co Meath in the year 1724 a man whose name was Patrick Duffy he wold mow a field in one day. The people wold say to him when the mowing match comes

were taught their letters and writing and arithmetic on slates with stone pencils and the older girls were taught needle work and knitting in the evening. Her name was Miss Filgate. The house is now occupied by Christopher Keegan. There was another old hedge school near Arthurstown it was a wayside shed and the teacher came from Dromin. His name was Mr Butterly and he taught the children how to speak Irish and a lot of Geometry, they would write on slates with stone pencils. He was lodged in the farmers house and was paid by the children a penny or two. The farmers could afford to pay a little more.
Written by Jane Boylan on 7th December 1937
Told by Mrs Boylan on 6th December 1937, Reaghstown

There is a stable beside our hose which was a school at on time. The Teacher taught more Irish than English to the children and he would write on a slate with a stone pencil; This school was in the year 1720. There was another local schoolhouse in Reaghstown it is now a farmer's house. The Teacher came from Lishrinny. The children were taught their letters and Writhing and Arithmetic on slates with stone pencils and the older girls were taught needle work and knitting in the evening; Her name was Miss Filgate; The house is now occupied by Christopher Keegan;
There was another Old Hedge School near Arthurstown it was a wayside shed and the Teacher came from Dromin; His name was Mr Butterly and he taught the children how to speak Irish and a lot of Geometry they would write on slates with stone pencils, he was lodged in the farmers house and was paid by the children a penny or two a day. The farmers could afford to give a little more,

This district is mentioned in the early Charters of Dunbrody Abbey. It forms part of the central plain of the Barony. It sends down its waters on the North side, into the Head of Dunbrody valley and thence to Arthurstown .
In 1798 the notorious Standish Lowcay had his residence in Rosetown. This Orange Magistrate made himself odious, to the people of the Parish, by his many act of cruel oppression. At the dead of night he would burst into the houses, with his soldiers and if a satisfactory account of the male residents could not be given, the roof was burned over their heads.
Many innocent people he had arrested and sent to prison , in Duncannon Fort or Geneva Barracks, where they had to undergo unspeakable tortures in order to extract information , concerning

they were all taken down, with the exception of two; one at Woodstown, that was so far removed from the course of shipping it was allowed to stand; the other, one of Lord Templemores at Buttermilk Castle the title of this weir was so strong that it could not be abrogated even by an act of Parliament. Lord Templemore held other salmon weirs at Arthurstown and Duncannon, but they had to go by the board.There was some special clause in the grant of Buttermilk Castle weir to the Abbey of Dunbrody, that it could not be taken down.
(I may here mention that when the Department of Agriculture were improving the Harbour at Ballyhack lately in clearing away the mud was found the remains of an ancient salmon weir; the stakes or poles were all sawed about

The townsland of Kilhile is divided into two divisions or districts; Kilhale (as it is pronounced by the natives) and Paurkhale. The Kilhile district adjoins Ballyhack and Nuke on the west side of the valley that runs from the confines of Dunbrody to Kings Bay or Arthurstown in this district stands the ruined castle.Mr. Hores account of this castle throws very little light on its history and we have no specific account as to what race or period it belongs. In style of architecture and internal and external structure, it is a perfect duplicate of Ballyhack, but on a very reduced scale. It falls far short of Ballyhack in height, it is not near so spacious in general

Coleman forms part of the high table-land that rises from the east side of the valley that runs from Dunbrody to Arthurstown
It is worthy of note that the physical features of the Barony of Dunbrody constitute a succession of gentle sloping vallies and rising eminences;
with numerous small streams or rivulets that find a quick exit to their outlets in Waterford Harbour; so that on the main portion of the estate there is nothing in the nature of bog or quagmire.

This district is mentioned in the early charters of Dunbrody Abbey. It forms part of the central plain of the Barony. It sends down its waters from the north side into the head of the Dunbrody valley and thense to King's Bay or Arthurstown. On the south side it is drained by that long valley that runs through Ramsgrange on its western side and skirts round Clonsharra to Ballystragh.In 1798 the notorious Standish Lowcay had his residence in Rosetown. This orange magistrate made himself odious to the people of this parish. By his many acts of cruel oppression at the head of the soldierly. He would burst into the houses in the darkness of night and

In the immediate vicinity of Arthurstown, Co. Wexford there is a field called "The Cursed Field".Now how this title came to be applied to this particular field is a rather remarkable story which many people still alive can substantiate.A poor widow named, say, Mrs. Mc. Carty, was the occupier under the tenancy of the then Lord Templemore who of course transacted all business with his tenants through an agent.Now this agent whose name was, let us say, Mr. Scamp, cruelly evicted the poor widow who got into arrears with the rents. Although great pressure was brought to bear on Scamp, he nevertheless put the poor woman and her few belongings on the roadside. He demolished the miserable abode in which she lived, on the field of course.It is said, she knelt in

the rushes on top of that and so on till he he had it all finished. This was in the year 1837.
Long ago when there were no wax candles such as there are now there was a man by the name of Patrick Campell of Arthurstown; he used to go to the bogs and the green rushes and dry them, then he would get some of the fat of cattle and fry it, then he let it cool and twist it round the dry rushes and shape it in to candles, he also made shopping bags with the rushes also he plait them with small branches This was in the year 1826. There was another man by the name of John McKenna of Edmondstown would make baskets; then he would cut the green sallies tie them in bundles and dry them then he would steep them for about a week and then he would get them ready for use;
Written by Bridie Sharkey 14th Dec, 1937
Told by Edward Sharkey on 15th Dec, 1937
Edmondstown