There was once a man living in the parish of Adamstown. He was married and had one child. When this child was about ten months old, the father began to notice that it was very witty and had some very old sayings and nobody was ever able to make him cry. The father, Tom Murphy was his name, began to think that his child was “no right thing” and began greatly to fear that that it had something to do with the “good people”
One day while Tom Murphy was ploughing he broke some part of it. He went to a lot of forges for miles around but none of the smiths were able to weld it. One morning he got up and told his wife that he would have to buy a new

but St. Peter wouldn't let him in. "You are too bad for this place" say he "and we can't possibly let you in." He then turned and went down to the gate of hell and knocked there. The big devil came out to him. "What's wrong with you" says the devil. "I want to get inside" says he "We can't let you in here says the devil "you're too clever for us." I'll never be able to get out this long dark passage by myself" says the smith. The devil went back and got a wisp of straw and lit it and gave it to him to give him light coming back the dark passage.
He wasn't let into heaven and he wasn't let into hell, so he is now travelling around the world with his wisp of straw, and that is the person that we call "Will-o-the Wisp."

The murderers escaped "scot free" but Purser had "to take to his country" for some time. He was finally brought back by Faulkner of Castletown, another "bad pill" and "limb of the devil" who gave him the best house on the estate, 20 acres of land and built for him a new forge. The smith had chanced his name to Purcell by now, and hoped to escape all the consequences of his fell deed, but murder will out.
There lived in Kellistown on the little farm now occupied by Ireton ( and mentioned on p______ supra) four brothers named Maher - four 6-footers and their sister Biddy. "Biddy Maher and her little skillet", was a bye-word when I was young. Those Mahers were "plantmen" that is they specialised in 'growing' cabbage plants for the markets" ; they also dealt in calves, halters etc and had business "up and down every fair". The got drunk every fair evening and returned home about 4 or 5pm. As soon as they reached the forge the hullabaloo started. They besieged the forge and residence with stones shouting incessantly at top of their voices "Who killed Clowry? " The blacksmith took the precaution to fit all his windows with iron bars after the first assault, I heard such an attack being made repeatedly between 1900 and 1910. It had been going on since 1830, I believe. The Mahers were "land savages". As an example of their

Willie Smith down here, was often telling me, when he was working on the railway. When they were making that railway from Waterford to Rosslare. He was often telling me that all he'd have in the morning was a crust of dry bread and a sup of milk and he'd have to work hard all day on that. At night they'd have a big pot of cutling stirabout and they'd all dip into it.
"And now, Jasus Christ," says he, "I have plenty and I cant ate it - thanks be to God."
He bet all for cursing. But he have plenty now his family is all grown up and doing for themselves.

I saw that his shoes were as red as ever they were when the smith made 'em. I had come so hard from Dublin that his shoes had reddened. I brought the horse to a nearby pond and walked him into it. Well, I declare to God there was a steam come out of the four hooves that you would think it was a ditch of bushes went on fire. I brought in the horse in the stable then and went in to my master with the message. I was just in time with it, and another thing the horse was never better trained. He was the quietest animal ever was from that day until the day he died. My master thought a hell of a lot of me from that day out, on account of me being such a smart fella.
But wait till I tell you what happened after that. When the papers came out the next day there was awful knews

There was always something quare about ould Pether D____ Micky the Smith's brother.
Pether could be above in the room in bed, an' the dure could be closhed down, an sthill he'dbe able ta tell who came in to the forge, no matther how low they'd talk, an' he'd be able ta tell the ind o' a baste they'd have, an fot they'd want, if it was the very firsht time that they came inta the forge.
Then ether times if Micky was outside shoein' a horshe an' anywan ta be inside he'd tell them when the iron's in the fire id be read for ta work, or if there was anywan hittin it wrong he'd be able ta tell it too. People war always puzzled how he could tell these things, sthill no wan had the courage to thry to find out, for they believed that it wastn't right, ta have anything ta do wit him, an' I spose it would never be found out only for fot I'm goin ta tell ye happened

weight but the first time he swung him up the rope broke & the boy groaned. The next time the rope broke again & the boy put his hand to his head & the third time the rope broke but the boy was dead.
Smith Slater was a yeoman & he was shot after at the battle of Ballellis.
Ballellis.
Before Ballellis the rebels told in orange houses around Carnew that they were nearly spent & that their ammunition was all gone
When the yeomen heard this they followed them quickly but they found the road barricaded with

assured. These facts cannot, and must not be published for very evident reasons. I simply record them privately in my capacity as folklorist.
The old priest lingered on for some time. When some of the most ardent of his enemies lost patience they determined to murder him. Three or four masked men appeared in his room one night. Father Clowry asked them as a sp. request not to take his watch, heirloom in the family and "worth a prince's ransom". "It's great company for me at night to hear it ticking there on the post of the bed". They lay hands on him, attacking him with heavy cudgels and left him for dead. In the morning, however, he regained consciousness and spoke as follows : "The blacksmith with the little finger (1) was among those ruffians last night. The day will come when their own people (i.e. the Protestants) will rise against them and drive them out of the place"(1) The little finger on Purser's right hand was not much over one inch in length and about as thick as an ordinary lead pencil. The phenomonon is the direct opposite of elephantisis (medical). Wm Weir of Staplestown, had an ex-black-smith in his service when I was young. I knew him intimately. The thumb of his left hand was about 9 ins long and about 2 1/2 ins in diameter - an evident case of blacksmith's elephantises. His thumbs had all the appearance of a good big cucumber except in colour alone.

The Parish Priest of Murroe had some falling out with Barrington and he said these words and they came true. There is no Barrington there now, not to talk of an heir. A hare will never enter the lands of Ballymackeogh. If the hounds were chasing a hare and if they drove her as far as the bounds of Ballymackeogh she'd turn back into the field and face the dogs sooner than cross the bounds.
Mr Quirke: "That's a fact".
M. Flood: (on request) The first of the Barringtons was a copper smith in Cromwell's army. Often in times gone by when Barrington and his tenants were at loggerheads the villagers and the people from around used to parade the street up and down beating candlesticks, pans and everything made out of brass. Barrington knew very well what they meant. That used to drive him mad. They were a bad lot; terrible hard on the tenants. There was one of them who was very fond of poitín. If a case was brought before him of a man caught making poitín he'd fine him all right, but he'd pay the fine himself.
The last 'Sir' was 'Sir Charles Barrington. His daughter used to go about with an officer of the TANS. She was shot dead one day sitting beside him. The father sold out and went to live in England - the Castle and lands are now in the possession of the Belgium Fathers who have an

was complainin' greatly o' the toothache. Micky said that he had a cure, an that the cure was that he'd tie a string to his tooth, and the other end o' it to the anvil, an that he'd say some prayers o' his own, for that there was a cure in the anvil for toothache.
The old man of courche believed him, an' he allowed him tie his tooth to the Anvil, an' when Micky got it well fastened, he took up his sledge, hammer, an' he swore out a big oath that if he didn't clear out of the forge wit his ould rotten tooth, that he'd have his life.
The poor old man got such a fright, as that he made a jump backwards, with the result that he jerked the string, an' the tooth came out.
Micky the Smith laughed loud an' long over the affair, but the poor ould man wasnt so happy, for his tooth kep' bleedin; for the besht part o' the night

“Big Tree”. There was also a village in Kearns’s Park. But the Scotch and English Settlers came and settled on the land from which the poor Irish were evicted by their Protestant Landlord. The foundations of the old houses were cleared away.
The poor evicted Irish families moved into the bogs where they built themselves huts – many of them died during the famine, or went to America on the Free Immigration”.
“Even in my own day”, he said, “I saw a forge worked by a Black Smith, named Gannon, who lived with his two sisters – Peter Groarke's house – a house owned by a man named Fury. Fury killed bullock calves – buying the bullock calf for a few shillings and sold veal at a profit to the Country people.
I was present when Fury came one day to Corlack to buy a fine bullock…

a boy. About a dozen houses scattered promiscuously, no two together & main [?] pf houses in all directions. No rent, rates, nor taxes. Old houses built of mud - kitchen & room with cáilleog over lattes.
Light: Rushes in common use when my father, a boy. It was one of his tasks to procure rushes from the bog, so many times per week. One strip of the bark left on the peeled rush. dipped in grisset & fixed in "Rush-stick" when lighted. Skillet [?] for small pot,
Cattle: the only cure or preventative wh. I positely remember is the hanging up in the chimney of the quorter of a calf which died of black quorter or black leg as a preventative against the recurrence of the malody. I saw this done often & I have counted dozens of shanks hanging within the chimneys of old walls, grim phantoms of famine days & crowbar brigades
Common belief in Carlow that the spirits of the bad re-appear as dogs. Cf. the spectr hound of Brown's Hill Tools, the spann - four [?] Fork & the feac, ordinary garden spade & even the word "mideog", large 'dangerous looking' knife
Potatoe-Oniois: Set the shortest day of the year & pull the longest. Grain sown as near as possible to St Patrick's Day & reaped 14 or 16 August if possible. Shrubs & slips will grow any month with a R in it. Smith Rick Purser carried on extensive foundry work in Castletown force down to 1903. Many a night I sat up watching the furnaces belching flames & smoke. I even had a little foundry of mine own - molten lead being the metal I used.

Rourke had his forge down at the bridge of Ballytore. There is no trace of his bothan or of the forge now, but you can see the little plot on your right hand side as you go south.
He made all the pikes for the boys for the Fenian rising, and his wife used to work the sledge when there was no wan in.
When the rising was over all the pikes were thrown into the river at
and the smith was arrested. He was a good, loyal man - the man had wan love, God be good to him always said so. He was carried down to Limerick Gaol. They put him in a bone cold cell & tied him to the floor. They sprinkled flour & meal over him and eft the rats to eat him but he wouldn't 'stag' on any of the boys. After a long term he was let out and he was a broken man. He was never able to do a hand's turn after. You must remember a son of his who used to work for Conn Gabha in Doon. There is a fine candlestick with a place for a candle or a rush over at Crotty's. It was the old man that made that, the light of Heaven to his soul.
Tá an {?} ag fagháil fás. Togfad sa pictúir de ar bhall.

The hob of the forge, cad eile? It seems that he brought his own iron with him and bags of charcoal and his own smiths, too. Maybe ", says she with a smile that "The Blacksmith of Limerick " lies among 'em. When I was young I often heard the Buckley's saying it was on Bogs Buckley's farm - I often heard them saying that they used to dig up lots of iron and charcoal where the horses were shod.
Sarsfield was walking along the river near Poll an Eas' that night and had only barely time to step behind a tree when two English officers passed. They had a camp at the ford in Caher-na h-Aille.
Galloping Hogan brought in word on the following evening that all was well and they started for Cullen. There were two Hogans among the Raparees - one true and one false.
"We'll lead", says the Galloper to Sarsfield don't come up with us until you hear the shot.
Hogan and his kinsman started off ahead and when they got to Pope's River, the kinsman said Now is our chance to make a poltóg of money. How? says G. Hogan. "By betraying Sarsfield, cad eile

crooked at them or they would ram you into prison. They were very hard on the poor. If you were a penny short on the rent, out you went and often too when the rent was paid, bedad.They'd drive on top of you if you didn't keep out of the way. They planted al the trees in Dundrum and built the great house where the nuns are now. They'd only allow one public house in Dundrum and one shop of any kind - one smith, one carpenter, one tailor and so on, and the publican couldn't put up his own name Furlong. He had to put 'Haywarden(i) & Arms' over his door instead of his own name (Furlong) The 'Rookeries ' of the estate were famous until the time of Sir Thomas Maud, the Maud who grew a tail."' MAUD, MOLL DUNLEA and JACK LONERGAN
Maud was on the jury that found Father Sheehy guilty. The priest was arrested for swearing in Whiteboys but that was only a mar dheadh of a story. They wanted to do for him at any costs and they rigged up that charge against him but he was as innocent as the child unborn. Moll Dunlea was a common woman of the roads and Jack Lonergan was a young foolish lad. These were the 2 principal witnesses against Father Sheehy. They got Moll married to Jack to make a respectable married woman out of her. So she appeared in the witness-box as Mrs Jack Lonergan .[(i) One of the Mauds became Lord Haywarden]
"Haywarden &Arms" perhaps.

buy in "hapurths" or pennyworths in any shop, for the makin o' the resin candles.
It would have to be melted in a tin vessel, called a candle-boat, (because it was shaped somethin like a boat.) an' yid dhraw along a piece o' a rag in it, (usually the remains o' a calico or a linen shirt or sheet) Yid keep dhrawin' it along in it, until there'id be enough resin on the rag, then it would be let cool. If there was a very thick candle wanted ye could dip it agin in the resin when it was cool an' so get an exthra coat on.
These candles war fairly lashtin' but there ushed ta be a bad smell o' them, an' they ushed ta spatther a lot file they war burnin'.
The rush candles warn't much use it all, they'd only lasht file wan id be atin their supper or so. The rush was peeled, all ta wan little thin sthripe, that was left for lightin, an' it was dipped in any kind o' fat, sometimes melted butther was ushed. The fat could be melted in the candle-boat, jusht the same is for the resin candles.
The candle-sthicks in oulden times war usually made by the black-smith, iron holders an' sthems to them, an' wooden bosses.

There was a man livin in Curlisheen at that time, an' he had a nice black horshe, an' he never worked him too hard, but fot ushed ta puzzle him was that he could never knock any longer out o' a set o' shoes, than a cupla days. O courche that was solid robbery Ora Boboo who could be keepin' sets o' shoes on a horshe an' him kickin' them off at that rate, an fot was quarer sthill every mornin' when he'd g'out to the field he'd find the horshe in his laddhers o' sweat, an' he' be like is if he was fatigued out afther a journey.
That bushiness went on for a good file until this evenin' begorry, if he doesn't go to the Smiths to get a set o' shoes on the horshe, an' is he was sthandin waitin in the forge for his turn, if another man didn't come in. They war sthandin chattin' for a while, when the nexht thing was if Pether didn't spake down out o' the room, an' sez he to the lasht man that came in "Will ye lend me yer horshe for tonight."
"Fot di ye want o' him?" the man asked
"I want ta go a bit o' a journey wit him, maybe beyant Mayo" sez Pether.
Well thats that sez the man you won't get him.

ushed ta take him for many a ride over the countrhy durin' the night, an' lave him back agin nexht mornin an' they gave him a special power for himsel in the line o' Smith work.
It was always said round here, that Micky, that was his brother was very good, but anything that Micky washtn't able to do Pether always did it for him. An' wan day its said a man came in to Micky, an he asked him ta do a rather awkard job for him wit a bit o' iron. Micky tuk the piece, an' he looked at it all over, an' heated it in the fire, an' done his besht to make a job o' it, but it seems, it failed him, because he jusht left down the piece o' iron on the anvil, an' walked out.
Pether who was lyin in the room is every wan thought sound ashleep, the minnit Micky went out on the dure up he got, and down to the forge wit him, an' he got at the bit o' iron, an' he had a job made out o' it while yid be winkin.
The man who owned the piece o' iron went out ta tell Micky that the job was done, an' if he didn't find him cryin' for all he was worth, an' lamentin' that he washtn't able ta do it.
Pether when he came in only laughed at him, an' tould

There is one Cooper in Taghmon. He makes battells, churns, Keeler for the farmers around the district. He's a cavel cross man. Tome war brought him of a barrell war wenil and he thought to end him, he had to go away again he would do it for him.
Saddler two saddler. Cullens of Fitzgeralds
Carpenter Farlmp - Father and Thou
Sons.
Undertaker. one: Ned Roahford
Smiths two: Kelly + Carlon
Cobbler. (Shoemaker) four: Kendrick, Walsh, Fox, Furlong.
Tailor one: Patk Pinder.
Thatchers two: Patk blurray, Patk Cullen.
Mason two: Hayes + Martin
Butchers four: Carrolls: Loughlin: Wards whitty.
(Wards are butchers in Taphmon for over 100 years.)

Sgéal faoi Bhainríon na BruighneRec. 829B. Bhí fear fadó agus fadó bhí, agus bhí sé ag im-
eacht oíche agus thainic sé ag a’ tigh seo, áit a ru
nurse a dtugach siad Nurse Smith uirthi. Bhuail
sé ag a’ dorus agus dúirt sé leithe eirí. {y os cionn ei} D’eiri
sí. "Cé tá insin?" adúirt sí.
"Tá mise," adeir sé: "eiri go beó! agus thar i n-
éindí liom."
Ghléas sí suas í héin, agus gho (.i. ghabh) sí amach.*"Tá Cáit cáillte le deich mbliana. Bhí an-sgéalta
aici, agus is uaithe fuar Tomás an méid atá aige héin,
adeir sé liom.