Mayo Alive - 9 December
1996
"OUR
ROAD"
By Michael J. Carney, Ardboley, Balla
Our Road is the shortest thoroughfare from the village of Mayo Abbey to the town of Claremorris. It starts off at Borkans' Hill, just beside Malachy Byrne's premises, originally known as Stephens'. It takes two snake-like turns dividing the old church and cemetery from the new graveyard. It leads over through Kilbride, Knockaunakill and Harefield; at Halligans' Cross it takes two directions - it winds easily to the left out through Mossbrook and onto the main N60. Also at Halliqans' Cross it bears sharp to the right and takes you to Dromady and out into the unknown. A short distance up the road at Nallys' cross, it goes left through Clooshanbo and meets the parish of Claremorris, over on the high road, eventually emerging at Ardroe, just beside the town. It is of the Mayo Abbey end that I write, and my memories of it.
It was along this road that I was born and reared. Like so many others around me, I grew up a happy and care-free youngster. It was then a busy and lively road; busy with people as they went about their work and their business and busy with children as they made and played their way to and from school. In those days everyone walked to school. The road was just thronged. The Connollys came from Dromady, they were the furthest. The Joyces, from Harefield, the Roughneens, Jim Conlon, R.I.P., the Higgins, the Ruanes, Bernie Reilly (Morans), Margaret Ruane (Tuohy's) and the Barnicles all came from Knockaunakill. The Morans, Killeens (2 houses), the Carneys and Nallys (2 houses) came from Kilbride. The Healys from Barnagregaun, the Burkes and the O'Garas, a little while later, came up "John Willie's" road from Shinanaugh. Paddy and Bridie Conroy from beside the old church; Glynns (2 houses) from Portagh and Francy Dunne, Monard came up The Parks road and onto our road just beside the graveyard. Their is no doubt Our Road did its bit in keeping up the school average!
Being one of the main arteries of the parish, Our Road also saw a lot of activity as the people of its hinterland went to and fro about their daily business. People went to Mass, to the shops, to the different towns. They drove their cows and cattle along the road and went about their regular chores. Each season brought about its own jobs. In Spring the horse-loads of yard manure were brought out and spread on the drills for the potatoes and on the meadow lands for the hay. Artificial manure was scarce; Juanna and North-African rock it was called then, and came in two-hundred-weight bags. The turf was cut with a slain in the Spring or early Summer. In June or July the hay was cut and saved. The turf was dried by then and brought home by horse and cart, each cart having its own peculiar sound or "knock", as it was called. People often went in twos and helped one another. Indeed the Rathduff people came up "the New Road" at Godwins' in convoys. Big strong industrious farmers and all well shod. The horse loads of hay were brought from the Parks and other "con-acre" fields. A very familiar and unusual sight along Our Road was old Ned Corcoran drawing cocks of hay with his "bogey", or float, and pulled by their lovely black sire horse. There is not enough space to explain about the hay bogey. By then the corn was cut and brought along the road. There were seven or eight good stacks in everyones' haggart.
This was a time when people were safe in their own homes. A time when you went out the field or maybe even to town without locking the door or the windows. A time when people helped one another, and when your own work was done, you would be sent to someone that was behind with theirs or might not have much help. People milked their two or three cows by hand and fed their calves by buckets and lent and borrowed when there was a scarcity. It was pre-EEC times and no one knew anything about cattle or sheep headage. Quotas weren't dreamt about and the taxman or the accountant were people that went to night school in America and did well for themselves! If the calf sucked the cow you were considered a "latchakoo". People visited one another in their own homes and brought all the local "newseens". Visiting was in fact a great form of entertainment. Lots of neighbours came to our house and to quote a line from a song: "the whistler on a summers eve comes rambling ore the Hills". And whistling they came; up from Moonwee, Corskeagh, down Kilbride Boreen and back from Knockaunakill. They talked about everything; the work that was going on, the hay making, the turf cutting, the spraying of the spuds or if there was any sight of blight (blight was always a big scare), the fair day and the prices. But the war was the big topic. They talked about such notorious people as Hitler and Mussolini and the fierce generals Sychki and Rommel who was known as the Desert Fox. They talked about Roosevelt and Churchill and the concentration camps in Belsen and other unusual sounding places. They talked about the mysterious Lord Ha Ha, a native of Leenane on the Mayo- Galway border, who broadcast German propaganda on the radio. Sometimes we were too scared to go to bed. Later in the night the older fellas would go back to Hubert's (Donlons) where further topics were discussed. Hubert was a returned Yank and boy, could he tell some stories!
Card playing was another past time. When a pig was killed, often times the pig's head was played for. At times the game went on till 12 or 1 o'clock in the morning. There is a funny story about the card game for the goose that wasn't! The goose - gender unknown - was first played for, in some house along Our Road. It was won and played for in practically every house in the area. "Dev" Fallon won and played for it a couple of times in Curry. When the season ended and the last winner went to claim the goose, it could not be located. Clearly the bird has flown!
The mare season as it used to be called was also a busy time along Our Road. There was almost a continuous trek of mares on their way to Corcorans' in Knockaunakill where there were three or four fine Sire horses kept. People came from such "far away" places as Straide, Keelogues, Breaffy, and even Killawalla, and of course back from the other side as well. Often they called to the houses on the road for directions, or maybe to light a cigarette, or kindle the pipe, or just for a drink of spring water which was brought up in buckets from Murphy's well, now the source of a large group water scheme. They would greet the people working in the fields by saying: "God bless the work" and the answer back would come "and you too sir". Sometimes they stood for a chat or a rest and to let the mare have a few bites of grass.
I have a vivid memory of Jamesy Hanley coming down Kilbride borren, with his barrel of water in the donkey cart. He was on his way to his land in the parks, he'd stand behind the barrel leaning on it and singing to his heart's content "I am a little beggar man" and "Faneen", his black-and-white dog, trotting along in front of him or sometimes inside in the field.
There were sporting and football activities held along our road. Indeed we saw men who helped Mayo to all Ireland honours playing in Nallys' field. Believe or not, we had a real leather football in our school at that time. The "Big Lads" gathered their three penny and six penny bits and then collected the village in Mayo Abbey. They all gave towards it and the shortfall was made up by Mr. Molloy, our school principal. He bought the ball in Merricks' Corner House in Claremorris. He pumped it in the school for us and showed us how to lace it. It was about the only time he got our undivided attention! He then brought us to the schoolyard lined us up and threw in the ball between us. It was Croke Park at its best! Pete Browne (goalie), "Pop" Mac (Namara), Henry and Jack Dixon, Jimmy Heneghan, Tom Mullaghy, Paddy Forde, Johnny Patton, Mickey Conroy (Ballyglass); these were the men we imitated, or dare I say emulated, either in Nilands' Field or Stephens' Bottoms the next day. One Sunday our school played Ballyglass in Rory Higgins' field - a neutral venue. There were objections and counter objections, even before the game started. There were illegal players on both sides. You see, there were scholars from outside the parishes attending both schools. The referee, Father Lowry, then the Curate in the parish, settled that matter and the game got under way. It was a hard contested game, one of our players got behind the Ballyglass defence and soloed through the goal with the ball. Then all hell broke loose. Was it a goal or not? The Umpire said "no", the ref. said "yes". A very funny incident followed but space does not allow for details. Central Council was to rule on it but I had left school before its findings were reported! Final score: Mayo Abbey 1-2, Ballyglass 0-0. Low scoring you say, but I remember playing for Carramore some years later when the score stood Carramore 0-0, Kilmaine 0-0. You could say there was nothing between the teams!
Staying with football a little longer, these were the golden years of Mayo: two all Ireland senior titles in 1950 and 51, a junior title also in 1950, beaten junior finalists in 51, Minor winners in 53, Junior title again in 57. It was a proud boast to tell our teachers in Saint Colman's College that the Sam Maguire cup was in our school one Sunday night when Sean Flanagan (RIP), Paddy Prendergast and Henry Dixon went on stage with it after a concert which was produced, as usual, by Mai Sloyan (now Mrs Tuohy, who I am glad to say, is still very much with us). Little did we think we would never see the cup won by a Mayo team again. Good teams down the years have lacked the killer punch. Emigration robbed the county of loads of talent. In 1959, I saw the Shamrocks team winning the London senior title with six or seven Mayo players. Again in '60, Parnells won the title with six or seven Mayo's on it. Indeed that same year, Saint Jarlath's (Tuam) won the Intermediate championship and league with five or six Mayo's, three of whom learned their football in Mayo Abbey school.
There were four teachers in the school in those times namely Mrs. Sloyan, Miss Quinn, Miss Sloyan, and Mr. Molloy who took over from Paddy Quinn, the great Mayo full-back of the 30's. Mr. Molloy cycled along Our Road from and to Claremorris for years. He was a great teacher, but some might say a little fond of the cane. As Brian Lenehan once said: "on mature reflection", I'm sure it was deserved at the time.
This was pre-T.V. time but the football and hurling matches were broadcast on the radio. Even radios were scarce, and over our road, the men of the place would flock to Healys' (Barnagrugaun) to listen in, especially when Mayo were playing. Their house was packed and people sat on sacks of turf, or whatever, outside as they listened to the famous Micheal O'Hehir bring the match in great detail. They practically kicked every ball with the players and the cheers that went up every time Mayo scored.
"The Sports" were a big event that were held along Our Road. Sometimes in Fords' "Cúine" but more often in Nallys' field. This was one of the biggest sport events in Connaught, held under the N.A.&C.A.I. rules - now the BLE. Athletes and cyclists came from many parts of the Province to compete for Mayo and Connaught titles. Here we must pay tribute to the late Frank McNicholas who brought fame to the parish when he took both Championships many times and also to Jimmy Burke (Ballyglass) who also won titles throwing the 56 pounds (without "follow", as was the rule then). The sports day was a big occasion. People came from far & wide and in all forms of transport: cycling, walking, and small children were often brought by donkey and cart, the odd family came by sidecar and some by horse and trap. The horses and donkeys were left in a barn along the road belonging to different people and many friendships were formed in that way. Strangers always marvelled at the openness of the country-side and the quality of the land. The Balla Pipe band would arrive, playing as they marched over to the field from the village. All the horses and cattle in the place would run to the nearest fence as if to see the band and listen to the music. Then they would cock their heads and tails in the air and go helter-skelter mad around the field! There was mighty fun at the sports with all kind of "huksters", games, three-card-tricks and real trick-o'-the-loops. There was one very funny man. A small man with a big moustache and a peculiar twist at each end of it. He operated a kind of roulette table. To draw the crowd around him, he'd shout at the top of his voice: "If it's on the line, the money's mine, if it's on the square you win". It seemed so easy to win. You'd place your precious three-penny-bit on the square, where you could win two, five or even ten shillings. Then the ball went around the table but it always seemed to stop on the line. And so the day went on and also our money! There were sweets and ice-creams and all sorts of nice things. Some people you might have helped at work during the year or some old friend of the family would give you money. It was all spent at the sports. Sometimes the next morning, we would have pains in our heads and bellies and could not go to school. But, what the heck, wasn't a great day had by all?
"The Hunt" was another annual event that caused great excitement in the area. The horses assembled at Stephens'. The dogs, or beagles as they were called, came from Castlemagarret - the then home of Lord Oranmore and Browne. First they went down the Mayo Parks, the jockeys - men and ladies, were neatly dressed in red jackets, white trousers and long knee- length shiny shoes and black caps. The leader of the pack was out in front and blowing a funny sounding bugle. The hunt started in earnest when the hare "rose" (I never saw a fox to get up). The hare was always turned towards Cloonbaul bog - where it would escape to safety. The limestone walls of Kilbride and Knockaunakill were a stern test for both horse and jockey. It was a lovely sight to see seven or eight horses "topping" a wall together. Some of the smaller horses and the ladies would choose a lower part of the wall. People followed the hunt with keen interest running to the top of the hills for the best view. When the hare finally escaped the hunts people would return to Mayo Abbey where they would enjoy a few glasses of punch. Later on in the year lots of those same horses made their way along Our Road to the horse jumping, or Gymkhana as it was called, which was held in Stephens' Field in Mayo Abbey. Just like the sports day it was another big event.
Rome is built on seven historical hills. There are also seven hills along our road, each one of significant local importance. Starting off at Borkins' Hill, where many-a-shilling was won and lost playing pitch and toss. Then the Chapel Hill, Nallys' two hills (Jim's and Mick's) the Forge Hill, "Cnoc Mór" (the big hill) which is a stiff "pull" from either side, and Flatleys' Hill, in Harefield. You see if someone was looking for directions, you'd tell them to climb so many hills and then it was such a house. The same if you saw cattle straying; they were near such and such hill. Then people knew exactly where they were. There are some lovely views from those hills, you can see for miles around; Nephin Mór and a lot of north Mayo is clearly visible. Coming down the Chapel Hill, there is a lovely view of "The Reek" and the Partry Mountains and up into the Twelve Pins of Connemara - the Beanna Beola, as we learned in school.
This was the once happy laughing road that we grew up in. It was the road that witnessed the closure of so many of its houses, about 25 in number since my young days. It saw the demise of so many of its people, some through immigration, but sadly, more so by its people going to their Maker without leaving an "Heir Apparent". There are, however some good things happening. Some new houses have sprung up and some new families and names have appeared. This of course is welcome. The Old School which, incidentally celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, looks good. There is the grand new Church down the main road, and there are great plans for the old Chapel. We just hope that once again, as President Robinson said, "There will be a light in every window".
Well, I found it hard to start. Now I find it hard to stop. I hope I haven't bored you along the way. I want to thank the Editor for giving me this opportunity. There are older people with more interesting experiences than me around. It's a pity they would not put them in the Parish Magazine. I go back to my old roots a little sad. I miss the people who are gone before me, but I am glad to have known the harmless and noble people that travelled back and over Our Road.
towns and villages in county mayo
