New discovery at Killowney Little via aerial archaeology

I was doing a little research on a completely different topic (looking at the Kennedy castle at Killowney Big) when I went looking at some of the older aerial photos on
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/.
There on the (year) 2000 aerial photo of the area was a massive crop-mark to the North-west of the castle. I presumed it must have been previously recorded but decided it was worth a look on the Sites & Monuments Record. Amazingly it had never been spotted before. It was probably just because in this particular photo it looks as if some kind of cereal crop had been sown or possibly reseeding had been carried out.
I posted on an archaeology group about it and as luck would have it Colm Moriaty did a bit more research on the Irish Folklore Manuscripts and found some more information on it.
Coincidentally it was me who had originally transcribed the scan but didn't link the two together!

 http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922139/4856034/5012309

"On the eastern side of the Jackson estate Mountpleasant in the field known as Kyle is what is locally known as The Burying Pit. Approaching it from the southern side you enter a small hollow and find yourself facing a large flat rock. A vague tradition exists that Mass was celebrated at this rock at intervals during the penal days. That people were buried in front of this rock and around it is certain as human bones have been unearthed there from time to time.
The place is known as The Burying Pit though when and why it got that name is not known. Tales are told of mysterious lights seen hovering around this place at night time."

So it was known locally as "The Burying Pit". I passed this all on to the local NMS archaeologist and he was delighted to include it on the Sites & Monuments Record. He has classed it as an ecclesiastical enclosure and described it as follows;

"Cropmark of large roughly circular enclosure or natural hollow (approx. diam. 130m N-S; 120m E-W) visible on Digital Globe aerial photographs taken between November 2011 and March 2012. The only upstanding section of the original bank survives at NE where it is incorporated into the present townland boundary. According to the folklore from Ballinree School in the Schools Collection, this field was known locally as the 'Kyle' and the large circular cropmark was known as 'The Burying Pit' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0536, Page 243-4). In the centre of the small hollow or enclosure there was a large flat mass rock where mass was held during the penal times. According to local folklore people were buried in front and around this mass rock and in the past human bones have been unearthed around the mass rock and it was reported that mysterious lights are seen hovering around this place at night time. This last piece of folklore may suggest that the hollow area was not used as a 'Mass Pit' during penal times but also as a possible children's burial ground. Possible ecclesiastical enclosure based on its large size and the fieldname of 'Kyle' which was re-used in penal times as a mass pit and possibly as a children's burial ground. Alternatively the site may have been a large ecclesiastical enclosure with burials inside the enclosure dating from the medieval period."

Its the first time finding something purely from aerial photos and from the comfort of my own home. This is something anyone with internet access can do. So if you have an interest in history or archaeology get on to the aerial photos here and try and find something that hasn't been discovered before.

http://www.bing.com/mapspreview
https://www.google.com/maps
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/
http://webgis.archaeology.ie/historicenvironment/

St Martin's Day in Tipperary

It seems this saints day relates to another agricultural milestone, when the wheat seeding would be completed and winter preparations complete (for more info see there). There is some confusion whether the killing of the cock is done on St. Martin's Eve (10th Nov) or St. Martin's Day (11th Nov). Its not a feast day that I ever recall hearing of growing up but I have something in the back of my mind about perhaps a neighbour doing it that I will check out.

Here is some folklore from the Irish Folklore Commission about St. Martin's Day in Tipperary. There seems to be a good geographical spread (and I may have missed a few of them) so it must have been fairly widespread.

From Portroe

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922149/4856473/5011453

"St Martin's day is on the 11th November and the day before it is St Martin's Eve. On this Eve it is the custom to kill a fowl of some kind and to spill its blood behid the door in honour of St. Martin. The blood is spilt while flowing from the wound on the fowl's neck.
It was a custom in Ireland long ago that no wheels should be turning on St. Martin's day. Now that has died out but still on threshing is done.
If a pig or any animal were sick the owner of it would offer it to St Martin and then it was supposed to get better. But it would have to be killed and its blood offered to St Martin on the next 10th November. Some people when the animal is all right, kill it, and use its blood, but in almost every case when this is done the meat would go bad. It was also a custom that the people would make the sign of the cross on the foreheads of the family with the blood."

From Boher near Ballina

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922156/4856756

"On the 11th of November the Irish people keep the feast of St. Martin. They practise various customs on the 10th of November, the Eve of the feast. The following customs are practised in Boher :-
The killing of the Bird.
The people kill a cock or a duck or a goose on St. Martin's Eve. They cut the bird on the head and spill the blood at the threshold of the door and on the four corners of the kitchen floor in honour of St. Martin. Some people kill a pig in honour of St. Martin. I heard Mrs. Bray, Scragg telling a story of a family who lived in Portroe named Creamer. They promised a pig to St. Martin. On St. Martin's Eve they killed the pig. But they thought it a pity to spill the blood. Instead they filled puddings with it. Then they gave nothing to St. Martin and the pig went bad in the barrell.
On St. Martin's Day no mills used to work long ago. The mill-wheel would not turn because it is said St Martin was ground up in a mill.
The old people would never tackle a horse on St. Martin's Day for if they did they believed the horse would not work well any more. About six years ago my father worked a lately trained mare on that day. Grandfather remarked that he should not have done it. She brought one load of manure out of the yard but kicked at the second. We never had any satisfaction with her after that and we had to sell her."

From Ballydrehid

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922278/4866788/5022268

"In St. Martins day a hen was killed at the fire and as the blood was spilled around the kitchen in honour of St. Martin." 

From Killaneave

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922146/4856346/5016371

"Saint Martin's day is on the eleventh November. It is celebrated by killing a young duck or goose or a cock. The blood is spilled on the threshold of the door. People say it is unlucky if this is not done. My Mother always does and my Grandmother before her."

From Dundrum

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922309/4869022/5051620

"On St. Martin's day each year a chicken is killed and the blood is sprinkled around the kitchen in honour of St. Martin. On the 11th of November this feast day occurs. This act is said to prevent sickness for the year."

From Mullinahone

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922236/4863168/5053285

"There is a tradition that it is unlucky to work mills on St. Martin's Day because St. Martin was ground up in a mill.

Most people in this district used to kill a cock on St Martin's Day in former times. The cock was killed at the back door and was brought around the house, the blood being sprinkled on the four corners.

If blood of fowl were not spilled inside door on St. Martin's day people believed that all fowl would die."

Halloween Traditions in Tipperary

Some folklore about Halloween from Toor near Newport in North Tipp.

"People do not practice the old customs nowadays as much as they used long ago.
They got a tub of water and they put an apple floating in it. They all knelt down around the tub with their hands behind their backs. They began to dive for the apple and whoever got it ate it.
They made a wooden cross and they put a lighted candle and an apple on each alternative beam. The cross was put spinning around and each tried to grab the apple in his mouth. Very often the candle was grabbed instead of the apple.
Then the grown-up unmarried girls sat around the fire. One girl took the key of the door in one hand and the spoon of melted lead in the other. When she dropped the lead through the key it made a certain figure -
If it made a ship she would marry a sailor.
If t made a spade she would marry a farmer.
If it made a sword she would marry a soldier.
After this they went out in "cabbage haggard" and pulled the first "head of cabbage" they left a hand on.
If it was a "stout head" she would marry a stout, wealth man and if it was a thin "scraggy head" she wood marry a poor man. Next they went out and they heard somebody calling the future husbands.
They filled a saucer with water another with clay and another with string. Each person was blindfolded and they put their hand on a saucer in turn.
If you touched the clay you would soon die.
If you touched the water you would cross the sea.
If you touched the ring you would be married.
Now the tea was made and the "Barmbrack" was cut. This contained a piece of cloth and a stick and a ring.
Who ever got the ring would marry.
Who ever got the cloth would be a nun.
Who ever got the stick would never marry.

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922161/4857216/5016283

Some folklore about Halloween from Toor near Newport in North Tipp.
"People do not practice the old customs nowadays as much as they used long ago.
They got a tub of water and they put an apple floating in it. They all knelt down around the tub with their hands behind their backs. They began to dive for the apple and whoever got it ate it.
They made a wooden cross and they put a lighted candle and an apple on each alternative beam. The cross was put spinning around and each t...ried to grab the apple in his mouth. Very often the candle was grabbed instead of the apple.
Then the grown-up unmarried girls sat around the fire. One girl took the key of the door in one hand and the spoon of melted lead in the other. When she dropped the lead through the key it made a certain figure -
If it made a ship she would marry a sailor.
If t made a spade she would marry a farmer.
If it made a sword she would marry a soldier.
After this they went out in "cabbage haggard" and pulled the first "head of cabbage" they left a hand on.
If it was a "stout head" she would marry a stout, wealth man and if it was a thin "scraggy head" she wood marry a poor man. Next they went out and they heard somebody calling the future husbands.
They filled a saucer with water another with clay and another with string. Each person was blindfolded and they put their hand on a saucer in turn.
If you touched the clay you would soon die.
If you touched the water you would cross the sea.
If you touched the ring you would be married.
Now the tea was made and the "Barmbrack" was cut. This contained a piece of cloth and a stick and a ring.
Who ever got the ring would marry.
Who ever got the cloth would be a nun.
Who ever got the stick would never marry.

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922161/4857216/5016283

Some more folklore involving Halloween from near Upperchurch.

One such superstition concerns the nuts. Many girls will take two nuts and place them side by side on the kitchen fire there to watch them steadily together eager to learn the secret of their lover fidelity. One of the nuts is called the boy and the other nut a girl. But if the nut, which is called the boy jumps, then her lover is untrue and she had best be on the track... of another before it is too late. Then again if the nut which is called the girl jumps, then his lover is untrue, and he had best be on the track of another before it is too late. But if the two nuts stand steadily together it is said, that the boy and the girl would be married.
Another superstition concerns the ring. On the night before Halloweve people buy a "Barn Breac". The ring which would be in the "Barn Breac" makes most of the fun. First of all the breac, is cut up into slice. Then the slices are served on the plates to the people, at tea time. The person who gets the ring is supposed to be the first of the company to marry.

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922170/4858158


Halloween is celebrated by several games. It is on the thirty first of October. Halloween is a very merry night. The neighbours gather into a certain house that night. They play games such as The three Saucers, the Snap Apple, diving for apples and other games. Some old people put money in a deep basin and the children fight to see who'll get it. After the games the young people sit by the fire and listen to the old people tell stories about the fairies. Young people are generally afraid to go out on Halloween as they say "the Pooka and fairies are out".

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922146/4856346/5016371