Penal Times (continued)
another from Craanmore to Kildavin. There is one on each side of the Slaney, one from Drumderry to Bunclody and on to Ballycarney and Enniscorthy. The other goes to Ardattin church and then on to Tullow.
There was an old church in Barragh, which was the Parish Church, but is now in ruins. On a stone there, there is the footprint of a saint. It was the Parish Church during the Penal Times. There was a chalice and a tabernacle door buried there in the bog. It is said that priests and people have dug for it but as it is believed that at the finding of it there will be a life lost, priests never liked to continue the search for it. That church is now replaced by the Parish - Church in Clonegal.

of the other boards, so that the boards would be pointing towards the foot of the bed. Curtains would then be procured and tacked on to the boards, in such a way that half of the curtain would be hanging down over the bed. These beds were known as "Canopy beds" or "Tasters", because the covering over the head of the bed was called a "Canopy".Recorded from Ml. McGrath,
Ballycarney,
Clarina,
Co. Limerick.

He told the pal that he too saw the ghost.The relations of the dead man were going to take action against the priest, for saying such a thing. The priest came to their house and said. "I'll prove the ghost is seen, because I will bring him up on the hearth stone". The relations agreed, and the priest began to pray. After a while, he said that the man was seven miles away. He prayed and the house began to shake hither and thither. The windows and doors rattled. The priest said to the people. "He is three miles away". He then prayed again. "Where is he now", the people asked. "He will be here soon", said the priest. By this time the rattling and confusion became worse and worse. The frightened people asked the priest not to bring him any further. Suddenly the racket stopped.Recorded from Mr. McGrath, Ballycarney, Clarina, Co. Limk.
Date 23/03/'38

the man who was listening, was talking to the boy's father. When the boy had told his story, the man said that when the cow would calf to come to him first, and to bring the calf with him. When the cow calved, the man came to the boy's house and put dung in to the calve's mouth. He then told the boy to go over to the woman and bring the calf with him. He said to the boy. "Be in no hurry away and knock around, and you'll see what she will do". The boy obeyed, and after a while the woman got two sugans and tied them from the pot-rack, and began to milk the sugans. Instead of milk coming out, dung came. It is said that if the man hadn't put dung in the calve's mouth, the woman would be able to take the milk by means of witchcraft. From Mrs. O"Reilly, Ferrybridge, Clarina, Co. Limk.Collector - Michael McGrath, Ballycarney, Clarina, Co. Limk.

butter from the people by means of witchcraft. There were four houses near her house, and none of them could make their butter. When the woman used to be working the witchcraft, she used to put boards on her windows, so as the people wouldn't see her. One day a servant girl from one of the houses, chanced to peep in through one of the woman's windows, and what did she see but the woman, and she having sugans tied form the top of the ceilings, and she getting milk from them. The girl told her story to a strange priest, who had come on holidays to the place. "One minute", says he, "and I'll let her know she is not to take the butter". He got the soc of a plough and reddened it in the fire, and left it there. The woman was at this time working the witchcraft, but the minute the soc was reddened, she began to roar, because something hot was coming from the sugans instead of butter. Her roar could be heard in Limerick City. She couldn't let the sugans go.From Mrs. O'Reilly, Ferrybridge, Clarina, Co. Limerick.Collector - Michael McGrath, Ballycarney, Clarina, Co. Limk.

A Ghost.Nolans had land in Kiltemplan. Kiltemplan is about two miles north of the school. There was a ghost in Nolan's one time, and the Priest put him out on the road. Whatever harm he was doing in the land 'twas worse when he was put out on the road, because he would let no one pass. Often 'twas up on the wall he used be, and more times on the road. At length the Priest put him into the Maigue, making sugans of the reeds. He was never seen again.Recorded from Mrs. O'Reilly, Ferrybridge, Clarina, Co. Limk.Collector. Michael McGraath, Ballycarney, Clarina, Co. Limk.

251In the years of 1846 - 1847 there was a great famine in Ireland. The potato crop failed and thousands of people died of starvation. There was a man who lived in Newtownbarry who used to sell porridge to the rich people and he gave it for free to the poor people. In Kilmyshall there was another man who sold Indian meal to the people rich or poor. The crops of potatoes were sowed like you would sow corn. The corps used to be carried on stretchers to their graves. Three corpse's used to be put in one grave and sometimes two according to the way the grave would be made. In these times people from distant countries would send some bags of seed potatoes to the people of Ireland. The potatoes were very small. When the people would be sowing the potatoes they would scatter them along like you would spread corn.
There was a man named Kavanagh who lived in Ballycarney. He had six children. Every morning he used to go away to Newtownbarry with his bag to get food for his wife and children he used to get oaten-meal from "The Reliever

227too. Local fairs were held, and the girls used to dress up and go to the fairs. If a young man had a big farm he expected a girl with a big fortune.R. Masterson
Ballycarney
Information recd.from father
Mr Henry Masterson. Farmer

Extracts from the composition written by Fred Swaine, Ballycarney.Our churn is about sixty years of age.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
When the milk is churned Aunt Mary puts the butter into a wooden affair called a "ceeler" (pronounced Keeler)
The bread is wet with the buttermilk.
Note
The details of this composition are indentical with those written by his brother D. Swaine

271
The Local RoadsThe principal roads round my home are known as the Ferns Road, the Ballyroebuck Road, the Curraduff Road and the Carnew Road. These roads lead respectively from Ballyroebuck to Ferns, back from the Ferns Road through the centre of Ballyroebuck, from the Ballyroebuck Road to Kilrush at Parnells Cross and from Ballyroebuck to Carnew.
I have enquired from my Dad and he says these are all very old roads. The only new road he knows of is the in Ballycarney and it is called the New Line
A boy who comes to this school named Robert Masterson says that his father says that it was made in the time of the Famine to give work

from Doran's Hill and the tramp replied saying that if Cromwell used what skills the Bristol could produce, he would never shell it from there - the only point from which to shell it was Rosemary Hill. Cromwell took the hint and in a couple of hours laid waste to the old castle.
It is believed locally too that fairies are to be seen round the castle and that the head of Dermot McMurrough is to be seen over the door.
There is a room still in the Castle, called "Kathleen's Hole". It is believed that five wives of Dermot McMurrough were put to death there.
There are two underground passages from the Castle, one leading to Killoughy Castle, at the bottom of the town, the other leading to Ballycarney.
During the trouble in 1922 a local man, Mat Pender, was mortally wounded, as he fought with

Court Cross.There was a man who lived near Court Cross, and he used often go to the fair. There were no clocks in olden times, and people used have to go by the cock crowing. One day this man made up his mind to go to the fair in the morning. The cock crew a little too early, but the man arose and got ready. He then proceeded to the fair, and all of a sudden the man saw a soldier in uniform at a bridge near the cross. The soldier asked the man what time was it. The man told him to the best of his ability. The soldier asked the man if he wanted any company. The man said that he didn't. "Well", said the soldier. "I have been waiting here for seven years and I have to wait seven more". Then he disappeared. It is said that if the man agreed to let the soldier accompany him, the soldier would let him have the gold he was guarding.
From Mrs. O'Reilly, Ferrybridge, Clarina, Co. Limerick.Collector - Michael McGrath, Ballycarney, Clarina, Co. Limerick.

iv
On marching through Ballycarney the Yeomen commenced burning the houses and slaughtering the people without mercy. A young girl named Mary Dwyer ran from her house and mounted a Yeomans horse. On each side of the horse was a pistol. She shot seven yeomen and was killed after by a Yeoman near a wind-mill.Written by : Felix Murphy
Address : 12 St. John's Villas
Received from : Grandfather
Address : St. Johns
Age : 70 years
Occupation : carpenter

206Mr. Lawler's house in Newtownbarry. There was such a flood on the River Slaney that a box of herrings and a side of bacon came down the river and landed on Daddy's island in Scarawalsh.
My Aunt Mary brought home the meat and made car-grease out of it.
The lightning killed cattle, sheep and horses, and trees were up-rooted. When my Daddy was coming home from Newtownbarry with a jinnet and car, he was seven hours coming seven miles because the lightning was blinding him.Fred Swaine,
Ballycarney.
Inform. from
Alexander Swaine (See first page)

234has to pay a forfeit - a pencil or some other article. Then two children stand out and the child with the forfeits is blind folded and the other child names something for the owner of the forfeits to do. Then the owner of the forfeit must do whatever he is told.
To play Musical Chairs all the children sit on stools close to each other. Then they move round and round until the music stops. Then they all rush for a chair whoever is left without a chair is "out". A chair is removed and the game goes on till there is only one chair and two players. To pl
R. Masterson
Tomanoole,
Ballycarney
Ferns.

247person whose blood was out of order, They are supposed to be good for rheumatism too. The juice of a dock leaf rubbed on a nettle sting eases the pain. Our teacher remembers a plant called "Rabbit Grass, being used as a cure for children with worms.Robert Masterson.
Tomanoole,
Ballycarney,
Ferns.
Inform. recd. from Henry Masterson (See front page)

274Line was made in the Famine period to give work.Robt Masterson
Tomanoole
Ballycarney
Ferns.Information recd. from
Henry Masterson.

Clarina Castle.Clarina castle is situated about five miles west of Limerick city. It was inhabited by aristocracy down through many centuries. About a hundred years ago, it was owned by Lord Clarina.When Clarina castle was being build, the gentry ordered that the workmen were to work on church holidays. This was done against the priest's will.There was a parish priest in Ballybrown at the time, called father Brown. He was displeased with Lord Clarina's order. He said he would pay a visit to the building on some church holiday. The gentry hearing this ordered the gate of the lodge to be shut. They also ordered the gate-woman not to open the gate for the priest. Father brown came to the gate with his horse, and his whip. He told the gate-woman to allow him in. She said she got orders not to let him in. "All right", he said. "I will go through the gate and through the front and back doors of the building. He pulled out his whip, struck the door and the door bursted open. He rode on 'till he reached the building. The workmen seeing him coming laid down their tools, and said they would not work any more on church holidays. Father Brown looked up at the building and made the following prophecy. "It shall be a massive building, but in a short period the crows shall fly in and out through it. This prophecy came through.Recorded from P.J. O'Reilly, Ferrybridge, Clarina, Co. Limk.Collector. Ml. McGrath, Ballycarney, Clarina, Co Limk.

292The Local ForgeThere are two forges in our parish. Carton's is situated in Ballycarney and Rellis's is situated in Castledockrill. Carton's forge is situated near the cross roads. It is not on the roadside or near streams. There are tatched roofs on both forges. The blacksmiths makes implements for the farmer such as ploughs harrows and other articles.
He also shoes horses asses and mules.
The articles the smith are hammers, bellows, nails, irons, sledges and pinchers.
The people do not send them presents, they give them money.
Rellis's have two bellows in their forge.
There is one fireplace in Rellis's forge. There are two fireplaces in Cartons.
Mr. P Carton has no one working in the forge with him except his son Michael.
Mr. Carton's father was never a blacksmith. This man came from