There is a tradition that this good old man met his death under suspicious circumstances. He had been called to attend a Catholic servant who was dying in Parteen House, then owned by a Protestant landlord. When leaving the house the owner invited him to have a drink which the priest accepted. He died on the avenue on the way out and the suspicion as to his sudden death rests on that proferred drink, beforehand. He is buried at Cragg churchyard, where a large flat stone marks his grave. After his death Birdhill was united to Newport and Killoscully to Ballinahinch.

well and they would be cured. The water was flowing from the trunk of a tree. Sometimes they would leave a stone or a medal or a picture in thanksgiving for being cured.
There is a holy well in Cragg Birdhill it is next to a graveyard. There was a Saint buried there long ago. A great many people go there for cures when there is anything wrong with them. There is a fish in the well and when a person is cured the fish would appear to them. When the people go there they leave a medal or a cross or a beads or some other thing. You would have to go eight or nine times to the well and you would have to do certain rounds to get cured. There is a holy well near Nenagh it is about half a mile outside the town. A great many people go there for cures also.
There is a well below

they burned but for this work the weather should be fine and the turf plentiful.
I have been told in those days one would get limestone enough to make 20 loads of lime (5 barrels to the load) for £1.
The lime lime now is all drawn burned from the big kilns. The nearest to this place are at O'Briens Boherbawn on the road to Nenagh , one at Malley's, Barna between this place and Birdhill.

In olden times treasures were hidden from time to time in the locality. Tradition tells us that Cromwell buried a heap of gold under Mr. Going's[?] castle in Cragg, which is about two miles south-east of Birdhill village. It is said that some of the old inhabitants of the surroundings dreamt that the money was hidden under the castle and that they made an attempt to unearth it. The story tells us that three men went one night to the exact spot where the treasure was supposed to have been hidden according to the interpretation of their dreams, and fully armed with the necessary implements began their work of excavation. They got got on all right until they came in contact with a flag, then a fully armed horse-soldier appeared on the scene, and threatened to take their lives. After that a peculiar kind of dog ran round them and began to bark furiously. A hurricane then blew with full force and scattered the men in all directions. Their hats were afterwards found three or four miles

About four years ago five young lads from Killaloe went playing on the canal bank. One of them thought of a plan to go for a swing on the canal gate and the rest of them agreed to go. There was no one around at the time so they went on the gate and began to swing on it. After a while the gate broke and they were all thrown into the water. One of them chanced to cling to a piece of grass and was saved. At last help came and they sent for a diver. The diver came and he dived down to the bottom. He found them near one another at the bottom. The four boys were coffined and buried in one grave in Killaloe Church yard. There was a terrrible conflagration between Birdhill and Castleconell in the year 1925. The republicans went down to the railway to shout a famous man named Captain Stack. When the train was coming the republicans made a sign for the train to stop. The driver would not stop the republicans shot him.
They made all the people get out of the train. When the people were out they burned the train with petrol and tarr. The flames

A sad drowning incident occured on the 15 th of August 1886. Three men left Birdhill and went down to O'Briens Bridge pikefishing. When they arrived at O'Briens Bridge they took drink to an excess. They left O'Briens Bridge on their return journey and nearing Parteen they had a row and the boat got capsized with the result that two men of the three got drowned. Their names were, Mr. Gleeson and Mr. Moonan, and the survirors names was O'Shea from Killaloe. Gleesons body was found within one yard of the shore and Moonans Body was found about 500 yards away from Gleesons.
The next drowning occured in O'Briens Bridge also on the 17.th. of August 1906 and three lives were lost. The day was stormy and the men were warned not to venture out but they persisted in doing so with the above result. It was regatta day in Killaloe and the regatta was abandoned owing to the drowning. Their bodies were not found until late next evening. I did not hear of the mens names that were drowned.

In the year 1838 there was an old school near our present school. There was only one schoo lteacher teaching in it named Mr Daniel Mc Grath. He used to teach no Irish. He was teaciing in this schoolfor about six years. He then left and another teacher was put in his place named Mr Pat Ryan of Newport. He used to walk from Newport every morning and evening. Mr Ryan left in 1881.
There was another school between Birdhill and Cragg. This school was a Prodestant school. There was only one school-teacher teaching in it named Miss Rossiter. This school was closed down in 1886 owing to a small average of attendance.

About a half mile south of my house there is a fairy fort. It is in Mr Coffey's filed which is in the townslands of Birdhill. It is surrounded by trees and circular in shape. About one hundred years ago a man named Mr John Gleeson of Gregough was passing this fort at the hour of midnight. He saw a man with red clothes and a light in his hand and he could not walk another step. He was was standing there for a quarter of an hour and was unable to move. The man then dissappeared and Mr John Gleeson was able to walk again. He was only gone give minutes when he heard great laughter and shouting and dancing. He did not look behind him but got home quickly and he never passed this fort again at midnight.
About two miles west of my house in the townsland of Ballinahinch there is another fairy fort. It is surrounded by rocks. About eight months ago there was two men working in the quarry where this fort is. One evening there were three children coming home from School and they saw a hand of a little man coming out of this fort, with a small sword in his hand. The boys showed the little man to the men who were working in the quarry. The little man came over near to the boys unitl he was right opposite them. Then he pointed the sword at them, and this warned the men that they were not to blast anymore stones in this quarry.

was the old man's wife and she dressed like Queen Victoria. She whispered to one of the Halley's not to eat or drink anything and then she said, "Ye can take me back to my husband again". They played the game of cards and the little man won the fifteen shillings from the two Halley's. While the game was in progress there was chafts laying a table the likes was never seen before. It comprised of ham, chicken, turkey, beautiful sweetcake, whitecake, quarter cask of Guinness stout, several bottles of Jameson's whiskey, and a jar of the real old mountain dew. Nothing could induce the two Halley's to eat or drink and the row rose and they beat what was in the house and took the fifteen shillings from the little man. One of the Halley's threw the old woman across his shoulder and out the door with him and he never left her off his shoulder until he reached Hassett's public house in Birdhill. They waited there for the other brother and when he came the three of them walked down to the old man's house and called up the old man said "We brought you back your wife alive and strong again. He opened the door and when he saw her he fell in a weakness. They were going to raise him up and the old woman said, "Don't raise him up he'll come to himself in a couple of minutes," and so he did. They lived happy for several years after the trying experience. The Halley's went to America and one of them became a judge and one of them became an Attorney General and on each St. Stephe's night they used to give a banquet and would recount their

The fairs at O'Briens Bridge in olden times were held in Gouig midway between Birdhill & Castleconnel. At one particular fair an altercation arose over the age of a bull. The seller said that he was three years old and the buyer said he was four. The result was that a row rose and the buyer and seller's parties took sides. A large crowd collected and fought like demons. The seller's party beat the buyers party and drove them on before them until they arrived in the village of O'Brien's Bridge where the fairs are held from that day to this. This occurred in the year 1868.
The morning of the fair the people assemble in large numbers. Some of them having cattle, sheep, and horses and more of them having bonham. After a short while the fair green become filled with men and animals. Then the buyers come and walk around having a look at the different class of cattle. They then commence to buy. The seller asks so much and they split and tangle until the price is agreed to. Some mark their purchase with red or blue raddle

The landlord of this district in olden times was Mr. Twiss. He was not a bad landlord but if he came to a house and if the people had meat on the table he would raise the rent. He had a grand house in Birdhill. It was burnt by the republicians in the Black and Tan war. Before it was burnt the servants were ordered to clear out.
About thirtys years ago there were twenty houses on the Coosáne road. Mr. Twiss evicted them all from time to time until only one man remained and his name was Henly. He had a son a British soldier who fought in many battles. When he was coming home he brought a riflte and amunition with him. The landlord and his agent came to evict them and the young man stepped out and shot the agent. The landlord called on him to surrender but he refused and wounded him on the leg. The landlord died in the year 1916, he was buried about a mile from my house. The young man went to America and got a job as a stoker. A guard from O'Briens Bridge knew him and followed him. At last he found him. When the young man saw him coming he opened the furnance door and pushed him in and he burnt to death in a minute.

men who were found drowned in the Shannon about forty five years ago and a man named Pat Luan who died suddenly at Mr. Ryan's drinking stout. The latest who are buried there are Patrick Guilmartin his and mother in law. There are several children buried there. There are no headstones or tomb stones marking those graves only an ordinary common old stone no cross or inscriptions. There is another old graveyard in Annaholty. I think it is situated in Mr Wards land. Only a few people are buried there. There is a small graveyard about three hundred yards overhead Birdhill Church. It is railed in by a wire fence and a whitethorn hedge. It contains the remains of the late Captain George Edward Twiss and his two gun-dogs. On the top of his grave there is a beautiful marble cross laid down flat with no inscriptions. The next graveyard of note is Kilmastulla. There are several republicans buried in this graveyard. Notably amongst them are John Sheehy and Matt Ryan who were killed in an encounter about the year 1923. There was a lare demonstration there a few years ago and the speakers were Mary Mac Sweeney and Countess Markivitz. This graveyard contains the protestant Church seemingly a very old structure. It was done up lately by the present Canon Boyd of Killaloe. There are several fine headstones in this old graveyard. All the Catholics are buried at the south side of it and the protestants are buried at the

April 25th 1938
The following composition was written by (1) Margaret Ryan, Convent School , Newport , and she received her information from (2) William Bourke, Ballyard, Birdhill, Co.Tipperary.
During the late war in Ireland Mr Biggs, officer of the Black and Tans who were stationed in Newport, was one evening returning by motor form Cimealtha, where he was on a visit at Mr Kingscott's. He had Lady Barrington of Glenstal Castle, Murroe, and two other ladies with him in the car. Some enemies of his who had planned to take his life, lay in ambush awaiting his return that evening, to Glenstal Castle. As Mr Biggs drew near their hiding place, they fired shots. He asked them not to shoot as there was ladies in the car. they replied that it was no place for ladies and again fired on the motor. Mr Biggs and Lady Barrington were mortally wounded. After some time the Black and Tans removed their dead bodies from the roadside.

they would be coming to a house in the neighbourhood the following day.
The soldiers went to the house mentioned, next day, captured one of the priests, and hanged him outside his own door. The other priest escaped (1) 15 years of age (2) small farmer (3) Labourer - land at Gregough, Birdhill, Co. Tipperary - was 80 years old when he died.

As a person travels a mile southward from the village of Ballina, in the direction of Birdhill, his attention is immediately drawn in an easterly direction, towards the picturesque little graveyard of Templeahollow, in the centre of which stands the ruined walls of an old chapel, which, like many of its kind, was once a masterpiece of Gothic architecture.
This beautiful building fell before the fury of ruthless Cromwell and his infamous roundheads. It's pointed gables, which withstood the insane hatred of the destroyer, peep heavenwards, and seem to speak a language of their own. They seem to say "Tyrant you have dismantled the altars and made the this temple a roofless ruin, but the purpose for which it was built - the propagation of Christianity - has grown stronger as a result if your desecration and

The names of fields around my home are Hoey's Field. Dugan's Field. Lady Hill. Drumrand. Tom's Hill. Hoey's field is situated in the townland of Drumconrath and got its name because
a family named Hoey lived in it long ago. Dugan's field is situated in the townland of Millpark and got its name from a family named Dugan who lived in it long ago. Lady Hill is situated in the townland of Birdhill. Tom's hill is situated in the townland of Breslanstown.

Coopers
Formerly all the butter was made at home and sold in finkins at the market. Hence coopering was a great trade. Coopers made the finkins at one time out of american oak and later out of ash. At that time, there were no buckets only cans for milking cows. Those were made by the coopers as well as all the other vessels used in the dairy : 'Keelers' for 'setting up' the milk tubs, churns, skimmers etc.
There were some noted coopers on this locality - there is one family in this village whose father was a very good cooper in his day whose family still bear the name Ryan (Coopers). Another member of the family lives at Tour and is still living while another brother now 97 or 98 years lives at Kilmastulla near Birdhill.
The Mahers of Kilcommon how were relatives of mine, although extensive farmers worked at the trade also

all fishing and have a splendid Weir constructed on the Bridge of Killaloe. It is a profitable concern and is giving a good amount of employment to the people of Killaloe. The Government have taken over the salmon fishing also and have eight men employed at Castleconnel.
The fowling in olden times was a great pastime as birds were very plentiful. The guns at that time were muzzleloaders and were very dangerous. The licence of a gun at that time was only ten shillings per year. You could not shoot game birds with ten schilling licence as the game licence was three pounds. Now all gun licences are two pounds and you can shoot game birds with it. At present there is a great scarcity of birds owning to hawks, magpies, and scare crows becoming so plentiful.
There was no basket making or hamper making in this locality for the last fifty years but they still make them in Galway and Mayo. The people in these Counties use hampers nowadays for drawing home turf off the mountains by putting a hamper on each side of an asses back on a saddle constructed for that purpose. There was an old man living between Birdhill and O'Briens Bridge one time. He was a pork butcher by trade. He used to make hampers and baskets in his leisure time. Those he would sell to the local farmers. The hampers were generally used for picking potatoes, and the baskets were used for washing them. The mode of making the hampers was as follows. A square piece of ground was levelled out. He would stick down the rods in the ground to a depth of eight inches. He would wave a long sally rod in and out through each sqaure.

The only hedge school that I heard of was situated between Birdhill and Ballinahinch at a place called Beene Hill. The school-teacher's name was a Mr Nolan from Killteely in the County Limerick. He used to lodge in a farmers house in Beene Hill. His father was one of the pike-men of '98 and himself was one of the '69 men. He fought a battle in Killteely and was transported to Bermuda in the Co. Limerick along with another teacher named Samour from Burgess. The times improved and a school was built on a piece of land given by Mr. O'Rourke of Cragg. The first schoolmaster who was appointed to teach there was Mr. Lynch from Newport. After a couple of years Mr. Lynch died and was replaced by another teacher named Mr. O'Brien from Limerick. Mr. O'Brien was a very good teacher. He used to teach both both English and Irish. After some years Mr. O'Brien resigned and went to America. Then the old school fell and the present school was built in the year 1891.
The school regulations in those days were very drastic. The pupils had to be at school at nine o'clock each morning. The lunch time was from 12.0 to 12.30 and the time for leaving the school was 4 o'clock.
The children from the different localities used to fight each evening going home from school. The method of fighting was 'point your finger' and it was called the cowardly dig. The children in those days would not fall out or complain to their mothers

About two hundred years ago there was a rich man living near Nenagh. He had one daughter named Mary and one brother named Niochalas. This rich man got a mass said in his house. It was in the penal times, and he invited his brother Niochalas to the mass. Niochalas told one of the soldiers that there was a mass going to be said in his brother's house. Niochalas said he would mind the door and he told the Soldier that if he came he would let him into the Mass. Niochalas came the day of the Mass to mind the door. When he came he started praising Mary and saying she grew alot since he saw her last. Mary did not like him at all, because she had some suspicion about him. He told Mary he was going to mind the door. Mary said she would mind it; and so she did while mass going on. He was at the door also. The soldier then let a shot to shoot Mary but it was Niochalas he shot. The soldier went over to Niochalas and asked was the priest inside. Niochalas said he did not come at all. Then the soldier went away and the priest came and heard Niochalas' confession and he told the priest he was the fourth priest he had spied upon.
The above was told to me by John Hayes Cragg, 56 yrs Herd Birdhill, Limerick. Maura Mannion, Cragg, Limerick.
17/3/38