At the corner of Seatown Lane was the town pump or Ryan's pump, and next to the pump was Ryan's Forge,
where old Mrs. Ryan's stalwart sons rang the anvil as we passed to school and we marvelled at the moulding of the red hot
iron into horseshoes, cartwheel rims, etc. A few beggars or tramps were sometimes given the privelege of squatting near the
forge fire during the winter.
There was always a great ice slide at Ryan's pump in winter, much to the danger of horses coming
to drink at the drinking trough under the pump. Hot ashes from the forge often spoiled our slide. Nary Ryan had a small sweet
shop next to the forge and at the corner of Seatotim Lane (also School Lane).
Next to Ryan's was the Court House, a square
solid building in cut stone. Only petty sessions were held here, and we never had a big trial by Judges.
Next to the Court House was a nice two storey house with orchard behind, which was usually rented
to Policemen. Beside this house was the only semblance of a Town Hall in the town. It was a long one storey building in a
rather decayed condition, with its gable end to the street and a green paddock on one side. It originally was a workshop and
forge for a coach builder and when this business closed it was used at first for football club meetings and local elections,
committee meetings, etc.
It was then renovated a bit and the local football club used to entertain visiting teams there with
a half barrel or barrel of porter which was the recognised way of treating the visitors and the local team.
When the Gaelic League started, they had no classrooms, so they held them in the old forge and did
some repairs to floors, lighting, etc., to make it presentable and after this Ceilidhes were regularly held there and the
porter was banned. The local Brass Band also used it as a practising room. Later when the Earnegie Library was built, these
entertainments were transferred there.
Next to the old forge there was a good cut stone house and out offices once occupied by a Protestant
Leader called Cloney. He had a hardware business. When he died, Mrs. Smylie'.s Birds Nest started an orphanage or boarding
school for Protestant boys.
