Crest of G.A.A. Galway inter county Hurling and Gaelic Football teams. Wikimedia Commons
(abridged)
In the reign of Cormac Mac Art, son of Conn of the Hundred Battles and High King of Ireland, a great gathering of the beauty and valour of the nation assembled at Tara to witness a hurling contest between the Tuatha de Danann and Finn MacCool and his warriors.
When the ball was brought into the middle of the field and struck into the air, so great was the energy and skill of the players that it was not allowed to touch the ground for more than an hour.
On Sunday next, July 28th what promises to be an ideal day’s sport will be held at Traught Strand. This strand, situated about three miles west of Kinvara, is rapidly growing in popularity as a bathing resort and is one of the best and safest in the West of Ireland. A local committee has now taken up the task of improving this strand, and making it more attractive and satisfactory for the thousands of tourists and visitors who frequent it during the summer months.
Already a line of seats on concrete stands have been set all along the shore just above the high-water mark, as a result of the proceeds of a regatta held last year. The committee hopes to be able to erect a diving board, concrete walks, etc., as a result of this year’s sports and regatta which takes place next Sunday.
Spectators will be treated to an unusual scene, when the little bay will be decked with clinkers, pookawns, galleys and canoes all at anchor and ready for their own races. A large pleasure boat will take visitors on trips around Galway Bay during the evening, and everything points to an enjoyable afternoon.
The carnival field in Kinvara situated in a most prominent position in the town is getting a new facade. As part of the scheme to make the road wider and straighter from Kinvara to St Colman’s Church, the old wall and the bend opposite “The Walks” are being demolished and the carnival field will be somewhat narrower. The improvement is being looked on as a further asset to Kinvara when the National Tidy Towns competition and the competition organised by Shannon Development company begin later this year. This field is the property of Mr John Holland, the well known farmer in Kinvara.
Richard Cronnolly was born in Ballinderreen Co Galway in 1828. He joined the Dublin Metropolitan Police and spent his spare time in the Record Office where he studied old documents. Without any assistance, financial or otherwise, he found a publisher willing to give the result of his researches to the world. He was working against time, and died in the moment of success at the age of thirty five.
He left behind him a work that is remarkable. The Long Black Hand, a recitative poem, which tells of the slaying of malicious spirit who made life miserable for the people of Ballinderreen a few hundred years ago.
The Long Black hand may be read on Fadó Fadó at theburrenandbeyond.com
The Burren and Beyond 