Less than one hundred years ago, the farm now occupied by Steven Stack, Moyvane, Newtownsandes, was owned by Steven Sandes, who lived at Oakpark, Tralee. Sandes had a steward called Watson looking after the place. He had many servants as he was dairying. There was a fort in one of the fields, traces of it can still be seen. One day Watson ordered his workmen to level the fort fence. The men did not like to meddle with the fort and refused till Watson would dig the first sod off the fence. When he did the men levelled the fence. Watson always rode on a saddled pony looking after the large farm and farm hands. Some time after the knocking down of the fort fence Watson was riding on the same pony on the [?] road and when opposite the fort on the side of that road his pony suddenly fell dead.

About seventy years ago there lived a girl over near Moyvane. There was a churchyard near her house and she would go to milk the cows every morning, and every evening in the field near the churchyard. When the cow would be spanselled by her she would call the milk pail to her and it would come into her hand. One day as she was going to milk the cow's, the other women who were milking the cow's, saw her stretched in the field quite lifeless. They took her home and she kept the bed for two years. When she would get the chance she would go to the churchyard stripped naked

In the townland of Heapstown which is four miles from Riverstown, and in the County of SLigo there is a remakable cairn, erected, according to O'Donovan and other authorities, in the fourth century over the grave of Ailel, son of Eochy Moyvane, Ardri of Ireland, from whom, as already mentioned, Tirerill takes its name. This huge pile of stones, the people of the locality say, was collected and placed there in one night; but in any case it is not considered that the cairn has any connection like the other monuments of the district, with the ancient battle of Moyturra.
This heap can be seen there to this day, but it has got much smaller. Previously, men used to come with carts and take away stones whenever they wanted them, but they are forbidden now. There is an old superstition connected with Heapstown that it is unlucky to take

There was a steward living at Smyths Moyvane, long ago, taking care of the farm for Thomas Sandes. One day he had a ploughman ploughing the fort field and he refused to plough through the fort.
The steward then took the plough and ploughed the plot himself. When he had it opened through the fort, the ploughman ploughed the rest of the field. After that, the steward went riding on horseback and as he was passing the Knockanure fort, he fell dead off his horse, for he had no right to interfere with the fort.There was a man, who used go night-walking every night, and he used cross a fort. One night he heard the fairies inside playing music, and he stayed listening to the until it was finished, because he was very quick to learn

The parish rises gradually from the Shannon banks and the Cratloe hills form an impressive back-ground while their beauty is much increased by the famous old woods which clothe their slopes.
The hills make their mark in our island history as far back as the middle of the Fourth century owing to the fact that Ohy Moyvane, Árd Rí of Ireland between the years 385-365 died under tragic circumstances. Ohy's queen known as Mongfinn (of the fair tresses) or blonde, as we would say today, may have been fair to look upon but she possessed a black and evil heart. When Ohy died she sought to have her eldest son Brian raised to the throne. Now the clans would not agree on this point and selected her brother Crimthann as the one who should rule the land. Mongfinn decided upon a terrible act; she invited the unfortunate Crimthann to her home on an island in the River Moy in Mayo. There she prepared some poisoned wine for her guest, hoping in this way to remove the obstacle to her ambitions. In order to allay any suspicions she drank some of the wine too, and died almost at once.
Crimthann, feeling that he was poisoned, decided to make for his home in Munster, but on crossing the Cratloe Hills he was siezed with spasms

three Scanlon girls of one family, all drowned. One sister of theirs is married to Micheal Kissane of Barrovogeen. Some say the cause of the disaster was the breaking of the oars, but others maintain that they were dancing and enjoying themselves when a plug or cork on the side of the boat got lost and the water flowed in and caused the terrible loss of life. The poor creatures were seen from the shore but no help could be given, as there was no other boat available. 'Tis said that their screams and cries were heard by those who were awaiting their return by the shore.John CorridanTold by Micheal Corridan,
Moyvane,
NewtownslandAged 55 years

all to no avail. All their strength combined could not move the smallest part of the tree. So they sat down and waited until the cocks crow all evil spirits disappear. In the distance they heard the welcome notes of the cock and immediately a terrible noise like thunder rent the wood. The men started their work again and had no trouble loading their horses.John CorridanTold by
Micheal Corridan,
Moyvane,
Newtownsandes

A man by the name of James Finucane for a horse to a man far away. When he reached the house it was very late and he stayed there that night. When he was in bed, he heard the door opening and the man who was after dying came in and looked at him. He reached out for his matches but by the time he got them the man was gone. He got up and went out and called the girl and asked for Holy water. He got the holy water and he blessed the room and he slept well till morning.John CorridanTold byMrs. Anna Corridan,
Moyvane,
NewtonsandesAged 50years

Years ago people were very much afraid to be out at night lest they should see or hear the headless coach. Some people maintain they have seen it but other say they only heard it. Those that say it say it is a four-wheeled carriage driven by a headless man in charge of four headless horses, and if you happened to go near it you would be nearly burned or suffocated by the terrible fumes. The belief of this strange coach is that it is the ghost of those cruel and merciless landlords who evicted the poor struggling famers year ago.John CorridanTold byMicheal Corridan,
Moyvane,
NewtownsandeAged 55 years

nearly milked dry each morning before going into the stalls. He though of course that some neighbour that was a thief. So he got up very early this morning and he saw a rabbit drinking the cow near the fort. They say he got a Mass said and that his cows had enough of milk after.John CorridanTold by
Micheal Corridan,
Moyvane,
Newtownsandes55 Years

After the old Knight of Glin's death, there were horses seen galloping around the castle grounds. The riders had lights on their helmets and spears in their hands. As fast as his servants closed the gates of the walls round the castle, they were opened again. The horses in the stable were untied and carried away. There was a coffin seen also drawn by horses and a coach. About two days after, his wife died. The same horses were seen after her death. All her children died soon after.John StackTold byJames Stack,
Moyvane
47 years

the herd came that evening for the cows, he heard Jack moaning. The herd said he had no place to take him but to an old castle where there were wild cats, and that they would tear him to bits. Jack said "What harm I cannot be much worse then I am". The herd took Jack to the castle and put him under a big box. The cats came that night and sat round the fire. The young cat said, There is a Kings daughter where the herd was. "When I was in the dairy the other morning, a man came out and hit me with a brush. The next moring, when I was drinking from a peek, the same man hit me".
The cats made up their minds to kill him. The next morning the cats went to the dairy and killed the man, and drank his blood.
The man who was under the box got his sight restored, and died. It was the man that had fourpence that was killed.John StackTold byJohn O'Connor,
Moyvane

of the neightbour come into the field with a long rope which she had formed into a ring, and she whirled it around her three times and she went in home. John told the priest what he saw, and the priest told him to sell all his cows and buy new ones. John did so and when he had them bought, he told the priest and the priest came and he looked at the cows, and he made the sign if the cross on their backs and he said " They are all right now".John CorridanTold byMrs Anna Corridan
Moyvane,
Newtownsadnes50 Years

rose up in the air and all her calves rose too.
It seems however that just one of the calves did not hear the voice. But when the farmer looked at her, she turned jet black. This they say was the first black cow ever seen in Ireland.John StackTold byMrs. James Stack,
Moyvane,
Newtownsandes
40 yrs

One night two little girls went into the church praying, and after being there for a while they felt very tired and they lay down to sleep. When the clerk was coming to close the chapel doors he never saw them and they were left there sleeping. In the middle of the night they woke and stood up and looked out the window and saw that it was snowing. They then saw a crowd of people in the church and a priest on the alter asking them which of them would answer mass. One of the girls said she would answer mass. After a few days that girl died. There was nobody allowed to stay in the church after 1 o'clock afterwards. The evening that the girl was buired, music was heard in the church, and the church fell.John StackTold byMr. Maurice O'Connor,
Moyvane,
60 years

My father remembered the Whiteboys. There was a landlord in Kilbaha named Wall. There was another in Moyvane named Sandes. Sandes knew the names of all the Whiteboys in the district. So did Wall. The Whiteboys trusted Sandes, but they were afraid Wall would tell all their names. So they decided to do away with Wall. Wall was afraid of them. He made up his mind to take in house in Glin, and went the Kerry line to Glin about the house, but he came back this (Newtownsandes) way. The Whiteboys watched him; they attacked his house that night, and the firing went on till morning. In the morning the set fire to the house and Wall was burned to death.
Two hundred soldiers came from Limerick the following day. They were to kill everybody they met, but Sandes met them over on the Tarbert road near Johnny Nesk's and told them not to touch anybody, that he would have all the Whiteboys arrested, that he knew them all.The soldiers did no harm then. They went to Kilbaha, and the first them met were my father and my uncle Johnny threshing in the haggard. Sandes said, "They're two honest boys, they're a widows sons, they never did harm to anybody". So they did nothing to them. My father was about eighteen at that time.
Sandes gave the names of all the Whiteboys and they were arrested and tried in Tralee. Three of them were sentenced to be hanged. One of them was ordered to be brought to Newtown to be hanged. His name was Neill (pron. Nayle). He was the ringleader. He was brought to Newtown by the soldiers. They drove two poles in the ground below at the Cross and put another pole across. The then put

The following are some local place names.
Sligo or Sligeac which means the Shelly river.
Tirerach or Tír Fíacra takes its names from Fiachra Ealgach son of Dathí and great grand son of Eochy Moyvane, King of Ireland from 358 to 365.
Dromard or Drom Árd which means high ridge takes its name from the elevated position of its old church on the slope of the Ox mountains
Skreen or Scrín (Colm Cille) gets its name from the latin word Scrinium which means a shrine because St Adaman's shrine was deposited in the church there.
Ballinlig or Baile an Luig which means the village of the hollow because the houses are built in a hollow beside the sea.
Beltra or Béal Trága which means the mouth of the strand because formerly the sea came up much further than it does now. They built a big embankment which now keeps back the sea.
Lugawarry or Lug an Mhara which means the hollow of the sea because the sea came up there and the embankment keeps it out from Lugawarry and Beltra.
Carrownacreeva or An Ceathramha Craobhach which means the leafy village because it is