There was a man who lived on Penny Hill in Hacketstown. His name was Frank Gray and he was going to make his will. It took him days to consider to whom he would leave the money. After a while he thought of a friend which he said he would make his will to. The village schoolmaster drew up the will. But the school master got a terrible shock when the will consisted of small, small sums of money to be divided in pennies.

Not far from the village of Hacketstown a woman died, and two other women that lived near her went to put her into the coffin. As they were going through a field they saw a ball of fire roll along in the air, and as they thought, went down the chimney where the woman was dead. The two women rushed into the house to see what happened in the house, but nothing was in the house and no one in the house had seen the ball of fire. They put the woman in the coffin and there was no more about it.

One time in Hacketstown when Captain Hardy was living where Mr Phelan is living now, a workman and a servant went off for their bicycles. They made up between them that they would be back at the same hour. It happened that the maid was back before the man. After a while she heard something coming. She went to the door and when she opened the door she was squeezed to death by the dead coach.

One night a man was coming into Hacketstown and as he was coming along the mill road he saw a man coming meeting him in black. This man kept coming meeting him and as he came nearer this man in black opened his coat and the other man could see a ball of fire inside his coat so he turned back his horse and went home.

Long ago there was a very big band in Hacketstown. There were thirty two members in it. Mr O'Toole of Scotland carried the staff. They used wear green sashes and green caps

One night a man was coming to Hacketstown. He was coming along Jones road when he saw a lot of little men jumping in and out through the gate. This man was on a bicycle, and when he came very near the gate he could not ride any further, so he got off the bicycle and started to walk, but the little men got in a line across the road and would not let him pass. After some time the man said to them, "Clear the way and let the people pass", so the divided and let him pass.

People coming and going out of Hacketstown saw a woman all in white outside Jones' gate filling a pail of water. She was seen about 12 o'clock at night. When anyone would pass her she would not speak to them. If they spoke to her she would go to hit them with the pail.

Croneskeagh is the name given to a townland about a mile from Hacketstown. Most of the town land is in a large hallow and there are a great many bushes of white thorn growing all over it. For this reason the townland was called Croneskeagh which means the hollow of the white thorn

No 27 Sites of historic interest such as battlefields, fords
The following account of the battle of Hacketstown was received from the old man whose name and address appears on the opposite page.
His grandmother lived at that time and told him tales about it 60 years ago.
In the month of June the rebels attacked Hacketstown which was defended by a small force of yeomanry and militia commanded by Captain Hardy. Captain Hardy was killed and a man called Lieutenant Gardiner took entire command. The rebels set the town on fire and the fighting took place in the midst of flames and continued for upwards of nine hours. There were a great many killed and many bodies were thrown into the flames.
With the exception of the barrack and two other houses the whole town was consumed. The inhabitants were reduced to extreme destitution.

There are several holy wells around this district. There was formerly a blessed well in Tombeagh in the parish of Hacketstown. It is about two miles from this school. There is a holy well near Rathvilly. It is called Patrick's well. Saint Patrick is said to have visited Rathvilly and drank from this well
There is a holy well at Clonmore. It is situated a short distance from the village. It is called Saint Mogue's well. Saint Mogue lived at the (of) old monastery in Clonmore and was buried there. Long ago people used to make pilgrimages to this well to get healed of whatever disease they had.
There is also a holy well at Straboe near Rathvilly.
There is a holy well in Ballanagulky. It is in the parish of Hacketstown. It is called Saint Finnian's well. People used to go to get cured at this well. I never hear of anyone going to it now.

There is a fair held in almost every town in every month. The local fairs are held in Dunlavin, Baltinglass, Ballymore-Eustace, Hacketstown, and Naas. Long ago there was a fair in Donard but it is now discontinued. The fair of Dunlavin is held on the second Wednesday of every month. There are two fairs in Hollywood one of them is on the first of November. When people are buying sheep, cattle, or pigs they always give back some money for luck.

In this part of the country forges were very numerous. The advent of the motor power has put an end to the great amount of the forge work.
There are forges in each of the following places, Rathdangan, Hacketstown, Knockananna and Moyne.
Mr Doyle is the owner of the forge in Rathdangan. Mr MacDonald is the owner of the forge in Hacketstown.
The smith shoes asses, horses, and wheels. He also mends farm implements. The shoeing of wheels is done in the open air.
The implements the smith has are the sledge, hammer, rasp, file, tongs and pinchers. He has also a tub of water to cool the hot iron.

The name of the smith that works in the forge in Rathdangan is Mr Doyle and the name of the one that works in Moyne is Mr Stanley. Mr Kehoe is the name of the man that works in the forge in Knockananna, and the name of the smith that works in Hacketstown is Mr Mac. Donald. The smith shoes horses and asses. He also shoes wheels.

In olden times forges were not as common as they are now. There is a forge in Rathdangan, in Moyne, in Hacketstown and in Knockananna.

In olden times forges were more plentiful than they are now. There are four forges in this parish. There is one in Rathdangan, one in Knockananna, one in Hacketstown and one in Moyne.

The principal roads in Aughavanagh are Glenmalure road which begins at Glenmalure and leads on straight to Baltinglass. It was made about one hundred and forty years ago. It was used by the military. There are whole lot of shores under it. The Mucklagh road begins at Aughavanagh hotel and goes on over Brown hill and through a little village called Greenane and on through Rathdrum. The Aughrim road leads from Aughavanagh to Aughrim. A lot of traffic runs on it. The Hacketstown road starts at Aughavanagh and goes on to Hacketstown. There is one mass path in Aughavangh. It is a short way of going to mass.
Leisha Byrne
Sleemane
Aughavanagh

horses and sell them. Sometimes bands of them pass through Hacketstown with as many as thirty horse. There are also tinkers called Purcels, Connors,Walls, Murphys. Travelling folk of the name of Berry most frequently visit this district.
The tinkers come to this district for the fair day. Sometimes travelling folk come to the fair with games, such as a shooting gallery and roulette.Voilet SeabrookeMaterial obtained from :-
Mrs O'Gorman
Hacketstown,
Co. Carlow

Billy Byrne gets the credit of the Ballyellis victory, but really it was Michael Dwyer and Capt Thomas Byrne who won the day.Captain Thos Byrne was grand-uncle to (the late) John Byrne, Ballyvrahan (RIP). He was taken prisoner, and sent to serve in the Prussian Army. Having served for seven years, he came back, and got a 31 years lease on a farm in Ballyvrahan, where he built a house.Battle of Hacketstown
35,545 troops marched on Hacketstown. Billy Byrne was chief-in-command, and Capt Thos Byrnewas second in command. The leaders drank a good deal, at Westbys, of Highpark.Billy brough on the men and faced them up Kilmacart. They got into the town and surround the barracks. They had ladders up to it, and as soon as one rebel was shot in a ladder, another took his place.The leaders were under the influence of drink. The section leaders were not able to

A man by the name of Arthur Mullins, had a forge opposite Tyneclash School, Kiltegan Parish, County Carlow, about forty years ago. He used to make spades, scythes, and other farm implements.Mrs Matthews, Townland Kelsha, Parish Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, used to spin wool until the year 1911. She knitted socks of the wool.Mr Henry Dunne of Kyle, Townland Kill, Parish Donaghmore, County Wicklow, was a great thatcher about fifty years ago.Mr Hobson of Mungoduff, Townland Mungoduff Lower, Parish Kiltegan, County Wicklow, constantly mowed one acre in one day with a sickle.Mr Jones of Kilranelagh, used to weave or spin flax between forty and fifty yeras ago. Townland Kilranelagh, Parish Baltinglass, County Wicklow.Mr and Mrs Smith, Hacketstown, Parish Hacketstown, County Carlow, used to make workbaskets, clothes baskets, and marketing baskets. Their daughter still carries on the craft.

Although it caused him intense pain he kept onday and night keeping the different sections of the forces in touch with each other. In this crippled condition he took part in the battle of Hacketstown in which Garret Byrne
commanded the Insurgents.