112
Clonkeen Mill.
Notes obtained from Mr Richard McCann, Carbury, (townland of Clonkeen) now nearing 70 years of age. who worked for many years in this flour mill.
The present old structure rapidly going into decay served its own purpose and needs of the district for many generations. It was built by a man named Edward Dillon in the year 1773 and the descendant of the above-namedEdward Dillon are still in ownership. It is supposed to be the fifth or sixth mill to be built on the same site according to history. Just across on the opposite side of the Boyne about fifteen or twenty arch from the mill there was a castle. The owner was Birmingham who held from the King of England his five hundred acres of land and fifty acres of swamp with a mill on it, for the annual payment of the pounds and and he petitioned the King of England not to press him for his annuity as he was not able to pay owing to the frequent raids. He also petitioned the King to give him a grant of money to pay men to owrkon the land and to fight and keep back the O'Connors. and there was one hundred pounds granted. There were many battles fought between the O'Connors and the Berminghams. The bones of the people who were killed in the many wars are still to be found in a small craft. (??)
Transcribed from notes obtained by a schoolboy Patrick McDonnell, Clonkeen, Carbury (Feb. 1938) from above named Richard McCann.
Signed JP Horan (???)
(???) B.N.S. Jan. 1939

This is a story concerning a Hidden Treasure which I heard from John Byrnes of Clonkeen, Aughrim, Co.Galway.
This Hidden Treasure was supposed to be in Clonkeen farm. He said there was a beam buried down in the land and that there was a pot of gold hung on it. A man named Paddy Connaughton had a dream one night that if he went to this place at night and take a certain man with him he would get the pot of gold. The man he he was told to take with him was not great with him and he brought another man, but when he came

There was an old man by the name of Jonny Heefe who lived in Clonkeen bog. He made baskets and sold them. He made the baskets from sallies. He got the sallies in Clonkeen bog. Pat foxe of Carrick used to make gates, fire crains, he made them from iron. A lot of people in this district used to spin sheet and shirts. Each person used to sow flax.
When the flax was ripe it was cut, then it was left in the sun to dry it. Then it was brought to the hackler. Then it was spun, and after that it was brought to the weaver, to weave it. The people of Inchmore and Inchdurd earn their living by fishing and selling the fish. The people that fish are the Walshes, Ganly's and the Quigley's. The Gills of Doonus burn lime. They always burned lime. The Donoughes of the Pigeons burn

Before the Danes ravaged Ireland our Isle got its name of "the Island of Saints and scholars" from the number of Saints who lived here. Among these we have the famous St. Fintan of Clonenagh who was named the "Father of the Irish Saints" because of the number of Saints who came to him in search of knowledge.Saint Fintan was born in Clonkeen which may be either in Laoighis or Wexford. As there is a Clonkeen in both counties it is doubtful where he was born. When he was being baptized, a well sprung up where the baptismal water fell. The priest foretold then that the child would be famous when he grew up. Saint Fintan studied under Saint Columban at Terryglass and after some years he departed and made his way to the Slieve Bloom mountains

In Newcastle a man lived named Pat Madden and his family he was a blacksmith he had a forge and himself and his family used to work at the trade. On the side of the main road where Thomas Whelan is now living his forge was situated Madden's forge was thatched. Another family of blacksmiths were living in Clonkeen named Thomas Heavey. He died about 20 years ago. The bellows is the instrument that blows the fire for the blacksmith without this he could not

Long ago Clonkeen was not a church but a monastery and monks lived there. Its ruins are left and are been preserved. Through old age the roof, door, and a portion of it has fallen away. There is a nice grave-yard now surrounding it.

Clonkeen Water Corn Mill: This was also worked by water of the Boyne and about 1 1/2 miles distant from old paper mill. It is now disused. It was oats was generally crushed there, there being little wheat grown in these parts then. Remains of it are still there but it is gradually crumbling to bits. About a hundred yards away there was a castle. The owner was Bermingham.

those wooden ploughs in Clonkeen. One at Murrays and one at Claffeys. Spades are not made locally nowadays, they are bought in shops. Potatoes have to be split before they are sowed. This is dome with a knife by cutting the potato in two halfs having eyes in each half. Sometimes the people join up and cut and sow the potatoes together. When potatoes come up over ground they have to be mould bord. After a while they are hoed and scuffeld and mould again. Then they are sprayed with melted blue-stone and washing-soda or lime. This is done with a spraying machine. Usually the potatoes are dug with a plough. The men dig them and

are sowed as ridges and in drills. Ridges are made with a spade by skinning off the grass and then spreading the manure and potatoes and covering them with clay. Drills are made with a plough. Long ago wooden ploughs were used but nowadays iron ploughs are used. There are only two left, one at Claffeys and another at Murrays, Clonkeen, Aughrim Ballinasloe. Spades are not made in this locality, they are bought in the shop. Before the potatoes are sowed they have to be slip in two halfs leaving eyes in each slit. Sometimes the people join up and sow the potatoes together. That is not done much in this locality. When the potatoes come up over the ground they have to be moulded. The blight is a disease that comes on the

There are four graveyards in this parish. The names are Ballinanure, Abington, Clonkeen and Anna. The first named is in Mongfune. The rest of them are in their respective townslands. None of them is round in shape. Ballinanure graveyard is sloping a little towards the south. There are some old crosses made of iron in it but all the monuments are made of cement. There are no graveyards for unbaptised children in this Parish but there is one in Kyle in the Parish of Cappamore. Tis said that Ballinanure graveyard was at the other side of the road and it was removed over to where it is now in one night.

There is a Church at Clonkeen and it is said to have been inhabitated by monks in fourteenth century. It is said to be a woman was living near the church a long time after he monks had left it. When the woman got married she got married to a Protestante and they agreed that all theirs sons should be brought up Protestantes and all their daughters should be brought Catholics. One Sunday her husband and her daughters went to Mass, but the woman was not able to go she went into the old church and kneelt down to say her prayers and as she kneelt she heard a bell ringing and as she was looking she saw a priest and a little boy appear where the alter used to be, and as she was looking she saw a priest a priest and a little boy appear where the alter used to be and she was able to follow the Mass to the end.

Once there was a man who used to ramble to Clonkeen. One night as he was coming home he heard noise behind him. He looked round to see what it was. What was it but a pig roaring behind him. (He looked around to see what it was) He ran as hard as he was able but the pig kept up to him. He passed an ash tree. He looked round again but the pig was after him still. Then the pig let an awful roar and the man looked behind again. He saw a big ball of fire in the ash tree. He came home and lit a candle and the moment he saw the light he fell in a dead faint on the floor. The ball of fire is often seen still in that ash tree.

There are many fairy forts in my district. There is one in a field belonging to Mr. Daly in Ballymulvey, also one in Burn's field Lislum, and there is one in Smith's field, Clonkeen. The old people believe that the fairy folk live in those forts. Each one of those forts is in a field on the top of a hill and there are trees all around it. The people say that the Danes lived in those forts, and that it was they that made the forts. There is also another fort in Carrickboy. The people also say that the fairies dance and sing in it.

The butter used to be taken from the Geraghtys of Clonkeen. Their cows were going dry and they could get no butter when they'd churn. No matter how long they spent churning, there would come nothing but froth on the milk. This Mary morning Mrs Geraghty (still living) went out to see if she could make out who was taking their butter. She saw a neighbour woman in their fields. She was standing at a river and she had a pole in her hands and the end of it down in the river. Mrs Geraghty found out after that, that this was the woman who used to take their butter.

At the top of Clonkeen Saint Fintan had a Church. This gave the place its name Church Field
The Mass-Path goes through six fields. Its

across the field in a tree in Clonenagh and it is ever since called St. Fintan's well. There is a great big hole in the tree and it is full up of water. There are bits of rags hanging out of the tree. When people are going on visits to St. Fintans well they bring back pebbles with them. It is said that pebbles will save you from lightning. S Fintan built his church in one day. When he had his church built he changed his horse into a stone. St. Fintan was born in Clonkeen.

Clanricard. There is an old ruin of a monastery in Clonkeen-Keril. It was built by two Saints - St Ciaran and St Keril.
This monastery was not finished but it was placed in this condition since it was built. It was built in the 16th Century.
There is also an old ruin of a church in Killascobe about two miles from Menlough.
Tessie Burke.

This man was very fond of nuts. A neighbour died and was buried with a bag of nuts under her head. There was another man with him who was out for stealing sheep.
There was a house beside the graveyard of Clonkeen and during the night an old crippled woman who lived there saw a light and heard noise at this fresh grave. She asked them to go out and see who was there but they were afraid. The crippled woman volunteered to be carried out with a white sheet around her to see who was there.
The lad who was

Long ago there live in Colemanstown, a gentleman who was very fond of nuts. There was also a tailor who was fond of nuts. When the gentleman died, he ordered that they should make a big coffin and fill half of it with nuts.
They did what he told them and they buried him in the graveyard around the monastery in Clonkeen. When the tailor heard this, he went one night and dug up the coffin and sat down on it, eating the nuts. One of the monks came out of the monastery and saw him. The monk ran in and told the other monks that there was a ghost sitting on a coffin eating nuts. When the tailor was coming to the graveyard, he met a man with a sheet. the man said he was going looking for a sheep and he was going to put the sheep in the sheet and carry it home. When the monk told he had seen a ghost, there was an old servant woman in the monastery who had not walked for two years