School: Ball Áluinn (Balla) (roll number 1146)

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1. Hurling and Football Matches (continued)

   

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   two old men Mr. Jim Hally of Balla and Mr. Michael McGreevy (?) both of whom played the game. They are both over 70 years of age.

   
   Handball was played in this district for quite a long time. The ball alley in Balla is over 80 years there. The handball was made of thread covered with the skin of a young kid.

   
   Weight throwing was common in this locality. The practices took place on Sundays with stones. At funerals heavy stone throwing competitions took place outside the house where the corpse lay prior to the funeral. Then a custom obtained of throwing the Iron weight over the crane on a market day. Each village put forward its best weight thrower. Whoever won had got the privilege of having the oats potatoes or other produce if his village weighed first. This was a great concession because it might mean an early sale of the particular commodity instead of a long wait at the market.

   
   In Local football and hurling matches there were often no posts put down if the game were hurriedly arranged. Stones and coats were used to mark the goal areas. Jerseys were not used in this area before 1896. Then only a few

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
         1. entertainments and recreational activities (~5,933)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   P. Ó Maolanaigh

   Gender

   Male