School: Kyle (An Chill) (roll number 4442)

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1. My Native District

   

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   Knockmonlea is my native townland and it is in the Parish of Killeagh and in Imokilly barony. It is also in the Electoral division of Clonpriest. There are seventeen houses in it and nine of them are thatched and eight are slated. The meaning given for Knockmonlea by the old people is "the hill of the grey turf. There are five people in Knockmonlea over seventy and they can talk the Irish and English language.
   On winter nights when all their friends are gathered around the fire they tell stories of long ago when they were going to school. Long ago there were two forges in Knockmonlea. One was in front of my house and the wall is now on of the ditches of the big hill. Long ago several people went to America from my townland and the Knockmonlea band accompanied them to Killeagh station. It was called the flannel waistcoat band because every one wore flannel waistcoats when they followed it.
   Knockmonlea was often spoken of in songs and poetry and a poet lived here long ago. His name was Carey and he was blind. When he wanted to dig his potatoes he went around singing, "Here's to the boys of Knockmonlea for they will dig poor Careys garden". When a person was going to America there was usually a dance at their house and Carey sang, "When you drink in your sparkling glasses think of poor Carey of Knockmonlea". A man living in Inch wrote, "The forge at Knockmonlea"

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. time
      1. historical periods by name (~25)
         1. penal times (~4,335)
   2. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. historical and commemorative structures (~6,794)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Maggie Landers

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Knockmonalea West, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Mr P. Walsh

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Knockmonalea West, Co. Cork