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February 2004 Feabhra 2004

Thank you for visiting our website. Our names are Evan & John. We are in 6th class, and we are the current editors.

The Zoo

Last Summer I went to the zoo. I went with my family on the train. The zoo is in Dublin. The train was great fun. We bought tickets at the gate and went to see the animals. I went to the reptile home and I saw snakes and lizards. We saw the monkeys swinging on the trees. There was a baby monkey with its mammy. I thought the elephants were very funny. They were dusting themselves with the sand. The giraffes were very tall and had long necks. We had great fun at the zoo.

by Ellen

Mister Feeney

I got a gold fish yesterday. His name is Mister Feeney he is very small. He has a black spot on his fin. He eats a lot of food. My brother got a gold fish as well. My fish is smaller then Brandon's. I got the fish for 2 euro. I like gold fish a lot.

by Rae-Anne

All About Our Country

Ireland is a small independent country in north-western Europe. It's proper name is the Republic of Ireland. Dublin is the capital and it is Irelands largest city. Ireland is known for its beautiful countryside. Ireland is divided into 32 counties and six of those counties are in Northern Ireland. There are a lot of pop stars and movie stars from Ireland. The famous band with its main singer Bono are from Ireland and Westlife are from Ireland too. Pierce Brosnan and Colin Farrell the movie stars are both from Ireland. Many people consider the Irish to be exceptionally warm-heated and friendly. The Irish also have a reputation for hospitality and skilled storytellers and writers.

Facts about Ireland

Capital city: Dublin,

Languages: English and Gaelic,

Population:3.8 million,

Money: Euro,

Area:27,136 square metres,

Chief Products: computers, barley, beef & wheat,

National Anthem: The Soldiers Song,

Highest Peak: Carrauntouhill 1,041m.

By Stephen

Our Province: Munster

Munster is one of the four provinces in Ireland. It is the second biggest province in Ireland and has six counties within it. The six counties in Munster are Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Clare. The biggest county in Ireland is in Munster, which is Cork. The second biggest city in Ireland is in Munster as well, which is Cork City. The largest mountain in Ireland is in Munster in Co. Kerry, Which is in West Munster. The mountain is called Carrauntouhill and it is in the Macgillycuddy Reeks mountain range. There are three hydroelectric power stations in Munster which are Ardnacrusha, Carrigadrohid and Inniscarra. The most famous one of these is Ardnacrusha, which is in Co. Limerick on the river Shannon. One of the biggest tourist attractions in Munster is Killarney and its lakes. Killarney is in Co. Kerry. The cliffs of Moher are very popular too, they are in Co. Clare.

by John

Our Parish: Ballinameela

The church of St. James in Ballinameela is 164 years old this year. It was built in 1840 by Fr. William Roche. There had been churches on the site of St. James church before 1840, and they were simple thatched buildings. A year before this church was built there came the famous night of ‘the big wind’ on the 6^th of January 1839. Maybe it was the damage caused by that terrible night that prompted Fr. William Roche to encourage the people to erect a new and dignified Church. The big wind of 1839 may have hurried up the building of this church but it was the faith of the proud people that built it.

The people of 1840 had reason to be proud. As they only had to recall the famous Stuart election fourteen years earlier in 1826 when a protestant native of this parish, Henry Villiers Stuart of Dromana was elected into the British Parliament. The election was fought with great determination, by bishops and priests, and especially by the poor Catholics. The priests and people won catholic Emancipation but the cost to County Waterford was terrible. Hundreds were evicted and saw their cabins levelled.

The Kilgreany Caves, which lie between the town lands of Scart and Canty, have been an important source of vital information about Stone Age in Ireland. Excavations in Kilgreany took place as far back as 1858 and again in the 1890s when R.J. Usher of Cappagh made important discoveries. Very significant finds were made in a major archaeological dig that found contents more than five thousand years old, remains of the Great Irish Elk, the Wild Boar and other animals which Neolithic man hunted, pottery and bronze axes and sliver plated emblems.

Aglish

The existing Church of Aglish was built in 1856 by Rev. John O’Meara, then Parish Priest. It was built to take the place of a much smaller church or chapel on the same site. The modern structure is plain and is capable of seating about eight hundred people.

Villierstown

Villierstown Church was built by John Earl grandson in 1748 who also built a catholic chapel at Mount Stuart. Villierstown church has a bell tower with two bells.

By Aoife

by Shane

Here is a story from 3rd & 4th Class History.

Petticoat Loose

Petticoat Loose’s real name was Mary Hannigan. She was the best at drinking and dancing. One night at the dance hall she met a man that could dance just as well as she could. At the dance hall Mary was dancing when the buttons of her skirt got caught on nails and her skirt fell down and that is how she became known as Petticoat Loose. So Mary and the man got married but one year after Mary was out milking the cows with her servants when they heard someone screaming. The servant girl started to run but then someone threw a milking stool at her head knocking her out. It was Mary who threw the milking stool and she said to the servant girl “Mind your own business in future!” After that night her husband was never seen again. A few months later at a bar some workmen she knew were a having a party. Mary had several pints when someone challenged her. Half a gallon was placed before her. After she drank it she fell dead on the table. Seven years past and Petticoat Loose was nearly forgotten. When there was a dance in the dancehall a man went outside for some fresh air and there he saw Petticoat Loose. He ran back inside as white as a ghost. When he told the other people who he had seen everyone was afraid to leave until morning. One night a man and his horse were on the road. When the man saw Petticoat Loose on the side of the road, he would not stop for her. She jumped on top of the carriage and said “I have got one tonne in this hand”, and the horse slowed down a bit. “I have got one tonne in my other hand” and the horse slowed down a little bit more. “I got one tonne in my leg” she said as a tiny bit more. “I got one tonne in my other leg and one tonne in my belly”, and the horse fell down dead. Petticoat Loose ran down the road laughing. Everyone was afraid of living in fear of Petticoat Loose. So one night a priest set out with two men to trap Petticoat Loose. When he saw her crossing the field he called her name and she said, “I am Petticoat Loose”. “I shall banish you to the deepest lake and shall have to empty it out with a thimble”, said the priest. Now everyone is afraid to swim in the lake because they think that the old spirit might grab you by the leg and keep you there forever.

by Sinéad

Thank you for visiting our website. Our names are John & Evan. We are in 6th class, and we are the current editors.