Skittles.
This is another game which used to be played very much in this locality. This is how it is played. Five bits of sticks would be got about two inches long and about an inch and a half in diameter. These five sticks would be put standing on the ground in the following manner. Then there would be five bigger pieces of sticks got. These would be about nine inches in length and about two inches in diameter. A man or boy would get these five sticks in his hand and goes seven yards from the place

About eighty years ago when I was going to school they used to have what was called the "Pass". If you wanted leave to go out the "pass" would would be hanging on the wall, 'twas a bit of timber about six inches long and two or three inches wide, and you'd have to bring that with you, and when you'd come back hang it on the wall again.

He then plunged into the water and swam away through the raging foam. Jack remained behind the wall of sand and watched the tide coming nearer. After about half an hour it was within a foot of the wall and there was still no sign of the brown horse coming back. Jack was beginning to feel a little uneasy when he saw the tide coming high the edge of the wall. It was now within a couple of inches of the top and there was still no sign of the horse. One inch now, and no horse coming! Jack began to tremble. He didn't care whether the brown horse got the red mare and the three foals or not, all he was afraid of was that his faithfull friend would be drowned. The water was now at the very top of the wall, and Jack had to take

When Mannix came to live over there in Downing - these last Spring - all his cows were dead on the inch wan morning when he came down. They found the roots of the Pharsee weed in them - the weeds they used to use to cure Pharsee in horses. When I was telling Jim (my husband) about it: "Right [?] says he, "'twas often I picked a bundle of it in that same inch for ould Tom Brien." He used to cure it for everyone around the place. He used to [?] the way up and mix with and porter through it - something else. 'Twas always in that glen they used to pick it.

marking parish boundary. I give another showing the limits of the S.W. corner of Cappawhite parish where it 'meres' with Sologhead parish (Sulchóid, famous in history even from days of Cú Chualann who was subjected to the indignity of Ceangal na gcúig gcaol there at the hands of Cú Rí of Cathair Con Rì; also scene of great defeat of Danes by Brian Ború; and last but not least, the place where the first shot was fired in the Black and Tan War.The boundary of the Farm - Ditch or River? Map traced from 25" O.S. map (A.D.1903). River marked blue. Ditch on west of river is in east ditch of one of my fields. You will notice a little "inch"(ins') near the bridge between my ditch and the river. Since 1903, as the river is again meandering to the east, this 'inch' has increased three-fold. Who owns it? My neighbour owns it. This matter was 'threshed out' in the courts by my predecessor who lost his suit. Therefore the boundary is

Get a bit of snare about eighteen inches or two feet long, and make a loob on the top big enough for his head (the trouts). Put the lub very gently over his head with your right hand and scratch him on the back gently with the other while you're doing it.

Davy Cosgrove trapped a flea wan night
Upon his scut
It measured fourteen inches long
The length of the "Cuidéil's" foot
Joaney got the pot stick and Davy got the shears
And they split the louse's temple six long inches from his ears"Cuidéil" was a nickname was on another fellow in Camross

The talley was a bit of a "dale" stick to keep an account things. It was mostly used at threshing. Is mom was paid that time according to the number of sheave lad thresh. About one hundred and fifty (150) sheaves, was the general run, a man would thresh is a day; and 'twas a great man note: a man would thresh about 200 sheaves of outs on barley, and about 150 sheaves of wheat. Entirely would thresh two hundred. The Talley who a square stick, of "dale", about a foot long, not more than eighteen inches; and the man would must a watch corner for every sheaf lid thresh. The stick used be kept in the house until it was fill of notches then they'd get another. The people weren't able to read or write in the days same as now, It is over lightly, or a hundred years ago since they were used. I never heard tell of it being used in the national schools around here.

There is a man living in Mayglas by the name of Thomas Barnwell. He is eighty seven years of age. He was coming home from Wexford one night about sixty years ago, and he stopped to take a drink at a well. When he was done drinking he stood up and he saw a black object in the ditch beside him. It was about four feet in height. It was something like a man, but it had paws instead of feet, and they were as big as saucers. It had a great big open mouth, and great big teeth and it's tongue was out six or seven inches over the teeth. The moment Thomas Barnwell laid eyes on this object he was made stone blind and he was also as deaf

Years ago there was an ould man by the name of Murphy Waking in a barn at his own home. At that time all the wakes were held in barns. That is seventy or eighty years ago. Well, this was a very bad night. There was snow about six inches thick on the ground.
After the midnight Rosary all the relatives of the dead man went into the house and there was no one left in the barn but a few young men from the neighborhood. Those chaps played tricks and told yarns for a long time, as then they got tired and decided they'd go home. They did mind a damn if the corpse were left alone or not.
Anyways wan [?] Goy, said they'd take the ould man off the table. They walked him out through the snows, and left him outside

Potatoes -the width of a drill is generally twenty-eight inches.
The manure is put out first in heaps, the it is spread out along the furrows.
When farmers are busy they do what is called "sliding on them. That is they put down the seed and just put a light shake of clay on them with a shovel and leave them so. When he has time then the farmer spreads the manure over the seed. All the farmers keep the seed potatoes in little timber boxes with handles on them like handle of basket, and store them up and leave them shoot. Before they sow them they put them out under the sun for a few days to harden the sprouts. They bring the seed boxes out to the headland. Each box would hold about a weight of potatoes. They scarcely ever cut the potatoes into [?], but pick out the middle sized ones and sow them whole.

Childrens games.
Taws.
This is a very interesting game for young boys. Any number of boys can play this game from two to twelve. This is how it is played. There are three holes made in the ground about an inch and a half deep and about as wide on the top as a penny. These holes are about a yard and a half apart in a straight line. Well say now that three boys are playing this game. There is a "tip" made about a couple of yards from the first hole, and one of the boys "fire" the first taw in the direction of the first hole. Perhaps he is lucky enough to get into the hole. Then he is allowed to take the taw out of the hole and "bit" on the brink of the hole so as

Another game played at wakes long ago was putting out the coincall candle, but they use the Irish word when referring to the game.A bit of a candle would be put on the floor, a candle about three inches in length and it lighting. Then a person would stand with his back to it and get a broom and shove it in between his legs and try and put out the candle with the end of it of course his back is turned and he can't see what he is doing. The fun goes on with the onlookers when he is trying to put it out for some times he would be prodding away with the broom end and he not within a foot of the candle.

half of hangman's mercy. Two ounces of jailors pity. The wit of a weasel the wool of a frog twentyfour ounces of last novembers fog. A bundle of tailors trimmings, 3 feet 4 inches in circumference, well boiled in the bottom of a wooden iron skillet over a slow stone fire, and reduced to one single dram, well stirred with a hen's tooth and a cat's feather. Give him a taste- spoonful of it at night on the top of a windy ditch and he won't be one bit better in the morning.These are some of the mummers rhymes. I will write the rest of them later on in the end of the book. S.G.

themselves were young and could lift it when they were seventeen years of age! Anyhow all the people for miles around were looking forward to the threshing day, and there used be great fun when people would be resting. Another famous way people had of testing each other's strength was by getting a piece of a stick about a foot and a half in length and about an inch and a half in diameter. Then the two men would sit down on the ground facing each other and their feet together and the stick resting between the toes of their boots. Then both of them would catch the stick in their hands and they would pull. This is a very heavy game on the back and it is also very dangerous. They would pull three times and whoever would be able to pull the other up twice out of the three times would be the

was a very bad move they had made alright. He wrote back and told her that the old woman wouldn't live much longer and do her best This went on between them for long enough but there was still no sign of the old woman dying. One day the old woman was up in the bedroom and didn't she happen on one of the letters from her husbands girl in England! She understood then the whole affair and she vowed to her that one penny of her money or one inch of her farm of land would he ever get. She lived for two years more and then it was plain to be seen that her end was near. So she sent for the solicitor to come and settle her accounts. He came and done the job and departed, and soon after this she died. When

"There was a boy of the Doherty's sick over at the Inch (.1.) [?] na Saub). He was very bad this day & they sent for the knowledgable man & he said that the boy would die except they got a drink for him out of a certain well The drink was to be taken out of the well before sun-rise. Bill Ryan, an uncle to the man that was here, said he'd go & get the drink. Howsoever he rose early on the morrow. When he went to the field, it was full of men hurling. He knew some of them - neighbours, that was dead some time. Some of them were friendly to him & some of them didn't want him at all. Over comes my bold Larry Forman & puts the camán in Bill's hand. Up with him like a man & between the hopping & the [?] he puts out the goal. He takes the vessel out of his pocket & gets drink of water & the boy lived. He grew to be a big brave man. I knew him well.

Tobacco.
________Long ago in this county when ould men would be without tobacco, they would always have something else to depend upon. They would cut down a few bushes, and bring them home and trim all the green parts off 'em and preserve the stumps. These would then be brought in to the house and put up close to the fire and left there for a couple of days. We'll say that there are about half a dozen of 'em in it, and they are about two feet long and an inch and a half in thickness. They are placed beside the fire about a foot away from it and left there for a couple of days. During this time they are turned three or four times and then there is a big knife got and an edge put on it and then all these are peeled, that is the bark of them is taken off and placed on a board out in the yard to dry with the sun. This is what puts the flavour of the tobacco off it. If it wasn't

to themselves that they would have a roal feed at the wake. When all hands had got their supper and the Rosary was said and all the woman cleared away these fellas all crowded around the fire and they wondered what the dickens they would fry the mushrooms on. They said the would put them on the greeshick, but some of the company did not agree to that. They went outside to see if they could find anything there What did they find only a large sprong in a boil house outside. This sprong was used for loading potatoes and the tags of it were no more than about an inch apart; and it was about as big as a potatoe basket. They brought in this saying that it was a right yoke for the purpose for when they would be cooked there would be no difficulty in getting them off the fire.
There were two old

so they did their besht ta coax him along wit them for they didnt like ta turn back, without findin' anything afther comin' such a disthance.
No coaxin' however 'id make him go a sthep further He jusht lay down before them. The Revenue men when they saw that got [?] an' stharted ta tear the clothes o' him, but it was no good, he wouldn't get up, so they tuk every sthitch off him, an' they took out their knives, an' they cut them up is small us that ye wouldn't get wan half inch square o' cloth in the whole pile, an' they'd have ripped him open, only that a name sake o' me own, a Sergeant Hynn happen ta be kindlin' his pipe along the hedge at Shralahan an' he saw them at work wit the knives, an' he came is far is them, an' he tould them not to do any murdher. They then let the spy go, an' he had ta clean in his bare pelt, is far is a tailor who lived not far away, an' the tailor sewed him up in a sack cloth, for he wouldn't give him a decent bit o cloth an' the sort o' an ould thraitor that he was. It was the lasht bit o' spyin that he did too, for neither the Revenue nor the people had any respect for him.