Mary A. O' Doherty

TEACHER: MÁIRE A. NÍ DHOCARTAIGH (Mary A. O' Doherty)

SCHOOL: SCOIL GLEANN AN DIÚN – PRISON

ROLL NUMBER: UIMHIR ROLLA 17042

COUNTY: MAYO

TOWN: BALLA.

BARONY :CARRA

— Mary A. O' Doherty

Mary A O’Doherty.

— Collection made by Mary O'Doherty, Scoil Gleann an Duín, Balla, Co. Mayo.

Hidden Treasure

In Poll Bacla beside the river which flows by the curates house at Balla there is supposed to be a chest containing valuable articles and gold hidden. It was supposed to have been hidden there by the landlord of Balla -a Lynch- in troubled times. Attempts were made to get the treasure but in vain.

In Poll an Dailtín in Turlough Park, parish of Kellogues, Barony of Carra, Co. Mayo there is supposed to be a similar treasure hidden, by the landlord also, a Fitzgerald, ancestor of the present occupants of Park Mansion.

Over sixty years ago a diver was engaged to try to find the chest, but his attempt was also in vain.

I have been told by a native of the parish of Bonniconlan, Ballina Co. Mayo that there was a like chest of treasure believed to be hidden in some part of that parish also. In all three cases the treasure is supposed to be guarded by serpents.

Men’s Committee of Prizon School Social Centre.Back row L to R : Gerry Kennedy, Mike J. Reilly, Paddy Moran, Mike Kenny, Johnny TonratFront row. Edward (Doyle) Reilly, Jose Kelly, Pat Morrison, Martin Corcoran. — **Men’s Committee of Prizon School Social Centre.**
**Back row L to R : Gerry Kennedy, Mike J. Reilly, Paddy Moran, Mike Kenny, Johnny Tonrat**
**Front row. Edward (Doyle) Reilly, Jose Kelly, Pat Morrison, Martin Corcoran.**

Treasure Discovered.

A family named Herons who lived in Balla were digging a foundation for a cottage where stands the McEllin Hotel at present. They came on a pot of gold supposed to contain 2,000 guineas. These people (Herons) built a brewery in Balla where the public house of Mr. Conway now stands. They also purchased a house and farm at Bovin, near Ballyvary and another house and farm at Kilkenny near Castlebar.

Tiara found in bog near Dooras, Balla. Jack Ansbro of Tavanagh, Sraide, Brny of Gallen found a battle axe in Prizon bog, seven spits deep. He gave it to Mr. Mullaney N.T. Balla

Weather-Lore

Rainbow is looked upon as a sign of broken weather.

If the new moon points it is a sign [diagram of moon] of good weather but if it lies on its back [diagram of moon] it is an omen of very bad weather.

If the sun is sparkling at dawn it is a bad sign. East wind brings fine weather to this district.

Dust blowing on road bad sign of weather.

Mountains look blue and appear near at the approach of rain.

Swallows fly high at approach of good weather.

Crows gather and lie on wall sign of rain.

If corncrake is heard in morning it is an omen of good weather, but if heard in the evening sign of coming rain.

Hens and geese cackle when rain is coming.

Animals look for shelter. The horse and donkey raise their backs and stand under a hedge. Cows make for home. The goat is sure to come home if rain is approaching. Pigs grunt and snore.

The seas and lakes become rough when weather is getting bad. The waterfall makes noise. Midges come out in bunches. Worms and snails crawl about.

Smoke blows down chimney. Soot falls. A blue blaze in the ashes foretells storm. Red sucker ascending from centre of a lake sign of coming thunder storm.

Local Heroes

I got no account of a hero but the following scraps of information about some notorious persons may be of some use.

Denis Browne of Claremorris and high sheriff of Mayo towards the end of 18th century and Captain George Robert Fitzgerald of Turlough, Castlebar were looked upon as the two worst men that ever lived in Mayo.

Captain Fitzgerald disputed with one Nolan about some land property. Nolan engaged a Counsellor McDonnell of Chancery Hall, near Ballyvary, on the case. He won and Fitzgerald was enraged at his defeat. This Fitzgerald kept a little army of his own. These men he sent to way lay Counsellor McDonnell. This they did and broke both of his arms and legs. Counsellor McDonnell died and Fitzgerald was charged with his murder. He was found guilty and condemned to be hanged.

Denis Browne was a bitter enemy of George Robert Fitzgerald and tho his reprieve came on the morning fixed for his execution, Denis Browne carried out the sentence and George R. was hanged in Castlebar. The first rope broke and we are told no other man was ever so long on the scaffold.

Great Mower.

There was a Jack Mahon in Ballymahon, Balla parish , who was supposed to have a "charm" for mowing. He would whet his scythe in the morning and mow till night and he could do as much work in one day as two men would do in two days.

Every mower sharpens his scythe before leaving the meadow in the evening and Patsy tells the following story as a reason for this habit.

Once a mower was returning after his day's work. As he crossed a style he tripped and the the blade of the scythe cut him on the neck. He lay there in great agony all night and he said that every man should sharpen his scythe before taking it home with him, for if he had done so he would have got an instantaneous death and not suffer as he had to.

Dancer.

Mike Kennedy of Rushill was a fine dancer. He was taught by Affey Touhey. He could dance reel, jigs, hornpipe.

Pat Corrigan of Ara, parish of Keelogues was a great singer. In the old days the boys bought ballads such as "Emmet's Farewell", ""Erin's lovely Home", "Shores of America" "Fare well Dear Erin". Margaret Reilly (Mrs Ansbro) of Prizon was a great story teller.

Local Happenings

Seventy years ago, flax was grown by every farmer in this district and linen spinning and weaving were carried on in every house. The people used to bring the flax into the house to dry and this often-caused burnings and considerable damage until at last it was considered an offence punishable by law to dry flax indoors. No life was ever lost through burning or drowning here.

in Faurgneens, parish of Balla, another much older by a named Connolly on Cnoc Nuala, Cregg same parish. There was a good school conducted by Paddy Gallagher at Laryhill parish of Straidhe, Barony of Gallen about a mile from here. A Miss Earley taught a hedge-school at Ara, parish of Keeloguse also a mile from here.

Old Schools

I have heard of four hedge-schools in the district round Prizon. One was conducted by a Mrs Burke (Mary Murphy).

The Old School in Prizon was built some eight five or ninety years ago by the landlord Sir Cumpton Dunbell who lived at Heywood Hall, Queen's Co. The work was done by masons named Fowelsten but the natives supplied the material free. It was a crude structure. The first teacher was a man named Carlos from Mayo Abbey. He got a small salary from the landlord which was supplemented by fees paid by the pupils.

When the National Board of Education was founded Rev. Canon Gibbon P.P. of Balla was appointed manager of the school. He enlarged it and all whether tenants of Sir Humpton Dumbell or not gained admission. The landlord gave an acre of ground with the school and it has been always free of rent.

The teacher named Carlos was succeeded by a man named Colgan from Bailefaidirín. He had been trained as a gardener. He had a very beautiful garden round the school. He was a fenian and was wiht two othere teachers Tom Walshe and Henry Curry of Bellcarra dismissed by the National Board. He emigrated and died in America.

William Keely and his sister succeeded him in 1867.

No Irish was spoken in school. If the children spoke Irish they were punished. The pupils wrote on Vere Foster copybooks.

Paddy Gallagher's School was a barn with a chimney a few yards from his own home Laryhill . His was by far the best of all the hedge-schools in the district. The young children attended school during the day and the grownups at night. They paid weekly school fees according to their class 1d, 1/2d or 2d. The pupils brought candles and turf to the night classes. Paddy Gallagher taught both English and Irish, but the women teachers taught only English.

The women taught in their own homes. The pupils were seated on sticks supported by stones. They wrote on their knees. Sometimes when possible the pupils got the jaw-bone of a horse or ass and used it for writing. They then wrote with charred sally rods.

Volunteer

History

From hedge school to national school. The national education system from the commissioners of education to the department of education This is the story Prizon school's opening to its closure.

Old Crafts

The following crafts were carried on Candle-making, basket making forge work, spinning and weaving both wool and flax, rope making pottery work, burning of lime in kilns, fresh water fishing and fowling. Only basket making and rope making and wool spinning to a small extent are carried on now-a-days.

Linen Spinning and Weaving: Every farmer in this district set 1/2 acre of flax and on the produce made his year's rent. When the flax crop was ripe it was pulled, stooked, bogged. After ten days in the bog hole it was lifted and left in heaps to drip. It was then spread out on the ground to bleach and dry. It was then tied into sheaves and stooked.

The people then brought it to a little kiln on their farms and dried it there. It was then beatled with a beatle (a beatle resembled a cricket bat I am informed). It was then scutched with a scutcher ( a scutcher is also made of timber but is much lighter than the beatle, it is almost as thin as a knife).

The next process is that of hackling. The hackler was a wooden bench with iron teeth. Through these teeth the flax was drawn, this left the flax threads quite clean and ready for the spinning wheel.

When the flax thread was spun it was measured into hanks by means of a Jack-reel. There were four linen weavers in the immediate vicinity of Prizon school namely Patsy Kennedy, Tom Morris, Dominick O'Donnell and a man named Brady. These men wove the coarse flax into ticking for beds and into sacks for meal. They also wove material for sheets, towels pillow-cases table cloths and finer stuff for shirts.

There was a bleach mill at a place called Ballinamilla, between Turlough and Castlebar, the finer linen was brought there to be bleached.

There was a Linen Hall in Castlebar, to this day one of the streets bears the name Linen Hall St. The manufactured linen was sold in that Hall. The owner of the mill was a man named Strickland. If people need flax-seed on credit, he gave it to them until such time as they would have linen to sell.

Candle making.

Candles were made from rushes and bog-deal. The green skin was peeled off the rush almost to the butt and it was steeped in grease for a few minutes and then allowed to dry. It was then put in the sconce and lit. Such a candle lasted two hours.

Bog-deal made excellent candles. They took chips about 3' long off the deal, allowed it to dry and lit it. When the women were cloving flax they used to hold a bog deal candle between their toes.

Cleaves for turf.

1. Stick five sally rods in ground leaving the space of your four fingers between each pair of rods. The rods are sometimes struck double.

2. Stick five others opposite ti these and four on the remaining two sides. These rods are called "saúcháns" and form the frame work for the cleave.

3. Take two sally rods and weave them in and out on this frame work as darning is done until the cleave is the required height- about 1 3/4' 4. The saucháns which are then left projecting upwards are stretched from side to side of the basket and those on the opposite sides are woven into them thus forming the bottom of the cleave.

There is another method of putting a bottom in the cleave namely instead of stretching the saucháns from side to side, they are turned down and woven into a rim round the edge of the basket work. Then strong sticks are inserted from side to side and these are interwoven with sally rods.

The cleave is next pulled up out of the ground and the saucháns which went in the ground are interwoven with sally rods until there is a good "bunna" on top of the basket. To finish cut off the points of the saucháns which were stuck in the ground.

Forge work. There was a forge in Tavanaugh Mór for about 200 years. It is only about a mile east of the school. It was owned by people of the name of Bourke and was worked up to about eighteen years ago. They used to make spades, shovels, hinges, slains, bucáns for gates, fire cranes, ploughs and they used to shoe horses and asses.

Archival information Shine's Forge, Athea. Dúchas

Dyeing. Some of the people in the district still dye homespun wool with a moss that grows on trees and rocks.

Rope -making. Súgan ropes are still made by all farmers for their hay cocks. Spanshal ropes were made long ago of rushes for curinasks and side-lamp for animals. The making of theses ropes has been described by one of the pupils.

Pottery work. The peoples had moulds for making crocks. These they lined with red doab and baked until the doab became hard.

Lime burning. I find that forty years ago every farmer in this district burned his own lime. This industry has now entirely died out here. There is only one lime kiln in use near Balla. As the lime-burning has been described by many pupils I shall not repeat.

Cleaves are used for carrying turf out of the bog.

There is a stradle placed on the donkey's back. This stradle consists of two straw mats placed in a canvas bag and left on the back of the donkey. On top of the stradle is a piece of timber from which two pegs project upwards. These are called scuppógs. The cleaves are hung on the scuppógs by means of handles which are called "epishes".

See drawing on page 19

Pardógs are made in the same way as cleaves except that the bottom of the pardóg is separate and only hinged on to the inside of the basket by means of rods. There is a forked stick fastened to the outer side of the bottom, this is called a sluidín and it acts as a kind of Y bolt for fastening the bottom of the pardóg. This kind of basket is used for putting out manure on ridges or drills. The loops which hold the sluidíns are slipped, the bottom drops and the manure falls on the ridge.

Scib. Six rods of equal lengths are taken. Three of them are slotted in the centre. The other three are inserted in the slots thus making a frame work on which to weave the basket.

See drawing on page 20

Then get a hoop and fasten the ribs to it and weave sally rods in and out until it is completed. This skib is used for holdings eggs; but there is another basket which has a caisín about four inches high and it is used for straining potatoes or for carrying turf.

All these baskets are used by the small farmers in this district and many of them are able to make them still. Years ago certain men went from house to house to make these baskets and they were paid 1s for making a pair of creals or paidógs.

There was also a little cleave used for picking the potatoes, it was called a gurngín, there was another basket which was called a cleavín. It contained four or five stone and was used for carrying potatoes to the pit and spilling them into it.

Thatching. Until quite recently all the houses in the school district were thatched. There is a foundation of scraws left on the roofing timber for a thatched roof. I have been informed by two old people that the first coat of thatch was always sown on the roof by means of a needle and thatching cord. One man inserted the needle in the outside of the thatch and a man on the inside pulled it through secured the stitch to the timber and put it out again.

When re-coating a thatched roof, the straw is secured by means of scallops which are pointed sally or hazel rods. Two of these are used on each streak of straw. The ends overlap in the centre of the streak and are secured by means of a forked rod which is called a keeper. The straw laps over the scallops so that nothing appears on the surface of the roof but the smooth straw.

Archival information Thatching at Killeenaran, Ballindereen.Dúchas

Local Marriage Customs

Marriages generally take place here either immediately before or immediately after Lent. The Month of May an lá na leanbh Feast of Holy Innocents are considered very unlucky for Marriage. Friday is also considered unlucky.

It used to be the custom for the boys and girls who were on the "look out" to dress up and go to the markets and local gathering during Shrove. The younger members were never allowed go about much until the elder ones were disposed of. Anyone who did not "get off" before Shrove was salted for next year. This custom has died out here now.

Matches are still made and money is almost always given as a dowry. It is considered lucky to give in a cow with the dowry.

Paddy & Molly Ansbro Tawnaghmore, Balla.

Up to about forty years ago the people from Tavanagh in parish of Straide went the the chapel of Straid on horse-back to be married. Coming home they raced and whoever won got a quart of whiskey to divide.

They were always careful to admit the bride first to the house as it was considered unlucky for anyone to enter before her. I have heard it said that the bride should wear "Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue."

It was a custom to cut the wedding cake on the bride's head.

It is considered unlucky for the bride to return to her parents home before a month has elapsed after the marriage.

"Straw-boys" or "clubberas" visit the houses on the night of the marriage feast. They dance and make fun. They dress in straw hats with sugans round their knees, false faces etc.

They expect to get drink and make mischief if they don't.

Now-a-days the people go to the church in motor-cars. If they have friends they too accompany them and after the wedding they go for a drive and then come home to the wedding feast. This procession of cars is called the "drag". The well-wishers of the newly married couple light torches or bon-fires in their honour.

In the Penal Times

It was supposed that priests said Mass in a cave behind Connolly's house in Prizon and also in another cave on the far side of Cnoc Spulagadaún in a place called the Omar in Poll Mona.

The priest used to go in disguise from place to place administering the sacraments and saying Mass for the people.

There was a notorious Priest Hunter in his County of Mayo. He was a Seán Mullouney known as "Seán a Sagart". He killed priests as if they were wild animals and received £5 per head from Bingham governor of Mayo as his reward.

Seán Mullouney was a native of Ballintubber. He had been for a period without finding a priest. Bingham sent for him and said "John, you're doing badly."

Archival information Holy well: Holy Well at Gleann an Aifrinn (under the bush in foreground), site of early monastic church at Knockane, Stonehall. Also where Penal Mass celebrated. Dúchas

John then conceived a wicked plan. He had a sister who was a good woman. He pretended that he was sick and went to her house and begged of her to let him lie on a bed. She believed that he was genuinely sick and hoping to convert him from his evil ways she admitted him. He then pretended that he was dying and repentent for his wicked deeds and asked her to send for a priest. She believed him and knowing where there was a priest she sent for him. The priest came in the fullness of his charity but alas! Seán a Sagart jumped upon him and killed him.

This poor priest had a nephew who was a priest too. Seán suspected that he might be at his Uncle's funeral and he lay in wait on the day of the murdered priest's burial. As the funeral procession passed by Seán jumped out on this young priest. The priest ran for his life, but Seán followed him. There was a pedlar named McCann at the funeral and he went in hot pursuit of the two. They were running through a plantation when the priest stumbled and fell. When the pedlar came on them Seán had just fallen on the priest. The pedlar seized the knife as Seán lifted it to stab. He plunged it into Seán's heart and then ran as fast as he could across country and offered his wares for sale at Bingham's door.

By doing so he escaped suspicion.

In those days when it was so hard to be present at Mass people who had a great devotion to the Holy Sacrifice often got a message in a dream of the place where Mass would be celebrated.

They would rise and go to the spot and actually find the priest offering Mass. It has also been said that Mass bells were heard ringing from the direction of some mountain cave where Mass was to be celebrated and those who heard the call of the bell followed the sound and had the privilege of assisting at Mass.

Local Place Names

Prison farm consisted of some 400 acres of land it was held under lease by the Ormsbeys who lived at Knockmore in this parish. There was one portion which was owned by the hayman at the prizon it was called"Tuán Nelcur".

The other fields were named - log Riabach because this field was reserved for grazing a certain breed of grey cattle which Ormsbey's kept.

Pairc na mbó where milch cows grazed.

Tuírín. In this field there was a plantation of tuiríní trees which Ormsby cultivated and exported.

Cúl an Gáirdín, Pairc na Reithe, The Marl field.

Names of fields on Patsy Ausboro's farm at Tavanagh, Stráide, Carra, Mayo.

Gaarris Show= Sow's garden

Cloch-árd

Garra Cruaidh.

Páirc an mhuileann.

Garrry na h-áithe (Kiln field.

Bróbh muilinn

Sraith

Sean-móinfhéar, móinfhear nua

Páirc an muilinn. One day when Patsy Ausboro was digging he came on the foundation of the old mill in this field and he came on a quern which he took home and used as a spud-stone for a gate because of the hole in it.

Cnoc Saxon is situated about a mile from here and is parish of Straide. A battle took place there between natives and saxons. The English suffered a great defeat and the dead were left unburied. The Irish soldiers were buried in consecrated ground at Cnoc an Teampuill. When the priests who were then in Straide Abbey heard that the Saxon soldiers lay unburied they came up to Cnoc Saxon and had a large grave made in which all the corpses were buried together. Over the grave was built a mound of earth and from that mound the place got the name of Cnoc Saxon.

Bushes. There are a few bushes between this school and Ball-Alum.

Sceachóg an mhíle.

Sceachóg and fhascaidh.

Tom-mór

Tom an gairdín (300 years old)

Villages called Drom- máchra, Poll Móna, Bothóg, Baile-an-Ceo,

Baile-na-gCrann, Togh-an-each-mhór, Cregg, Lag-pholl

Bird-Lore

Following are birds which frequent this district:- Wild geese., Wild ducks, snipe, partridge, Cuckoo, Corncrake, Crow, Magpie, magpie, blackbird, thrush, robin, wren, sparrow, Curlew, philibeen, swallow, gold-finch, wag-tail, yellow hammer, lark, linnet.

It is believed that if you rob a bird's nest you will become blind. Robin brings luck-He is looked upon as a blessed bird.

Jade or wood-pecker is looked upon as a bad bird-She can never eat any of the fruit of the earth but lives on insects which she picks out of the bark of trees.

When the Holy Family were on their journey into Egypt, they went into a house to rest. The woman of the house was baking bread. St. Joseph asked an alms of bread. She

took a tiny piece of dough and put it on the griddle. The dough spread into a big cake. She had a bad heart and she could not bring herself to give them such a fine cake. She took another smaller piece of dough and put it to bake on the griddle. It spread in like manner. This the woman also refused to give the holy travellers. She immediately became changed into a bird and flew up the chimney and is still living in the woods picking the barks of the trees.

Teigheann an Caológ-riabhach i-ndiaidh na cúacha i gcommuidhe, ní fios ce'n fáth.

Cures

POSTHUMUS Child has a cure for Lumbago. Lie down and let the child walk across your back.

Creep under briar. This is looked upon as a very wicked thing to do. Gamblers do it in order to get luck at cards and c.

UNDER LADDER OR OVER DOG. It is considered unlucky to walk either under a ladder or to cross a dog. People tell children that they will not grow of they do such things.

WALKING THE GRAVE. It was a custom here to get all the sisters and brothers to walk the grave at the burial of a member of the family.

Daisy, wild dockens and stale forge water are cures for paralytic stroke.

TOOTHACHE. Put a frog into your mouth.

AGUE. Swallow a frog and he shall eat the disease out of your stomach.

THRUSH. Pluck the down off a goose and make it into a roll for the neck.

SILE-SHAW. The gum drops and closes child's mouth, take the child by certain hairs on top of head, lift him up.

FERRET LEAVINGS. The food left after a ferret has eaten is given to people suffering from chin-cough. They are also given ass's milk and are got to walk under the ass three times in the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The ass is looked upon as a blessed animal.

HEADACHE. Some people have a charm for curing headache. They measure the head round the forehead and also around the head and under chin. If there is a difference in the circumference the head is supposed to be open a corresponding amount on top.

DUST IN EYE. Get a saucer of clean water. Say the words prescribed-Spit out and the dust will be on the water.

SEVENTH SON has a cure for evil. Allow him touch, the sore with his hand.

Lore of Certain Days

Monday and Thursday are looked upon as good days to begin work.

Friday is the day for changing from house to house.

The "Cross day" is 1st Feb St. Brigit’s day. Crosses go up that night. People here like to have the potatoes set in lea-land before 1st April and in fallow or stubble land before middle of April.

Rest crop of wheat is set in February.

Turnips are set in May. Turf is cut in this month too.

Days of the Old Cow. There was once a very old Riabach cow. She said that if the month of March were over she would be all right, but 1st April came very bad and the poor old thing died hence 1st April called lá na Riabaighe.

Fógmhar beag na ngaetheadh. When the wheat and oats etc are gathered the geese are let into the stubbles and that is called The Harvest of the geese.

Travelling Folk

Travelling folk generally called "tinkers" travel from place to place still. They go in bands. The women and children ride in light carts driven by the men. They generally have a drove of donkeys, a few dogs and perhaps a goat with them. They camp in tents in some sandpit or sheltered place and often on the side of the road. They choose a place where either turf or timber is plentiful for fire wood.

They then go to the houses in the district selling their wares. The woman do the selling generally, the men do little jobs of work- making cans, saucepans, soldering damaged pots etc. The women beg for everything that it is possible to think of but they would give their eyes for a "sup of milk" for the child.

They generally come to camp near a town for the fair.

The families which most often visit this locality are Naughans, Wards, McDonghs.

Gipsies travel round too. They live in caravans. They sell wicker-work furniture and floor mats of straw. They tell fortunes.

They set the dogs on St. Patrick and have been cursed ever since.

Fairy Forts

Patsy Ansboro told me that when this farm was being divided that the mearing fence happened to be planned across this fort. The workmen refused to dig the sods in the fort. The gent, a man named Barrett came himself and dug the first few sods, this encouraged the men to do the work; but Barrett was in his grave that day twelve months.

There was another fort in the Ran-Park and this Barrett got his men to level it. His herd, a man named O'Neill advised him to let the fort alone. The late Very Reverend Canon Gibbons who was parish priest of Ball some fifty years ago told the people from the altar that they should not interfere with the forts because the people who dwelt within them had their burial places in them too and that they should let the dead rest.

The people call these circular mounds forts now but Patsy says that the "ould" people called them "lios".

Patsy says that there was only one entrance door to these forts and that there was always a person on guard. The door face south. There was also an underground passage used as an escape.

There are three shown on the 26" ordinance survey map of this district and I know another such map on which there are also three forts. These forts are built on elevated ground and tho' you cannot actually see one of them from another I expect that if a beacon were raised on one fort it could be seen from the other. Patsy Ansbro says that it is always possible to see a signal given in one fort from at least two others.

There is a fort quite near this school. It was on that account that the late Manager Very Rev. Canon Reidy R.I.P. changed the name of the school from Prison to Gleann an Dúin. He thought that it was a more pleasant-sounding name that Prison. This particular fort has been divided by a ditch. It is most unusual to find them interfered with in any way.

There was such a passage in the fort on Hunt's land in this townland. There was a hole in the middle of the fort and you could jump down into it and go along the underground passage which was lined and roofed with stone. People called Connolly removed these stones to use for building a wall. These people never had any luck afterwards. The passage was low so that a person would have to stoop very low in order to get through it.

Patsy believes that the forts were built by pagan Irish and had no connection with the Danes.

The fairies were pagans and practised witch craft. The Christians hunted them and it is believed they took refuge in the forts. As no body touches these places, as a rule, foxes, cats, rabbits find a secure refuge in them.

A man named Reilly ploughed a fort in Carrowkeel in this parish and in the morning it was all sprinkled with blood.

It was no surprising thing to see lights around the forts. Patsy often saw them when returning late from a wake or dance.

MAGIC BUSH. There was a bush in Tom Reilly's in this village of Prison which was suppossed to be a magic bush. A near friend of Patsy's bought a set of old pipes for 5/-. He was only a lad then and he used to have the people in the house annoyed rasping at the pipes. They ran him out one evening. He was playing under this white-thorn bush when two little men came round from the back of it and said "Play up Briny".

Briny began to play and the two little men danced and from that day Briny became a famous piper. He went over to London, got married there and brought up his family "on his music". He always had plenty and in the end of his days he returned to Balla bought a house and died happily in Ireland.

The Famine 1846-7

Famine and fever attacked this district. People died and were buried here and there as they had no one to carry the corpses to the grave-yard. Only that relief came there would not be one person left. That was the first time that Indian meal was used. It was distributed according to size of family.

It was in that year that the road which passes by this school was made it leads from Balla to Ballyvary and is known as the Prison Road. It is now steam-rolled.

The people who worked at it in the famine year were paid 5d per day. They had to carry stones in Pardógs on their backs. The Pardóg did not leave their backs the whole day "but" says Patsy "it kept the people alive".

In that time all the P.P. of Balla got for his Xmas collection was £6. The population reduced in this district from 700 to 300. This reduction was caused by both death and emigration. There were some villages wiped out entirely and the stones in the vacated houses were used to make roads and to build bridges.

Patsy said when I asked him the cause of the failure in the potato crop . "The rot came on the potatoes by the will of God". They did not bud or grow for three years. 46-49.

The potatoes rotted in pits and barns.

Seed was then imported from England and it was distributed as relief. The landlord paid half the cost of the seed and the tenant the other half. These were planted very carefully in ridges and drills. One child told me that one man had potatoes as small as head stones and he scattered them as you would do with oats. The neighbours laughed at him. But when Oct. came he had the best crop.

There were families of Hylands, Morans, Dolans, Sweeneys and Lavans who went from this district on the "Emigrant" ships and have never since been heard of. It was generally supposed that these creatures were drowned on the voyage.

Games

The games played in Patsy's childhood were top spinning, taws (marbles) ball playing.

Bird catching in Winter. These were caught in home-made traps. Thrushes, black-birds and sparrows were caught and cooked for soup.

Round the fire lupa borg, and dallóg were most generally played.

Deasaidh. Patsy says there was superstition in the Deasai. If you did not do what you were told something bad would happen to you.

Local Roads

Tavanagh Road which is eastof this school is 1,000 years old. It leads from Bohola to Balla. It was the only approach to Balla from this direction until the famine years when the Prizon Rd. running from Ballyvary to Balla was made.

It was on the Tavanagh Road that funerals went to Balla. The coffins were carried on ropes. This road is still used.

Beside this road there were many boreens, which were very very bad namely:- the bun-buide boreen

Drum Machra "

Tavanagh "

Prizon "

Cregg "

There was no boreen on the Comderra mountain except the bed of the mountain stream when it ran dry.

People used to cross the river by means of "Clocháns". A crowd of men would get together and place big boulders in the shallowest part of the river. There is such a clochán across Sean- Muileann over near the ruined prison. People were often drowned crossing such stones in bad weather and would be found clinging to the stones with "greim na fir báidhte".

Cross-roads. People had to pay a little tax at the cross-roads which went towards the upkeep of the roads.

LEACHTA: If ever a person was killed or died by the road-side or in the field people passing the way used to take a stone and put it on the spot, in this manner the leachtaí grew. There is one Loryhill, Straidhe barony of Gallen and one in Bun- buide in Balla parish.

The Holy Well in Balla

Thousands used to visit it long ago from 15th August (lá Muire beag) to 8th Sept (Lá Muire Mór)

Station 1 Kneel at well and say Pater and Ave.
Go on your knees to altar.
Say seven Paters and Aves.
Go seven times round the tower.

Saint Cronan was buried there 13 centuries ago. Many a blind or paralyzed person was cured there.

The pilgrims used to bring water from the well in bottles and leave little gifts behind as offerings to God. The women would leave a little of their shawls or cloaks.

The well was surrounded by a wall at first but such crowds of people used to be waiting to get to the water that some P.P. got the wall removed.

Superstitions

There are certain nights on which if people sweep the floor when going to bed they find tracks of unknown people in the morning. Some of these nights are 25th March and some Sunday in July.

A person who acts as brides-maid should not get married within a year.

Two brothers or two sisters should not marry within a year.

You should never lend anything on May morning or you should not go near water for nine days before or after Whit-Sunday. Both those days are looked upon as unlucky days and people born on Whit Sunday are supposed to be vicious.

Festivals

ON ST. STEPHEN’S DAY: Little boys go around with a wren in a box which they have decorated with coloured papers. At each house they say

English version

GOOD FRIDAY people used to fast until three o'clock and they spent all their time on their knees praying except when doing any essential work.

EASTER SUNDAY. There was always great eating and drinking. Eggs were always eaten in big numbers at breakfast and tea.

The children used to steal eggs from their parents for the feast in the field on Easter Sunday after dinner.

They then made a fire in the field and cooked and ate the eggs. This was called "pruchóg".

1ST AUGUST people who cannot go on a pilgrimage to Knock perform the stations of the cross in Church after Mass.

ST. MARTIN'S NIGHT 9th Nov people kill fowl and put a tiny drop of the blood on their Sunday clothes.

MICHAELMAS 29th Sept the old women of the village gather together for rosary.

ST. THOMAS'S DAY 22nd Dec just said a prayer in his honour.

HALLOW EVE usual games of 3 saucers and dallog were played. Clean water -young men dirty water foretold a widower.

HALLOWEEN. Ducking for apples- Apple suspended from rafter with coin inserted.

Every girl was blindfolded and each one went into the garden and pulled a head of cabbage and brought it into the house, if it had a crooked leg it meant that that girl would get a husband with a crooked leg. Each girl brought home her own head of cabbage and put it up on the loft. The first man who would visit the house next morning would be the name-sake of her future husband.

ON ST PATRICK'S DAY long ago Patrick's crosses were made for the children and girls. A piece of paper was cut into a circle. A cross of ribbon was pasted on to it and in between the cross the paper was gaily coloured. These crosses were worn on the shoulder . Men all wore shamrock

SHROVE TUESDAY the people in Prison used to make oaten cakes and eat a big meal of meat. We in Turlough always make pan-cakes for tea.

Holy Thursday the old women of the village used to gather together in one house and say the rosary.

WHIT SUNDAY people do not like any living thing to come into the world on Whit-Sunday or during Whit week. They believe it will be sore and poisonous for ever.

MAY MORNING nobody puts down a fire early, no one makes butter. No one lets a spark of fire out of the house. If you go out on May morning and wash in the dew you wont get sun-burned that year.

ST JOHN'S NIGHT every person in the village gives a load of turf. The young people make a huge fire and put a bone in it. They dance round it until day light and when going home bring a sod and throw it into the crop for luck.

Long ago the old people used to go to the bon-fire and walk round it seven times saying the rosary. They then went home and left the young people to enjoy themselves.

The fire was supposed to be in honour of Our Lord's baptism.

Twelve Days of Christmas

Twelve Days of Christmas

The people always liked to have the Xmas provisions in on 22nd Dec. On Xmas eve they used to clean and sweep the chimney and bake bread in the early part of the day. They used to make a big comfortable fire that evening with plenty of bog-deal. At twelve o'clock that night all the villagers gathered to one house for the Rosary.

The windows of the houses were very tiny, but the people used to keep a rush candle lighted in each window on Xmas eve,

Xmas Morn. All the people rose in the dark and went to the 1st Mass. The old people all turned out to late Mass.

Everybody had a goose for dinner which was boiled with a good head of cabbage. There was always plenty of food at Xmas.

The neighbours used to visit in each other's houses all during the festive season. They would have singing and dancing.

New Year's Day. Nobody would spend money on that day.

The first Monday of the new year was called ''Luain na Mban maith'' and every woman would go out doing some work in the garden that day.

Twelfth Night. Twelve rush candles were peeled and dipped in grease and lit through the house, these were kept renewed until twelve o'clock. There was a feast on that night just as on Xmas night. Potato cake loaf-bread and currant cake.

Care of Farm Animals

The ass has to stay out in winter.

The cow house used to be called stábla-bó. The cattle are chained to stakes now. Long ago they were tied to stakes by means of spanshal straw ropes, these were made from good long rushes. The rushes were beatled and thrown into a bog-hole. Then they were dried and afterwards made into ropes. These ropes were as good as hemp and did not cut the cows' foot like a hemp rope.

If a cow were cross her horn was tied to her foot, this tying was called a crom-nasc. When the hind and fore foot were tied the tying was called a side-lay. It is considered lucky to have a branch in the form of a cross in the stable, but in the horses stable a horse shoe is hung.

After a cow calves people take a coal and put it round her body three times in the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost before they milk her.

I have heard from Mrs. Walshe of Chancery, parish of Keelogues, Barony of Carra, Mayo that it was a habit with the people to hang a taírgne crudh tied in a red rag on the cows tail before she calved. This was to keep away the fairies for fear they would harm the cow after calving.

No milk was given away after the 1st churning. Milk was never on any account given away on May day.

Mrs. Walshe said that there were wicked people who used to charm away their neighbours butter. She told me the following story which she seemed to quite believe about a woman who lived behind the town of Castlebar. She was an innocent woman who did not believe in charms. Whenever she was churning a neighbouring woman used to rush in in a great hurry ("in a great gether") as Mrs Walshe said, and ask for a loan of some kind, perhaps a grain of salt or tea or flour. She would be in too great a hurry to wait and take a hand at the churn. The poor woman could never get any return of butter from her milk.

One day a neighbouring man came in and said "Well, mam, do you want to get your butter back?" She said "Indeed no one could take my butter.

"Now"said he, the next time you are churning send for me."

Patsy says that some people have the power of changing themselves into horses. The greatest racehorse that ever ran was an enchanted lady. She called the racehorse her own name which was "Miss Lizzie". She won all before her and so robbed hundreds of people. There was a noble sportsman at the time named Sir Arthur Melvin. He owned the best breed of horses in Ireland. He had such confidence in his horses that he bet all he owned on them. "Miss Lizzie" won it all. The "ould fellow from below" came and bargained with Melvin. The latter was easily tempted. The devil promised Sir Arthur that he would win all his property back for him. He gave him money and told him to put down the stakes-Miss Lizzie took the challenge and the race day was appointed. The devil came secondly to Sir Arthur and said My name is "Skyball". Bring in your jockey bridle and saddle on the morning of the race. Sir Arthur did his bidding. He found a fine horse in the stable. He spoke three words to the jockey viz.

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Cows are tied in the barn at night from October, and calves from November until 1st May.

Cows get straw and turnips and hay while tied in. In hard weather that is when there is snow or frost they require to get a mash. They are never let out in bad weather only for a drink.

Sheep are kept in shelter during bad weather. They get turnips or oil-cake.

Horses are never let out in winter. They are fed on hay and they get a little oats.

Names generally called to cows are Poll, Sall, Straight horn, Crooked horn Maol cow, bo dubh, bo riabach, this latter is the best kind of cow.

When you want a cow to keep quiet while milking you say "Hush! Hush!"

Calves get the same food as cows, but turnips must be chopped very small for them. They get a sheaf of half-thrashed oats, this is called Scobóilté.

She did so. The man came and put twelve irons in the fire According as the irons were reddening in the fire the woman who had charmed away the butter was feeling red hot until at last she could not endure her condition any longer. While the churning was in progress she rushed in and asked the woman from whom she had taken the butter to allow her take a turn at the churning and as soon as she laid her hand on the dash the churn became so full of butter that the dash could not be stirred.

I heard a similar story from a woman who came from Bofield, Ballina.

There is a small of fire put under the churn for the first churning which is made after a cow calves to prevent people charming away the butter.

Patsy Ansbro says that people never give away butter on May Day "No Fear".

A black-smith does not like to shoe-nails of the old horseshoes. The owner of the horse clips the hair and hides or buries it as he would not like it to be carried off by a bird.

"Stick tight to your saddle,

Brave boy, do not fear,

We'll show them some sport on the Plains of Kildare.

When brave Arthur Melvin the lots

He did count,

He ordered his jockey on "Sky bell" to mount.

Before all spectators get ready and away

The moment has arrived we no

Longer can stay.

If you were to see them as they went round

You'd vow in your heart their feet never touched ground.

When "Sky ball" went round half way

In the course himself and his

Jockey began to discourse.

Come tell me, brave rider, Come

Tell it to me how far is Miss

Lizzie this instant from me.

Sky ball, you have run in an

Excellent style, Miss Lizzie behind

You an English half-mile.

If you go round next time as you

have done before

Either Nemrod or Lyer can never

do more".

Patsy Ansboro says that Colonel Moors of Moor Hall, Co Mayo owned a race horse which was kept in the stables 7 years.

His name was "Erin's Hope".

Local "calls" for birds and animals.

"Chuck, Chuck to hens

"Tweet, Tweet " ducks

"Badha, Badha" " geese

"Furust, Furust" " pig

"Meg, Meg" " goat

"Má, Ma" " sheep

Puss " cat

Friday is considered a lucky day for setting eggs. An uneven number is considered lucky. The eggs are marked with ink or soot.

Churning

There are two kinds of churns in use now-a- days. The most common and the oldest fashoned is the dash churns. It lasts about seven years. It consists of the cuinneóg, or vessel for holding the cream, the loithne or dash, the folach which is the lid, cupán or clabin which is a kind of wooden washer which is slipped down over the dash handle to prevent the butter milk from splashing about.

Butter is only made once a week in winter. Long ago the people in this district churned every second day in summer and generally kept three cows. At present the people of this district send all their milk to the creamery.

All people even visitors had to take a turn at the churning in times gone by, but this custom is not so rigidly observed now.

A churning takes about 1 hour; but some milk is easily churned and will not take a whole hour. When the butter is made little bumps are seen on the dash and lid and sides of the churn. These are rinsed down into the milk by pouring a small quantity of water on them.

Long ago the butter was lifted out of the churn with a wooden cup, but now it is lifted with a long-handled strainer. The butter is then washed three times in a wooden dish and is pressed and mixed with a pair of wooden butter spades. When all the buttermilk is removed the butter is salted and moulded and made ready for use.

The buttermilk is used for making bread and for going to pigs.

Care of Feet

Fifty years ago, children never got shoes before they were eight or nine years old and sometimes not until they were 12 years.

Children now only go bare footed in summer.

In the past there were three shoemakers in this district namely: - Tom McHugh, Martin Moran, and -McTighe. These have all died. Shoemaking was not a tradition in their families.

There is no local shoemaker now. Long ago shoes were made by these men, but now shoemakers only mend.

Shoes can be bought so cheaply in the shop that those made by shoemakers are considered too dear to purchase.

Clogs were very much worn in the past and are still worn by all the pupils attending this school in winter.

If you had a good pair of "uppers" you could buy the soles and the clogger would make the clogs. Some years ago, there was a clogger on the road from Prizon to Ballyvary.

Clothes Made Locally

There is only one tailor in this locality named Domnick Gavan. He does not get much work to do. There is a tailor in Balla named McNamara who does a bigger trade.

Local Fairs

There is no fair held in the locality at present. At one time there was a pig fair held at Kearn's Cross Road in the village of Tavanagh parish of Straidhe.

The nearest fair which is held now-a-days is held in Balla.

The fair is now held on the street of the town, but some years ago before the land was divided and when the large farms were grazed entirely the fairs were so large that they had to be held in the fair green.

There is a fair held every month recently and no toll is paid at these fairs, but there are eight fairs of long standing held on the following dates

Jan 22nd, March 19th, May 1st, June 11th,August 11th, Sept 24th, Nov 7th Dec 12th and toll is paid at each of them. The land Commission receives the toll now, in former times the land Lord Sir Robert Bloss Lynch got it.

Amount paid in toll is as follows

Calves 4d per head

Two-year olds 6d '' ''

Cows 8d '' ''

Horses 1/- '' ''

Sheep 3d '' ''

Donkeys 6d '' ''

Lambs 1d '' ''

No toll paid on pigs.

Luck money is paid. The rate of 2/- in £10 is considered decent luck money.

At the closing of a bargain the men say to each other "Hold your hand". They clap hands but never spit now. At one time spitting was done as an indication that this bargain was agreed upon. The buyer generally carries a marker now for marking the beasts which he buys. In olden times when a beast was purchased, he was marked with a bit of mud. If the buyer intends to sell the beast over again, he simply clips a bit of its hair in order to mark it.

When a horse is sold the seller presents the buyer with a new halter for the beast.

The Landlord

Sir William Dumbell was land-lord of Prison before the Land Commission bought out the property. He never lived in or even saw the place. He lived in Heywood Hall, Ballinakill, Queen's Co. He was the best land-lord in Ireland. (Since Patsy Ausboro gave me this information I have been told by a native of Ballinakill that Dumbell was looked upon by the people of Queen's Co. as a notorious tyrant.) He was very rich and he kept the property in good condition. There was no eviction on this part of his property and no planting. He got Tavanagh, Loryhill and Craggagh as a dowery with his wife who was a Miss French of Roscommon and as Prison adjoined these places he bought it and the surrounding townlands of Cregg, Druimluacra and Lisnolan. Cregg he bought from Captain Fitzmaurice of Lagaturn near Balla. He purchased Druimluchra from a John Nolan and he bought Lisnolan from a man named Meade who lived at Bridgemount, Belcarra.

He made no change in the division of land. The Ormsby's of Knockmore had the grazing of 400 acres of the Prizon farm.

This landlord, Ormsby was not hard on the tenants but his heir was an imbicile and the agent who acted for him was a great tyrant named Spencer.

He rose the rents considerably. He also insisted on the tenants marrying girls who lived on the property and one man who married a girl from another property was evicted by him.

Tithes were paid here until the Emancipation bill was passed. These were collected by the parsons. Money was paid as a rule but those who could not pay in cash had to pay in kind and if they did not do so willingly seizures were made on their property. There were no tithes wars round here. Long ago if a tenant was unable to pay the rent on collection day he was evicted immediately.

Land Agitation

The first Land League meeting was held in Irish-town, Claremorris, Co. Mayo 1879. The people were addressed by Michael Davitt (a native of Straidhe) which is only seven miles from this school) and James, Daly, Tommie Brennan, Patrick Nally and Jordan.

These men advised the people not to pay any "rack-rent". The term "Rack" was applied to a rent which was higher than the valuation of the land. This campaign lasted for some time but the landlords refused to yield to the demands of the tenants.

In 81 and 82 Parnell brought the question before the English Parlim.

Evictions took place wholesale, but not on these parts of Dumbell's estate, though the process server often came here. The women fought the Process Server well. They used to attack him with white-wash brushes. He was a man named Jennings and lived in Turlough. The house which he lived in is still to be seen in that village. He brought a bodyguard of soldiers from Castlebar on a few occasions but the soldiers only enjoyed the women's battle with the bailiff and made no attempt to protect him.

Balfour settled the land question:- He had great influence as his uncle Lord Salisbury was prime minister.

Parnell's Bills-3 Fs

Free rent, Fixed tenure, Free Sale.

The land bill killed the power of the Landlords. They got into debt. The Congested District Board then bought out the land and the Landlords left the country by degrees.

The South Mayo Police struck against protecting the Landlords, bailiff and sheriffs. Patsy Ansbro says that Balfour and the S.Mayo police were the first friends the tenants had.

All the young men of this district, Patsy included, were organised, sworn in and drilled, and if any man grabbed land or did anything tyrannical, two or three of these young men were told off to either shoot or card the tyrant. Herds were not allowed to herd cattle for land-grabbers and cattle drives often took place.

A man named Dempsey was evicted near Manulla on the Blosse Lynch estate. Parnell employed a special train to come and have the tenant re-instated.

The Molly Maguires

About one hundred years ago many lawless men went out through the country at night for the purpose of plunder. These called themselves the Molly McGuires. They went disguised and wore old women’s' caps with borders.

When they knock at a door if the person inside asked who was there, they replied Molly McGuire, and if they did not gain admission instantly they entered by force. They demanded what money they thought to be in the place and sometimes settled for £1.

At that time a married couple who had a servant girl got an invitation to a wedding. They did not like to go and leave the housekeeper alone in such disturbed times, and still they did not like to decline the invitation. The master of the house always kept a loaded gun and a sword in the house for protection.

When going to the party he told the housekeeper if she heard any noise outside to fire a shot and the "Mollies" would think that he was at home.

Late that evening a poor looking man came in carrying a heavy bag on his back. He asked for a nights lodging. The girl said that lodgers were never kept in that house. "Well" said he "I shall throw my bag under the stair-case as I am tired carrying it and I shall call for it tomorrow.

When she put the children to bed, she lit the lamp and sat at the fire reading. After a while she looked round and what did she see but an eye peeping through a hole in the bag. She at once took the gun from the wall and fired into the bag and killed the man. She was terribly frightened there alone in the house with a dead man. Just then she heard a noise coming down the chimney and who should it be but another man. She shot him dead too.

There was some kind of a drain in the kitchen and after a while she heard another noise in it, just then she saw a man's head appear through the drain. The gun was now empty, but she seized the sword and struck the man on the top of the skull. He withdrew again and escaped.

In the morning when the master returned, he sent for police and neighbours.

He then promised the girl that he would give her a fortune and get her well married when he would find a suitable match, as a reward for her bravery. She remained in that house for a good while.

One day a friend called on his way to a fair. The master of the house began to discuss the girl with him and he said that he knew of a man who had a good place and who wanted a wife and said that he might be able to bring about a match between them.

It happened that they met this day man at the fair next day. The subject of the match was discussed. "Let there be no more about it now" said the prospective groom, but come to my house tomorrow and we shall see further. They went. They could fault nothing. The match was agreed to. He came and married the girl and brought her to his house.

A few nights afterwards when they were seated at the fire the husband said to his bride, "I have a headache" and he left his head down on her lap. She looked at it. "Ara" said she, "sure there's a piece gone out of the top of your skull".

"There is" said he "and you know who knocked it off. You killed two of our men, but we have you now."

They had a fire built outside to burn her. He locked her into a room and went out to look at the fire. The wife squeezed herself through a tiny window in the room and made off. She met a man in a field and asked him not to tell anybody that he saw her. Shortly afterwards her pursuers came up to him on horse-back and told him that they were searching for a girl who had gone out of her mind. He told them that it wasn't half an hour since then that he saw such a person making towards the river. They followed and went up and down by the river bank but found no trace of her. it was then too late for them to go further so they returned home and she reached the house of her former employer in safety.

When he heard of her dreadful experience he told her not to worry that she was now safe.

He then wrote a friendly letter to the husband and asked him to come and dine. He accepted the invitation. When he came the man expressed surprise that he had not his wife with him. "Ah!" said he "she would not return before a month".

The dinner was served, and just as they were about to begin to eat, in walked the woman. Her husband flung his knife at her. "Now" said the master you will get what you had intended for her. They made a bon-fire and threw him into it and he was burned to ashes.

There were two "Mollies" one called Gallagher and another called Walshe put to death at the old Prison from which this place gets its name. That old Prison is now in ruins, nothing standing but the chimneys. Three hundred years ago it was the only prison in Mayo.

Scéal

Nuair is cruaidh do'n ceallaigh caitfidh sí rith.

Sheep stealing was also a common offence in the lawless days. There were two sheep-stealers one Langan and a man named Higgins hanged here for sheep-stealing.

There was a family living near the graveyard in Mayo Abbey. The old mother lived with her two sons and a daughter. The daughter died. The poor old mother was paralyzed. The very night the daughter was buried the sheep-stealers came to the grave-yard and made a fire to roast a stolen sheep. One of the sons saw the fire and came in to tell his mother. The poor old mother frightened that perhaps it was her daughter's spirit that was at the fire, "Go over and speak to the person who is at the fire" said she to her son. "We won't indeed" said the boys. "Well" said she, "Bring me and I shall speak to her.

They rolled a blanket round her and carried her out.

When they were approaching the fire, a man stood up and said "Is she fat?". The lads threw down their load and ran as fast as they could but the old woman who had been paralyzed for years ran too and was in the house as soon as them.

"Ara, said the boys, how did you come in mother?

"Ah!" said she "nuair is cruaidh do'n cailligh caithfidh sí rith."

Superstition about Burial of Priest

It is not considered lucky to remove a priest's remains from the parish in which he ministers.

Patsy Ansbro told me the following story:- About 200 years ago there was a Father Sheridan who was a native of Balla ministering in Kilmaine, Co. Mayo. He got sick and died. His relatives were summoned and they went taking with them a coffin.

When they arrived at the priest's house he was already coffined. The friends were entertained and then left in the room with the corpse. When they found themselves alone they put the coffin which contained the remains out the window and left the empty coffin in its place. They drove away with the corpse and buried it in Balla. There is a tomb-stone erected to his memory in the cemetry.

A plague is supposed to visit the parish if the corpse of the priest in not interred in it.

Buying and Selling

In Patsy's youth i.e. about 70 years ago there was very little necessity for shops, for the people used to grind their own oatmeal and that was the most they were wanting. In those times there was not 1 yd. of cloth sold in the town of Balla for the people used to make all the cloth they wore except the cord" (corduroy)

Patsy remembers when there were only two drapery shops in Castlebar, one owned by Toby Thomas and one belonging to Murdocks. These people are there no longer. Murdock was a Scotch man.

Buying or selling was never done on Sunday, but after Mass on holidays. If you had not ready cash to pay for goods, the traders would accept potatoes, eggs, butter and fowl often labour as payment. "Boot" meant a little money given along with the goods which were exchanged in order to make up the value.

If two men wished to exchange cows at a fair and one cow happened to be more valuable than the other, the exchange would take place but the man who has the inferior cow would give £1 or £2 "to boot".

"Tick and Credit" were terms also used. Nobody would like to do business on either New Year’s Day or Nov 2nd. They respected the souls of their dead by remaining altogether idle on Nov 2nd.

Coins in use 80 or even 70 years ago were guinea, soverign, 1/2 sov. 5/- piece, half crown, 2/- piece, 1/- piece, 10d bit, 6d bit, 4d bit, 1d, 1/2d, 1/4.

Patsy says that he heard of coins coming back to their owner, but he does not know how it was done. "How could it be done" says he, without something bad in it?".

People used to spit on their money when putting it into their pockets so that it could not be stolen by witchcraft.

Old Houses

In Patsy's boyhood the people in Prizon district all lived in low thatched houses. The roofs were thatched with rushes or shelling-strings or straw. They kept their hens, pigs and cows in the house along with themselves. They had no out houses.

In every house there was a bed in the kitchen. It was placed in the cailleach which was a recess in the back wall. The chimney was generally in the gable. The front or surround of the fireplace was sometimes built of stones and mortar and sometimes of platted rods plastered with mortar, the latter was called "shimiléar crannóg"

Sometimes there was no glass in the windows, then a wooden shutter was clapped up at night. The floors were of mortar or flags. Half-door were and still are used. Rush and bog deal candles were the lights used. There was a kind of candlestick made by the smith. It would hold three kinds of candles.

Leprechauns

"You're right enough said the man you have a good pair of shoes. Who made them?" "The lad" put up his head out of the apron.

"I made them" said he and I'm the man that was able to make them. Say no more now but be going."

The man went off and the pair went home.

Shortly afterwards the woman was coming down from the room one day. She struck her toe against the threshold and then she began to curse.

The leprechaun told her that his people were about to change their abode and that he would have to leave her. "But before I go" said he "dig up the ground where you struck your toe and you will find something". She dug and found a pot of gold.

This happened at Ballinamore, Parish of Kiltimagh, Mayo. The woman was a Mrs. Quinn. The neighbours always said that the family might thank the leprechaun for their "good means".

Patsy once heard of a woman who caught a "leprechaun". These Leprechauns are all shoemakers. The woman brought the one she caught home to the town and bought leather and tools for him. She made a place for him beside the fire. He was very dutiful and made splendid shoes. He got all the trade of the district, but she got the money. This pair were one day in the town and they bought a stock of leather the woman paid for it. She tied it in her shawl and put it on her back. The evening came- very bad, so she took "the lad" and threw him into her apron.

The walked along and a man got up to them. They spoke about the weather.

Mermaid

It is said that mermaids were often seen in Lough na Minno and Carra Mor lake which are both in the Parish of Balla, Carra, Mayo.

Before a death in any of the villages near these lakes the mermaid would be heard as if batting clothes on the brink of the water.

Tailor and Horse

In this village of Prison lived a tailor. He had a house and garden. He was paying rent to Ormsby of Knockmore but he always gave the land-lord a week's work instead of cash for rent. He went to do the sewing in Mrs Ormsby's house at Knockmore.

One night when returning home very late after his day's work he saw a little horse grazing on the side of the road near the village of Carrakeel. He went riding on the little horse thinking that she belonged to Ormsby. The horse began to wheel round and twist and turn, but the tailor could not knock a step out of her. He did his best to drive her but failed.

Next day he returned to work at Ormsby's. He told the groom about this horse. Ah! said the groom, I'll give you a pair of spurs tonight and then you will make her walk."

When the tailor was coming home, he had the spurs on him. He found the horse in the same place. He mounted him and spurred him. Away went the horse over hedges and ditches and whins and briars and the tailor could not dismount. He kept racing round until dawn and then took him back and left him where he mounted him.

The tailor returned very weary to his work on the following morning.

When coming home that night he had his scissors and leath-bórd under his arm. The horse was in the same spot. When the tailor was passing him, he raised his head and asked: "Have you the sharp things tonight?"

The poor tailor frightened. He ran away and the horse followed him and in the swinging of his hand he struck the horse with the scissors and he fell dead.

(I got a version of this story from one of my pupils which says that the tailor kept making the sign of the cross behind his back with the scissors.)

The tailor told the story of his experience to the neighbours when he arrived home.

Next morning when the men were going to their work, they found a huge black stick where the horse fell and from that day to this that place has been called "Maide Dubh".

Cloth Woven at Night

Bréidín ráth -an airdeáir

There was a weaver once living here in prison (the ruins of his house are still to be seen).

One night when he was about to close his door the house suddenly became filled with people. They began to spin and weave and continued doing so until they had a good piece of cloth woven. When the cock crew they all stood up and disappeared.

The man brought the cloth to the parish priest next day and it was used as an altar cloth in the old church in Balla for many years.

Old Ruins

He used to try and pass sentence on the prisoners as he wished.

There were one hundred and six people executed there. As many more died from confinement and want. The creatures remain are all buried in the immediate vicinity of the prison, but no special burial plot was laid out.

The hangman's name was Neilén Brady. He had a farm of sixty acres of the best land in Prison and this land is to this day called "Trían Neilén."

This was the only jail in Mayo until after the death of Queen Elizabeth.

The Bingham's then came into power and the prison was then closed and a new jail built in Castlebar where the Bank of Ireland stands now.

Tibóid was assasinated between Castle Carra and Castle Burke and he is buried in Ballintubber abbey. His mother Gráine O'Malley died of heartbreak because her son betrayed his country.

In Balla there are the ruins of two churches. The first was built by St Cronan thirteen hundred years ago, and its ruins are in the old graveyard.

After St. Cronan's death a larger church was built where the creamery now stands and the field near it is still called Chapel-field.

The 3rd church was built in the centre of the old graveyard and its altar is still there. The fourth church is still perfect though not now used as a church and the 5th church is the one which was erected in 1919 by the late Very Rev. Canon Reidy P.P.

There is a ruined tower near the ruins of St. Cronans church.

It is said that the 2nd church was plundered and burned but it is not known by whom.

The ruins of a prison stand in this place and from that prison this district got its name.

It was a very large building the floor was 1/2 rood in area. There are three of its chimneys still standing. They are about 40' high. There is also a portion of the walls still in existence. When in full repair it had all the appearance of a dungeon. There were no windows in the lower walls. There were eight windows on the upper storeys.

The female prisoners were housed up-stairs and there too the keepers and officers of the jail dwelt. The under portion was always in complete darkness.

There is a little stream flowing quite near the site of the jail. From this stream the prisoners had to pump water for the use of the house. It was in that prison the first thread mill was worked.

The governor of this jail was Toby Bourke-better known by the name "Tibóid na luinge!

Old Mill

Ossianic Tale

When Oisin returned from Tír-na-nÓg he was blind. St. Patrick was building a Church at Lough Derg. Oisin was wandering about. All the men stood up looking at him on account of his great age. The noticed that he was making for the lake. St. Patrick told the men to stop him for fear he would be drowned. "We won't go near him, "said they. "Go yourself." St. Patrick did go. He took him by the hand and lead him into his house. The next day Oisin was yoked to the cart and put drawing stones and he was able to bring more stones than a horse as feeble as he was.

St. Patrick's own servant boy was leading Oisin.

After a while something used to come at night and throw down the walls of the church which they were building.

"You say you can do a great deal" said Oisin to St. Patrick one day. "Give me my sight and strength as I once had them and I shall see it out with whatever is knocking these walls."

When the pup grew to be a hound Oisin suggested to the boy that they should go for a hunt. They fixed a certain day. When the day arranged for the hunt came the boy put a rope on the hound's neck and they set off.

They climbed a very high hill. When they reached the top Oisin told the boy to look round him to see what was on the summit. "There is a big rock here said the boy and it is covered with ivy every leaf of which is as big as a riddle. There is also a rowan-berry tree every berry of which is as big as my head."

Go said Oisin and bring me a leaf of the ivy and one of the rowan berries. Lift up the rock now and see if there is anything under it."

"Ara" said the boy, All the men we have would not lift it. "Many a time," said Oisin I lifted it and threw it with one hand. Fix my shoulder to it and I might be able to lift it." The boy did as Oisin directed and Oisin heaved up the rock. He then told him to see if anything lay concealed under it.

"Yes" said the boy "there is a whistle and a ball here. "Blow the whistle now" said Oisin. The boy obeyed.

"Do you see anything?" said Oisin.

All the birds of the country are coming and alighting upon the hill" said the boy.

When they arrived, he showed these thing to the old house-keeper and told her she never cooked a leg of mutton like that. He then fired the ball at her and knocked out her eye.

She made a sore complaint to Saint Patrick and the boy also revealed to the Saint all he had seen Oisin doing and said that if he did not take steps that he was afraid Oisin would do mischief.

Saint Patrick was afraid that Oisin would die without being baptised. So next night he took him out and showed him a vision of hell. Oisin saw his two brothers namely Goll and Oscur in hell thrashing with flails.

"Oh!" said Oisin "You have a hard time there."

"They are getting enough of it themselves as well as we are" answered Oscur. Just then the tug of his flail broke.

"Ask a request" said St. Patrick to Oscur "Oh!" said Oscur "Put a tug in my flail that will never break" said Oscur.

"Why did you not ask more than that " said St. Patrick "and you would get it.

"I did not think I would get more" said Oscur.

"Now" said the saint turning to Oisin would you like to go there?"

"Bring me home and cut me up as fine as tobacco" said poor Oisin, "before I go there". Patrick brought him home and brought him into the room to baptise him. He lit a candle and put it into a candlestick which had three very sharp prongs. Patrick accidentally stuck one of the prongs in Oisin's foot. When the ceremony of baptism was over Oisin was to his ankles in blood.

Saint Patrick was much disconcerted at this and asked poor Oisin why he did not tell him the prong had wounded him, but Oisin thought that that was part of the baptismal ceremony. "You are now a Christian" said St Patrick. Next morning Oisin was found dead.

Saint Patrick restored Oisin's sight and strength. That night Oisin sat in the corner of the building.

After a while a bull came out of the lake and began to rip the building with his horns. Oisin got up and gripped the bull by the horns. They wrestled and dug and tore and tottered a whole rood of ground around the church and at last Oisin killed the bull.

When the work men came to work in the morning they frightened. They requested St. Patrick to deprive Oisin of his strength again. St. Patrick complied with their request.

Oisin said to him "If you had left me my sight and strength I would have worked wonders for you."

Saint Patrick said to him "Let me baptise you."

"I shall not" said Oisin.

Saint Patrick had an old blind housekeeper who used not give Oisin half enough to eat. Often Saint Patrick would say to her I would get an ivy leaf as big as the cake you make, and a rowan berry as big as the roll of butter, a leg of a bird as big as the leg of mutton you bring me.

They had a hound in the house. One day Oisin asked the servant boy if the hound would soon have pups. "I think she will" said the boy. Soon afterwards the hound had three pups.

"Now" said Oisin to the boy, throw the three pups up on the house and we shall keep the one which will not roll down. The boy threw up the 1st pup and he rolled down, the second also rolled down, but the third pup stuck his nails in the thatch and kept his hold. They reared that one.

Nicholas Ruane my uncle. Nicholas Ruane,Tawnaghmore Balla and London. Photo was taken at Derryea Kiltimagh Co Mayo. In 1986.jpg

"Is there a big bird among them?" asked Oisin.

"There is one as big as a cow" replied the boy.

"Let loose the hound" commanded Oisin.

The dog immediately made for the biggest bird. A terrible fight ensued. Oisin asked which was winning. At last the bird was killed. The boy then blew the whistle and the hound returned with flames of fire coming from his mouth.

""He'll kill us both" said the boy "for he is mad.

"Hand me the ball we found beneath the rock" said Oisin He then flung the ball with such force that it entered the hound's mouth and went through his body, and the animal fell dead.

Oisin and his companion set out for home. They brought with them the ivy leaf and rowan berry and when they reached the dead bird Oisin pulled off one of its legs and put it over his shoulder and continued the homeward journey.

Religious Stories

Patsy says that during the Penal days when the priests said Mass in secret places that people often heard bells ringing from the direction where the Holy Sacrifice was to be offered. These people would go in that direction and would find the priest offering Mass.

He also says that a next-door neighbour of his, a man called Reilly told him that his grandfather dreamed one night that Mass was to be celebrated in a certain place next morning. He rose before dawn and went to the place which he saw in the vision and actually found the priest saying Mass there.

Some people who got sudden deaths were seen receiving the last Sacraments from an unknown hand.

Poor Scholars

These were poor boys who went about from place to place in search of charity. They attended the hedge and even national schools. The master would send such a boy home with the pupil one night and with another on another night so on.

Patsy remembers two "poor scholars being in this district, one named Connolly and the other a boy called Swords."

There was once a school-master named O'Hara in Knocksaxon who was reared a poor scholar.

Old Graveyard

"Cillín". The name given to a place where unbaptised children were buried.

There is such a place in Balla near where the creamery now stands. There is another in Carnahan and still another in Knockmore.

They are all round in shape. They are now closed and not used.

There was a little church in each one. There are three large grave-yards in the Belcarra half of the parish namely;

Drum, Guestean and Elmhall.

Emblems and Objects of Value

Everyone round here still makes St. Bridget's crosses. They are made of straw woven on a frame of two sticks in shape of a cross. They are then placed in the roof of the kitchen near a rafter on St. Bridget's night. They are often left on from year to year until many of them accumulate. St. Patrick's cross used to be made with ribbon on paper for the children to wear on St. Patrick's day.

Prayers

There are four corners on my bed

And on them lie four angels spread.

One to sing, one to pray and two to carry my soul away.

If I die before morning, May the heavens be my bed

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

Bless the bed that I lie on.

Our Lord with a branch, Our Lady

With a flower meet my soul at my last hour.

Prayers

I lay my body down to sleep

I pray to God my soul to keep.

The Blessed Virgin waken me

If any evil spirit comes to me.

Superstitious Belief

Prayers

When I lie down upon my night side

I pray to God to be my guide.

If I die before I wake

I pray to God my soul to take.

Four corners on my bed, four angels

On them spread.

Lady be the branch, Lord be the Flower

At my last hour.

Mary A. O' DohertyMary A. O' Doherty27 March 2021Comment