The Gallagh road begins at the Borbee & it leads to Suntown
The Borbee road begins at Keenan's cross and ends at Cortown cross. The mountainy road begins at Cortown cross & leads to the Dunleer rd. Thyrne road begins begins at Suntown at it leads to Dunleer. The Drumcar begins at Cortown cross & leads to Drumcar. The Morganstown road begins at Suntown and it leads to the main road. The old Rd begins at Dysart and leads to Annagassan. The High Lane begins at Dysart Dillonstown and leads to Drumcar The Dillonstown road begins at Keenan's Cross and leads to Annagassan

Close on fifty years there was a forge in Drumcar owned by Lord Rathdonnell. the last smith that was in it was a man named Mc Glew.
Many old people in the neighbourhood remember when this trade was in operation. The building is to be seen up to the present day; but none of the implements are to be seen, as I expect they were sent to another forge.
Most of the old iron gates around here were made in his forge. All the farmers round about came with their horse to be shod, and with other of their farm implements to be mended. Cranes were made, and fireplaces and all the implements to that were needed to be made or mended on Drumcar estate were sent to this forge.

THE RED GAPa gap between hills at Monasterboice - given its name from the fact that during the Penal Days executions were frequently carried out there. On some occasions the blood flowed freely through the gap.
Lady Anthony's Field - in Tullydonnell - parishTogher - land of Mrs Kelly. Co LouthThe Moat Field:- - Clonmore: parish Togher Co. Louth
The Fairy Ring:- Drumcar - Parish Drumcar - Land of Robert Browne
The Quarry:-on lands of Hugh Verdon, Drumcar. As name suggests there is a quarry there.
There are several fields in the neighbourhood called The Bleach, which go to suggest linen weaving - and this was carried on in Clonmore Dunleer. The remains of the old loom were in an old house in a lane called the Mullac Dubh - till quite recent years. An old resident remembers distinctly seeing the weaving done and believes that the thread for weaving was bought in the Linen Hall Drogheda.

Cromwell is supposed to have passed through Drumcar on his way to Annagassan. At the Cloghan-bridge he encountered some of the locals, who gave him such a thrashing that he took care never to come this way again. His army is supposed to have gone towards the North by another road.

The Tankardon Drumcar estate - a field in which there is a very large deep well - supposed to have a plentiful supply of water at all times
The Big Field
The Long Meadow
The Old Garden
The Mount
The Fox CoverAll in Drumcar
On the river Dee there is a big hole about 150 yards south of Drumcar bridge - called Yon Naver's Hole. It got its name from an old tramp, who went by that nick-name. He was a filthy being and always in rags. On one occasion the people decided to give him a new suit. The condition which he had to fulfil were to undress on one bank of the river and swim through the hole, which was about 10' deep to the other bank, where the new suit was ready waiting for him.
Tullydonnell, Co LouthThe Cúinne Cam - a long crooked field
The Bush Field
The Stable Field - lands of (?) A. Bell

The Drumcar, Dillonstown, Willistown, Adamstown, Finvoy and Mount Doyle, the land is heavy, wet and for the most part difficult to till. A good part of it is, however, tilled and when the seeds are got in a good condition it produces good crops especially of wheat and oats. It is highly valued generally 25/ to 30/ per Irish acre.In Salterstown the land is good: a heavy deep soil with a porous sub-soil: it is very good land for wheat, barley and oats. I am informed that one field in Salterstown is value as highly as £2-5 per Irish acre. Cortown is rather marshy and unsuitable for tillage.Drumcar is well wooded. Forty or fifty acres are under timber. About half of this area was planted by Lord Rathdonnell about fifty years ago.Dillonstown has three shelter belts(??) about three acres in extent.

The local landlord was named Singleton. He did not live here,
There were evictions in the bad times and planters came to occupy the land.
The landlord got the land on the division of the lands by Cromwell. The landlord had great power and hundreds emigrated.
There were three evictions on Belpatrick estate Carolans were the Rent Warners and they got the lands of the evicted party.
Long ago this land was given to people evected from good land in Drumcar and Rathkenny. Thus the name "Reid" which is the most common, can be traced to Drumcar, and Moonan to Rathkenny.

There is an old ruin of a corn mill in the townland of Drumcar. It is a very high building with three storeys. The man that owned it was James Seales, but he is dead and gone. He lived in the townland of Drumboory.

There are a good number of tailors in this locality - but the only one who has carried on the craft of his ancetors is Hugh Verdon of Drumcar, Dunleer, The others are all people who have recently come into the district. The tailor always works in his own home- and stocks the cloth- Of course - he will also make up cloth bought in other places too.
The cloth is spun and woven locally now. There was an old tailor - named Owen Cahill who did all his sewing with his hand, and travelled from house to house. He does not work now.
The tailor uses sewing machines, scissors, measure (tape) - thimble - needles, thread, chalk and an iron for smoothing-
Stockings, socks, and shirts are made in some homes- but thread is not spun in the district.
On the death of a near relative, women wear black clothes for some months.X
In Drumcar there were shoemakers names Browne - who worked at their trade for generations- and also harness makers named Bell- and carpenters named Connors,

Bread has always been made from the wheat and oats grown in this district, with, of course, the addition of flour bought in the stores. But long ago there was a flour mill and also a bakery in Drumcar.
The flour mill has long since fallen but was situated in Callan's field near Drumcar Bridge - and was owned by one named Callan, and later by Mc Cann. The bakery is still to be seen next to the miller's house, on the other side of the road.
Soda bread was the kind usually made but oat cakes, and potato bread was also made.
Butter milk was used in kneading soda bread. Oat cakes were mixed with butter and water.
In many places baking was only done once a week, when a great quantity was made.
A cross is usually put on top of the cake. It is said that the bread will not rise evenly if it is not put there.

Townland of Willistown:Parish of Togher, Barony of Ardee, County Louth.
The townlands in school are are Willistown, Adamstown, Dillonstown, Ballygassan, Annagassan, Salterstown, Verdonstown, Mount Doyle, Finvoy, Drumcar, Simonstown, Cortown and Castlethomas.Nothing is known of the origin of the name Willistown. Adamstown is said to have got its name from one Adam Horan who owned the place about two hundred years ago. Dillonstown got its name, it is said, from a Colonel Dillon who lived there after the battle of the Boyne where his predecessor in title - Colonel Warren - was killed.Ballygassan (Baile na gCasán) Annagassan (Áth-na-gCasán) Salterstown (Baile an tSalainn) Verdonstown and Mount Doyle are derived from family names. Finvoy (Fionn Mhágh) Drumcar (Drom Coradh) the fishing weir is on the river Dee which flows past. Cortown, I believe, gets its name from Corrach a marsh. I can find out nothing about Castlethomas or Simonstown.There are about one hundred and seven houses in the area and roughly four hundred people. There are several people over seventy in the district, but there is only one over ninety (Mrs Traynor, Dillonstown) who gave me the information regarding St. Finian's well. None of the old people speak Irish.

A Ghost Story
One night about a year ago, Jack Halpenny was working in a farmers house in Drumcar. He went to bed this night and it was about twelve o'clock at night. It was in the hay barn he

One day a long time ago, the present Miss M'Clintock's grandfather, riding form Drumcar to Castlebellingham, met a cart containing three men, and escorted by the two constables of that day - Dan Cunningham and John Bedloe. The prisoners were seated on straw, and Major M'Clintock asked "What have you here?" "Three men, Sir, arrested for sheep-stealing," they replied. "But," remarked the Major, "I fear they may escape if you are not very careful, as I see their arms are quite free." "Not the least danger of that," answered the constables; "sure we have them handcuffed by the legs!" With this Major M'Clintock went on satisfied.

Long, long ago there was a vault in Drumcar grave yard where the vault of the present day is situated. After Mr John McClintock was put into this vault it was securely locked, and two or three men were put in charge of it.
One night while these men were in charge of the vault a light was seen in the graveyard. The men were not frightened at seeing the light; because they said among themselves that they be ready to challenge anyone who would come to attack them. Just as they had uttered the words, the vault door that was securely locked flung wide open. The men who were in charge of this place did not wait to challenge anyone who would come near them but took to their heels as fast as ever their legs would take them.

There is a field in Drumcar which was owned by the late Mr T W Bell. There is a stream in this field where at one time there was a flax mill.
This mill was owned by a man named Callan. He also owned a bakery and a corn mill. He owned some fields, and there is a field up to the present day called after that name, "Callan's meadow. There is a pillar at the gate going ito this field where the flax mill was. There is a wheaten mill now where the corn mill used to be. It is about one hundred years since these mills or bakery were in operation.

Intoxicants were smuggled to Ganderstown strand and sent inland to Ardee, Cavan, &c. The authorities found out the road along which the contraband goods were carried, & when the next lot was expected to be come along. The police were given orders to go to the public house at Drumcar cross and wait the arrival of the goods there. The publican was noted for aiding the smugglers in every possible way. In fact he had a kind of cave near the house, in which to store the goods.
He "welcomed" the policemen, and gave them a plentiful supply of grog and entertained them right royally. When they had drunk well if not wisely, he attended to the fire and got down his fiddle and played them all to sleep. Amid the snores of the sleeping policemen, the publican heard the laden carts rattle along the road, and they were many miles on their way before the represetatives of law awakened.

St Finian's Well is in Cortown at the corner of the Corr Hill field, in Drumcar Parish - Co Louth. The exact location of the well is difficult to find now, as it has become joined by the passing stream.People occasionally visit the place where the well is supposed to be - to secure some of the water - if they are suffering from any disease - especially rheumatism."Rounds" are not performed there.St Finian of Dromin, blessed the well.

long since left the parish and district.
Note:-It is difficult to secure much folklore in this district, as many of the residents are here only for a short time, sometimes less than a generation, as they were employed on the Drumcar estate.The few old people seemed to be very shy of "letting themselves go".

The road from Dunleer leading to Togher was made during the famine or maybe before it. The Drumcar road, leading Dillonstown was made in or about the famine.
The Gallagh Road was made by the Government and it is leading to Grane.
The road leading from Grane was ___ about the famine times.

Chalice
A chalice used in Collon R.C. church has inscribed on it the name of:- Anne Reid, Belpatrick.
It is thought that these Reids were evicted at Drumcar in Cromwell's time and coming west to untenanted common lands brought this chalice and other valuables with them for safety, and afterwards gave it to the Parish Priest of Collon.
Rev. Father P.P., has this Chalice now.