Local Heroes

transcribed at

Local Heroes  [duchas:4863470]

About fifty years ago there died in Clashduff a man named John Ryan, nicknamed Sean a Mhiard. This man was noted for his wonderful strength. He could carry 280 lbs of meal on each hip, throwing an arm round each bag, from the cart on which they were brought, to the store.
He was unbeatable in throwing all the heavy weights.
On one occasion another great weight thrower Kennedy from Prulacapple came to the colliery for culin. 
John Ryan happened to be at the pit at the time and a contest in weight throwing took place between the two. Ryan beat Kennedy in all the heavy weights, Kennedy beating him in the light weights. The local judges

Local Heroes  [duchas:4863471]

declared it a draw. Happening to see a quiet old colliery horse standing in the field nearby, Ryan walked towards it, placed his back under the horse's breast, balanced it and carried it a distance of thirty yards.
Ryan then called on Kennedy to bring back the horse to the mark from which he carried it. This he declined, leaving Ryan the winner.
Ryan was a shanavest and in the faction fights in Ballingarry used to go before his men with a sciac or willow basket held with his two hands in front of his head warding off the fusilade of stones which was let off before the two parties got to close quarters.
Though not quite as famous as John, his brother Charles Ryan, a man of powerful physique, was also noted for his feats of strength. He lived at Ballyphilip where he worked a small farm. To supplement his income from the farm, he carted coal to Cashel. There was at this time outside Mullins' store in Cashel a

Local Heroes  [duchas:4863472]

large irregular stone. Time and again strong men from various parts of the country made attempts to lift the stone but without success. Urged on by some of his fellow coal carters, Charles Ryan raised the stone as high as his knees. When rolled on to the ouncil it weighed six hundred and fifty eight pounds. A son of his William Ryan is still hale and hearty at Ballyphilip or perhaps to be correct Killiheen which is the proper name of the townland.
Four grandchildren, John, Charles and two daughters are living presently in New York.
If the Ryans of Clashduff were the leading Shanavests in the district, the Mahers of Ballyphilip were the leading caravats. The greatest of these was perhaps Black James Maher. Standing six feet in height and with a well knit frame, he could cover thirty three feet in a standing hop, step and jump. Trained to thrust, parry and strike with a blackthorn by an old man named Paddy Gregan from Duharrow in North Tipperary, few could equal him in single combat at a faction

Local Heroes  [duchas:4863473]

fight.
Another famous feat of his was to balance himself on his knees on the top bar of a gate and jump over it.
When nearly eighty years old he emigrated to New York U.S.A. where his children had already gone. He died there about nineteen hundred and eleven and is buried in Calvary Cemetry.
The house in which he lived is now occupied by Martin Cox whose father the late Wm. Cox purchased it from Maher, when the latter decided to emigrate to the U.S.A. in 1907.

About 1798 there lived at Ballyphilip Parish of Ballingarry, Barony of Slievardagh, County Tipperary, a man named Michael Kennedy, or as it was then spelled Kinedy.
After ploughing all day, this man was known to have taken off his bawneeen or flannel waistcoat in the evening, place it beside his team, go back some distance, race forward, take off the bawneen and

Local Heroes  [duchas:4863474]

jump over the two horses.
He was also noted as a mower, cutting an Irish acre of hay daily.
He is buried in the old cemetry in Ballingarry.
His son, Thade Kennedy, grandfather of the present Thade Kennedy of Earlshill, tried to emulate his father's deeds, but succeeded only in jumping over one horse.
When over sixty years, he used stick two hay forks in the ground, place another across these and jump right over.
A grandson of Michael Kennedy was a member of a Mihil that Edmond Nolan, Glaugoole, Parish of Gornahoe, Barony of Slievardagh had collected one day about 55 years ago for the purpose of digging out his potatoes. 
They had a donkey for carting the potatoes to the pit.
In the evening Kennedy jumped over the donkey.
Standing up in the cart he exclimed 
"Well the Irish Race is going down
Grandfather could jump over two horses
Father could jump over one
And I'm only able to jump over an ass."