houses. There are no holy wells connected with Cushenstown but not far away a saintly well is seen on the hill of Kilmoon. Most of the district is built on the main road from Dublin to Drogheda. Along this road is a small wood.
Cushenstown is in the parish of Duleek and in the County Meath

A few yards down from our new school is a small river named Burley. Although it is so small, still it makes Cushenstown a bit sturdy looking.
This river rises in Borranstown winds its course through Primatestown and from there to Cushenstown and joins another little river near the main road from Navan to Dublin. It gets fairly deep nearing where it enters the Hurley, and then this river flows into the Nanny, and from thence to the big, blue sea.
It is very pleasant to go to the Burley, on a nice fine day, to catch a small fish in its bed or even to trodge in its smooth waters. In some places, where it is deep, some trouts are caught.

Piercetown lies between Ardcath and Cushenstown. In the 15th century it was well populated. It possessed a Catholic Church which was down by Cromwell. The ruins of this church are still to be seen in the old graveyard. At the bottom of a laneway was a castle and in lived Lord Pierce. At the back of this castle is Pudding Hill.
Today Piercetown is thinly

The name in Irish for Cushenstown is Baile Cúisín. It occurs in the Annals of the Four Masters 1552, volume 5, page 1526 in the last line of text.
This name you will find transferred from the Four Masters to Onomasticon Goidelicum page 79 column B.
The place was famous as the residence of the celebrated Sir Thomas Cusack whose life and villanies are recorded briefly in Elrington ball The Judges in Ireland volume 1, page 200 and in the State Papers passim. He was buried in Trevet near Dunshaughlin and there is a long inscription over the old chap there.

Here and there in Éire and in other countries, you meet with pedlars and tinkers. Though tinkers do not like to be called tinkers, they call themselves travellers and some are known as gipsies.
Poor blind men led by dogs often came to the houses about Cushenstown. They would stop overnight or perhaps stay for a day and then off again. They usually live in caravans. Sometime they pitch their tents along the sides of the public roads, but more often they chose a quiet old laneway. They rob the farmer's hedges and light lovely bright fires. They prepare their food there and sit around enjoying their meal. Most of their womenfolk carry a basket on their arm to the neighbours houses and sell laces pins and other odd articles. The family known as the Powers is the only one I know by name. They were sweeps

Owing to all the small churches there were in Ireland previous to the Penal Laws and the arrival of Cromwell there are many graveyards in the country now. Within these burial places you will nearly always see the ruins of a church monastery or convent and perhaps these buildings would still exist only for the destructive English soldiers and those whom laid waste religious establishments.
The nearest local graveyard in Crossmacole is in the Townland of Cushenstown. People are still interred there.
Inside its walls stand the ruins of an old chapel which was battered down by Cromwell's cannon and graves are to be seen inside the ruins. It is of oblong shape and here and there are headstones and momentoes of the dead for perhaps of centuries. Some of these stones are uninscribed and perhaps under them lie the undecayed bones of some great

Though Cushenstown cannot boast of much history it is still very dear to me. It was here I was born.
I will have to depend on what I have heard from the old people in the district. The old ruins in our graveyard were not knocked down by Cromwell. It is believed a Convent was here instead of a chapel. Some short distance away another Convent was inhabited by Holy Sisters. Now grassy fields are there but still it is called "the Avenue" where these holy persons took their daily walks. All their property fell into decay and they moved to Trim and Drogheda.
But if good people dwelt here in the past, the well known Collier the robber often walked its highways and found shelter in farmhouses in the vicinity. Now all the old style of houses are gone and more modern ones take their places. Some Cottages, a publichouse, two shops and a school are to be seen.
About sixty people live here now but in former days the old laneways had their sides decked with small

Kilmoon is situated between Cushenstown and Rathfeigh. Long ago St. Meon lived there. A well is called after him. The saint blessed the well, and baptised several people, with its water. Once a week, four old women washed seven flags that surrounded the well. This well is called the Three Jolly Staffs.
A little distance from the well, is the old graveyard, half of it is Protestant, and the other half Catholic.
On one headstone is written the name Páid O Donohue, who died in the year 1844. This is probably Páid who shot the Captain of the Yeomen.
Facing the graveyard is the Protestant Minister's Mansion, at one time a magnificent residence, but now almost in riuns.
From the top of Kilmoon Hill a wide stretch country

Curraha is a very big parish. Its boundaries are Primatestown, Garristown, Ashbourne, Ratoath are Cushenstown.
Nearly in the middle of this little village is an old wrecked chapel. About 100 yards up the Hill from it is the newly erected chapel which is very well kept. The Parish Priest there is Father Smyth.
Not far away from the chapel is a public house and two shops one of which opened lately. Opposite the chapel is a beautiful new house owned by Mr. O'Toole. A double house which looks remarkably well is seen at a distance from the chapel.
Not far from the old and new chapels is the Cross of the Rath where the battle of the Rath was fought was fought in the year (1916).
Along the walls of the old chapel the men gather and play pitch and toss in the fine evenings. They play it inside the old chapel too when the weather is favourable.

Old Times
In Cromwell's time Cromwell went around out the people from their castles. He went along until he came to Gormanstown he met a man putting out stones on the road and he asked him who lived here in this castle. He replied, "Lord Gormanstown".
Cromwell went up to the castle and knocked oat he door. Lord Gormanstown came and Cromwell asked who lives here. The Lord said, "Lord Gormanstown today but I don't know who tomorrow". Cromwell replied, "Lord Gormanstown today and Lord Gormanstown for ever."
Written by
Imelda Mooney
Mullateeling.Obtained from
Mr Connor
Cushenstown
Garristown
Age 79

(1) Michael Chapman
(2) Hammontown, Ashbourne
(3) 42 years
(4) Labourer
(5) Hammondtown
(6) Jimmy Lynch
(7) 5 years ago
(8) 62 years
(9) Cushenstown, Co Meath
(10) 23-15-1938

Erisipilas:- Rub blessed cream. Blessed by ,
Miss Penteny,
Cushenstown,
Slane,
Co. Meath.Mrs. Brigid Gaynor, (80)
Belgree
Mulhuddart.
Can cure chin-cough (whooping cough) because she did not change her name when marrying. She makes a cake of bread/ordinary soda bread which is eaten by the patient. Mrs Weldon Hollywood bears testimony to the fact that her children were cured in that way

75) The Buggans, a field up at Crickstown (?)76) Killameshan, a field at Cullaghan's, Bellewstown77) The Grolla, a place at Mallawho(?) above Garristown78) The Scallernagh, a townland near Riverstown, Duleek79) Crinch-a-Crann, River on New Long Road, Duleek
80) Balywaltha, townland where McGuinness live (Dug (?)
81) The Clooney, a valley at Ardcath82) Quallafina(?), a river on East Commons, Duleek83) Slough, an old river on the Commons, Duleek84) Chrishnalanagh, field at Carntown(?), Duleek85) Tobeen, a bog at Garristown86) Clonlusk, Taaffe's, Duleek
87) Skeharnagh, a place name over Downstown Rd. Duleek
88) The Mulla-dhu, field at Rathfeigh
89) Pullbrock, field at Rathfeigh90) Lisafona - Gate at Macetown91) Pullbuee(?), field at Rathfeigh92) Killafakie, field at Ballyhack93) Bohan, field at Danestown
94) Tuberskeen, Gilleen(?) - Well at Cushenstown, Duleek
95) Crucknahackna, field at Warrenstown College
96) Lagenna, field at Warrenstown College
97) Mouleywure, field at Warrenstown College
98) Boreen-a-Willa, a small road at Knockmark Church99) Corewella, land beside Borrawaddy Road
100 Borrawaddy, Road Rathfeigh101) Knockcommera, wood at Bellew, Rathfeigh