The village at Avoca was always called Newbridge up to some years ago, when it was changed to Avoca. There must have been no village here before the bridge was built. In olden times there was a ford lower down the river between Balanagh and Castlemacadam. This was on the ancient highway from Dublin to Wexford. Cromwell and his soldiers crossed by this ford in 1690 that is nearly two hundred and fifty years ago, when they destroyed the castle. The river that flows through the valley from the Meetings to Arklow is called the river Avoca from which Avoca got its name.Avoca was a very prosperous place in old times with two mines working sulphur copper and ochre. It employed upwards a thousand men and had its market called the rock market. The miners had a football team which won all before them, and had their own fife and drum band.Avoca has a great many beauty spots such as the Mottie stone from which you could see Wales on a clear day. Also the Bellrock so called because a bell used to ring to bring the miners to work. There are a good many old families living around Avoca yet, and the Banshee cries when any member of the family is going to die. There is a nice big church R.C. (?) which the miners built

The Misses Wynnes of Tigroney, Avoca, own a Woolen Mills. It is called the "Avoca Handweavers". They make their own Dyes from Moss. They buy the wool from Farmers around and also from other places. Rugs, Blankets and Scarves are made, also

Scarcely a day passes by but some tramp or another comes to the door. The nickname of one of them is "Sweet Vale of Avoca". He earns his living by going around from house to house singing a song about the river Avoca. That is why they nicknamed him, "Sweet Vale of Avoca". He is a native or Roscommon. There are also other tramps namely Butt Mc Hugh, Paddy Hehir or as he is nicknamed, "Paddy fine day", a man called Paddy Savage, and many other tramps. These tramps earn their living by selling flowers and going around begging for food and alms.
There are other people called gipsies. These people are used to open air life, and sleep in tents and in caravans. These people earn their living by selling tarpaulin and making tables, chairs, baskets and artificial flowers. The way they make the artificial flowers is by buying coloured papers. They then get a piece of wire and wind it around the coloured paper and make it into the shape of flowers. They then make a stick of straw and put the flowers into it, and bring them around and sell them at one penny each. They have different coloured flowers. The red flowers are in honour of the Sacred Heart and the yellow ones in honour of

Mr Doyle, Rosslare; Mr Barr, Master Pettit, Rathmore and Master Codd, Mayglass sustained serious injuries. The first meeting of Wexford and Wicklow took place at Avondale in 1886, when Wexford were victorious, winning four matches, losing one, and bringing off a draw in another.
On Sunday Dec 4th 1887 at Mauldintown. Oulart Wexford were pitted against Avoca Wicklow, and the encounter proved the best match of the day. The activity and scientific play of Avoca could scarcely be excelled, while the dash and charge of the men from historic Oulart would have been irresistible to a team of less stamina than Avoca. Throughout the entire match the play was very fast and well spread over the field. Eventually one of the finest games that could be witnessed ended in a draw both sides having two points to their credit. The teams were Oulart P. Fortune (captain) W. Fortune (goal) Myles Sinnott, L Prendergast, P Quirke, Nick Murphy, J Fortune, J Pender, Jas Kinsella, L Pender, M Fitzgerald, D Doyle, J Doyle, J Martin, J Leary, J Hayden, Tim Kelly,

In Avoca we have a mill called Avoca Hand Weavers. They make some beautiful tweeds and blankets. Tourists coming to Avoca from all parts visit the mill, and leave large orders for those lovely tweeds. I have seen on the paper costumes made in Paris from those tweeds. At present there are about thirty or forty men employed in the mill. Later they expect to employ many more as they are extending their premises.Miss Wynn the owner of the mill has also formed a toy making class for girls and boys. They make some lovely toys such as ducks, donkeys,, and leprecauns etc from the products of the mill. They also make baskets, panniers, and mats etc with rafia grown in their own gardens. They send them to shows such as the Spring show, the Dublin horse show, and, An Aonach Nudlaig which is held in the Mansion House Dublin generally a short time before Christmas. This Industry is a great help to the district.

near Wheatley's farm. Reputed to be haunted. Also called 'The Druids Circle'. People claim to have seen lights here at night - small twinkling lights. This is never tilled or cultivated in any way and has never been investigated as far as is known locally.
The Castle. Name of Mr. Lev Greenes homestead in Castlemacadam. In bygone days a castle stood near the site of this house. A family of MacAdam or Adam lived here in the castle & so the townland got it's name - Castle mac adam.
Behind the house is a wall running down to Old Castlemacadam graveyard. This wall was built of stones taken from the ruins of the old castle - no trace of which is visible now. Mrs Greene owns an iron canon ball - about the size of an orange found in the old ruins, and up to recently had a button inscribed either Avoca Militia or Castlemacadam Militia, with a certain date inscribed on it. This button cannot be found now. Five generations of Mrs Greenes relations - Tukes - have lived in this house. The family - this branch of it - has practically disappeared now.
This account was given by Mrs. Mary Greene, The Castle, Avoca. Summer of 1934. Age about 47 years. Born & reared in Castlemacadam House, Avoca.

There is a holy well in the Townland of Tigroney Avoca, called the well under the rock. Its about a mile from the Vale of Avoca. The water in this well is remarked for its coldness even the hottest day in Summer the water is as cold as ice. It never goes dry. There is supposed to be a lot of cures for sickness in this well. It is said that in 98 a party of Irish soldiers and a priest happened to be passing along by the place. They could find no water, the priest seeing this stone pulled up his horse at it, and dismounted and in a few minutes a well sprung. Up to the present day the mark of the horse's foot and the priest can be seen very plainly on the stone.

There are many mountain roads in this district and each one has a name of its own. The principal road of them all is the Lodge Road which leads to AvocaWe have also The Back Road, The Mine Road, The Spink and The Glebe Road. The Lodge Road is very level and sheltered. It begins at Conary cross roads and ends at the green. There is a crossroads at the green. One road goes down to the White Bridge, the other to Avoca and the other to Castle Howard.The road leading to Castle Howard is called The Spink. The Spink is very stony and rough. It is not a very good road for cars to travel on. The Back Road is alo very stony and rough. It is called The Back Road because there are three roads together and it is at the back of them all. The Back road leads to Avoca and it also leads to Castle Howard. They named the lander because in olden times there used to be a lander that carried the water across the scunts. The Mine Road is also a very rough and stony road and bad for cars to travel on.December 13th 1938

Piper's Corner. about 1 fur. N.W. of school. Entrance gate to field a car road of Griffin's land. No certain reason for name given except hint of pipes heard at times.
The Black Dog: House on Woodenbridge Road. Reported haunted by a black dog - locals would rather not be alone here at night. Now (April 1936) inhabited by Esmond family. Friends of Hood's, River View Hotel - Avoca, claim to have had an experience with this dog one night late when walking from Arklow.
The Bell Rock. Halfway between Avoca village & 'Meetings'. One reason given for such a name being that a hollow sound like the far off tolling of a bell is heard when one stamps heavily in certain places on top of this rock. Some say in a vague way that this rock had some connection with Penal Days.
The Mottie Stone. A large rock - 9' or 10' high - on a summit of one of the Conary Hills about 2 miles from Avoca. A man who lives near here (Mottie Stone) mentioned that marine moss was discovered growing around this rock. cannot get any reason for name.
The Spink. A hill near Mottie Stone, in townland of Tigroney or Cherrymount.
The Round O. A raised circular mound from 2'-3' high, level & flat inside circle, near the townland of Killeagh

Story.
About 12 years ago Bill Leeso was going home to Templelusk from Avoca on night. He was driving a side-car for Martin Byrne, -The Fountain Bar-Avoca, that day, but was walking home. some say he had drink taken but whatever happened he came home minus the greater part of his hair & what remained was snow white. he said something frightened him at Jones' but he could not say what it was. They searched for the missing hair in vain. this man died a few years ago.

StoriesA poor man went to a farmer's house one day, and asked the woman of the house for an alms
The woman said "I have nothing to give you except potatoes. Will you take them?". The poor man replied "i will mum". The woman then said "Perhaps you don't care to eat them. We are protestants". "Oh, yes mum, I will take 'um home and boil the d_ out of them and then we can ate them" replied the poor man.A tramp mason, was one day walking through the Vale of Avoca. He went into a public-house and said to the publican "What is the name of this place" The publican replied "The Vale of Avoca. Go up the hill there and you can see the district about which Moore wrote in

about half an hour in each house. They sleep around in hay barns. They ask for alms and if you had not a few coppers for them they would ask you for something to eat. Sometimes we give them their dinner. Old Barrett has an ass and car because he is not able to walk all the way as he is lame. They tell a lot of stories in the houses. If Cracked Mary met a child on the road she would beat her. Mich the Potato got his name on account of being always dancing and asking for potatoes as a reward. Sweet Vale of Avoca got his name because he is always singing Sweet Vale of Avoca.Cracked Nell is very cross. If anyone teases her she curses them. She comes to the school very often and the teacher always gives her silver because she asks for help in Irish,
"Tabhair dom rud éigin ar son Dé". She says them "Go raibh aoibhneas na flaitheasa agat" and "Go méaduigh (?) Dia do stór"John Danaher comes once a year at Christmas. He has a jennet and car and sells flowers, buckets and little tables he makes.

The tramps that used to travel the village of Coonagh were Sweet Vale of Avoca, Thomas Barrett, Law Loughlin and Matty Kane.
Sweet Vale of Avoca used to go around the village every Monday and go from house to house singing the "Meeting of the Waters". He used to get a penny or twopence in every house. When the people of the house would not have a penny to give him they would take him in and give him a cup of tea.
Tom Barrett used to come round on a Sunday. He used only go to the farm-house when the dinner would be over and he would get the leavings. He used to drive round in an ass and cart and when he would be going home he used to get a "beart" of hay for his ass from each farmer
Matty Lane and Law Loughlin used to drive around in an ass and cart both of them selling oranges.

The local fairs are held in Arklow, Gorey, Tinahely, Aughrim and Avoca. There is a fair held in these towns every month. Sometimes

Cross Teigue Tigue. Bend & corner in road beyond Hills of Ballinapark. Here on the left hand side of the road are two stone pillars used as gate posts - leading into a field owned by Mr Dick Steadman from Mill House Woodenbridge. On each of these posts crosses are cut as illustrated and Cross Tigue cut out in the stone. [sketch]. The story is told locally that an encounter occurred here between Irish & English troops in the days of Vinegar Hill & the Wexford Rebellion. On the right hand side of the road is a nook - dry in summer but full of water, rushes & mud in winter. [sketch]. In this nook those killed in the encounter are said to have been interred.
St.Brigid's Well. Name given to a well on entrance avenue to Avoca Manor. No pilgrimage to this well.
The White Well. Field & well - Parknashaw farm owner by Mr John Griffin (74). Spring well drained by stream, flows past dwelling house. Well never known to have run dry. When other wells dry up in summer many draw water from this. Once surrounded by white stones.
This account given by Thomas Griffin - farmer Parknashaw, Avoca (32)(1936). Born & reared in Parknashaw.

The Conary mines are situated about three miles from Avoca. The Tigroney mines which are a part of the Conary mines over look the Vale of Avoca. A great many shafts and levels can still be seen in these mines and some of them are over 100 fathoms deep. The deep level runs from Cronebane to the White Bridge at the Meetings, it would be about 2 1/2 miles long.Hundreds of people worked in the mines and many of them were killed. It is wonderful how men risked their lives to earn a (lively hood)livelihood, they had to go down ladders placed one after another and secured to the side of the shaft until they reached the bottom. They carried a bunch of tallow candles fastened by a cord to the belts and a lighted candle in each mans hand. They went up along the level and as they went along they put in sets of timber to keep the sulphur from falling in on them.Some of them had to hack their way along before they could get room for each set of timber. More places were too hard to hack down. They had to bore a hole in the

Many fairs are held in this district. They are all monthly fairs. The names of the places where they are held are Avoca. Al. Arklow. Aughrim. Rathdrum and Wicklow.The Avoca fair is held on the street. It starts at Mr Johnsons shop and ends opposite the station The beasts that are sold and bought in the fairs are cattle. horses. sheep. pigs. calves, and bons.The cattle. horses. sheep and calves are generally kept in the yard near the station. and the pigs and bons are kept on the street in creels The Aughrim fair is also hald on the street.The Rathdrum fair is held on the fair green It is a very good thing to have a fair green or a field for the fair. There are two greens one for the cattle. horses. sheep. and calves. and another for the pigs. and bons The small calves. the pigs and the bons are brough to the fair in creels.

The Motto Stone is situated on the top of Cronebane hill overlooking the Vale of Avoca and the meetings of the waters. The hill is flat on the top. It is one of the largest stones in Ireland.

Whoever wrote it wrote it well but the same is written on the gates of hell.
A traveller while journeying along barefooted in the Vale of Avoca. He could not get any lodgings or anything to eat. He sat down very tired on the side of the road and he composed the following verse:
"Sweet Vale of Avoca John Moore
called you sweet ,
but if Tom had to travel twenty miles in his bare feet, and stay out all the night without blanker or sheet
He would not give a pin where the bright waters meet."

A match was played in eighteen eighty six in Johnstown. Wicklow and Wexford played. Wicklow won by three points to one point. Johnstown and Avoca played a match in eighteen eighty nine, it was a draw, eight points each. There is a song about that game.
Johnstown and Avoca who met at Avondale.
Johnstown had young Mooney who made goalman tremble.
For he fought, fought with foot and hand.
Johnstown won the re-play by one goal and five points to naught.
Johnstown won a match with Avondale by ten points to two goals.
A big ball was (made) used. The goal-space was marked by goalposts.