·FAIRY L'EGENDS

· ,

·FAIRY L'EGENDS •• D

TRADITIONS

OF THE

SOUTH OF- IRELAND . . .' '" .'. <

:. .:., . ~ ' .. ~ .

',". PAJtT 11. ,

' .~

..

Copyright Limerick Archives










;

..

THIS VOLUM E

. ,

, . ,

, IN ADMIRAT1.oN OF i lls G~NIUS

I '

AND , .

IN GRATITUDE FOR HIS KI~DNE8S,

lIY

LONDON: ' UIM'fIJ) IY TXOJU.S ».\VIIO)l', "'1I1'r1tW4P~ 1 5f · Gr:~~'> 0..:::.: -----;---- : ... - iIIi =

.. 4 ~'~L ~ Jt:;-.ID:: Jl PfA.;t;-:. •

I ~,











'-

r

r , ... ; ... ~ .

2'111 8ft""", bV, aM JV~.1Ipatlillg, of/er the 4r(J'fllinc1o/ Wo' 11. Brook,,. F. S • .A.

I

..

/

. .

, 'r

PREF ACE.

.' - , . IN redeeming a promise made in the pre- '

1

face to the second edition of the Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland, and; piacing before the p~lblic a secopd part of tlte· ... same w~rk" I trust that the indulgence which the former volume has experienced will be extended to the present collection.

The literary intercourse o.f European J.lations is now. sO great, and translation so com.: . mon, that a writer has in general but little r~ason to plume himself on his work ' having appeared in it Ii'~ench or German dress. But t~e character of the translator may confer value on that otherwise indifferent circum-, st,ance; and I cannot but feel and express 's ~!lsiderable degree of sa~isfactionat observing -my fQrDler volume translated into German by











"

vi ' PREFACE.

lIuch eminent' 8cholars as the brothers Grimm, whose Jriendship and valuable correspondence, ' it has aiso procured me. Their versio!1, which I had not seen when the second edition appeared, is, as rpight b~ expected, 'faithful and spirited; and to it they have prefixed a most learned and valuable introduction respecting

Fairy sup~rstition in general. " Whoever," says Dr. Grimm, in ,th~ pr_e

face td the German translation, "has I} reliSh fo~ innocent ~~d 'simple .poetry, will fe~' ~t

. tracted by these tales. They possess ~. pe,culiar flavour which is not without its charms, and they come to us from a country of which we are ' in general reminded in but few, and those not very pleasant relations. It is, tnor~over, :iilhabited by a peOple whose antiquity ana early ci~ilization is attested :by':history ; ahd who, ~~ they in 'part still speak.' the~r own langUlige;' mri~t retain living traces of their for';er time~, to ahew which the belief iI,l super,natural beingS here exhibited~ yiel~s per- .

hl1p~, o~e ot the 'be~t examples.'" . - . , . The-following extracts . from' the pu~lic prints ar~ evidences of the popular superstition of Ireland, and are in themselves too re-

/ I

l'REFAC'E •• "u

markable to be omitted in a work professing to illustrate the 'subject. Deeply as 1 lamerlt that such delusion should exist, these fa'et!> will sufficiently prove that I have not (as hasbeen insinuated) conjured up forgotten tales, or att~mpt.ed to perpetuate ~ creed which 'had disappeared. On the contrary, my aim has been to bring the twilight tales of the peasantry before the ~iew of the philosopher; as, if suffered to remain unnoticed, the latent belief in them may long have' lingered among ~he inhabitants of the wild mou,ntain and lon,eSOnIe' glen, to retard the progress. of their ci~ilization .

"TRALEE ASSIZE'S, July, 182,~ .-Child Murder.Ann Roche, an old woman of very advanced age, was,indicted for the murder of MichaefLeahy, a young child, by drowning him in the Flesk. , Th~s case, w~ic~,at firs~ assumed a very ~erio~s aspect, from the mell:.nin~ impllted to words spoken bY,the_prisoner, ' ,tllat the 'sin of the child\ death was on the grandmother, and not on the prisoner,' turned out to be a homicide com-

I • 'mitted under the delusion of the grossest sugerstition. The child, though four years old"could neither stand, walk, or speak-it was thought tp be jai.!:.!J-struckand tb~ grandmoth~r Q.l"der~ the prisoner, and ODe of

. '











,.

, viii PREFACE. _

the witnesses, M~ry Ciifforll, to bathe the child. everT morning in that pool of the river Flesk where the

boundaries of three farms met; they had so bathed

.it for three mornings running, and on the last morning

. t,he prisoner kept the child longer l!Ilder the water ~thaJl usual, when- her companion (the witJless, Mary

Clifford) said to the prisoner, 'How c~n you hope -ever-to see God after this?' to which the prisoner re

'Plied~ , that the ~in was on the grandmother and not pn her: Upon cross-examination, the wi~ness said it

.was not done with intent to kill the child, but to ,cure

,it-to put the fairy out fifit. . "The policeman who apprehended her, stated, that

on charging her with drowning the child, she said it was no matter if it had died four .. years ago. ,-

" Baron Pennefather said, that though it was a case

of suspicion, and,required io be thoroughly aamiI)ed

Into, yet the jury would not be safe in convicting the

prisoner of murder, however strong their suspicion.

, ~ight be. Verdici-Not guilty."-Morning Post. " An inquest was held on Saturday last, on the

body of !I- man of the name of Connor, a schoolmaster. in the neighbourhood of Castle N enor, county of Sligo.

This unfortunate man had expreB;Sed his determination

to read his recantation on the following Sunday, notlwithstanding all the ' efforts of his friends to dissuade

1. '. ' " him; they succeeded in enticing him into a house,

,.-here he was found suspended from the ceiling., A. ,. ,! • ..,.L

~~erdict of Wilful Murder against persons UnkJlowa

\ , \











, FAIRY LEGEN:D·S·~·

TRADITIO S

or THE

SOUTH OF IRELAND._

PART Il.

LONDON .

..

\.

' ..











-'T HIS VOLUME

•

LONDON: !JJlITJ:D lIY 'l'ROllUS DAVJ!'O)l", wIITJl"RtA1! ~ •..











~~, ~tI.w.uB""''''"g, tlfter thI 4rll""" IIf ~JV. 11. Br •• F. 8.~.

,

•

• I N redeeming a promiae made in the pre. ' lace to the second edition of the Fairy Legends and Traditions of the SoUth oil Irel~nd, and

"placing before the public ii rrecond part of the '. same work, I trust that the indulgence which I the fonner volume has experienced will be ex-tended to the present callection.

The litetary intercourse of European nations is now so great, and translation so common, that a writer has in general but' little

. reason to plume himself on I his work ' having appeared in a French,or' Gennan dress. B_~t

' the character of the translator may ' confel' value on that otherwise indifferent circumstance; and' l cannot ' but feel ~ild express a

. considerable degree ~f Sati.r.ction at'observing ~fonner>V6lume translated int-o GermanJ l1y











PRE F AcE.

,such eminent scholars as the brothers- Grini~ , ~hose friendship and valuable correspondence

, .. t has also procured me. Their version, which 'I had not seen when the second edition appeared, ,is, as might be expected, faithful and spirited,; and to it they'have prefixed a most -lea~ned and valuable introduction respeCting FaIrY superstition in general.

. "Whoever," says Dr. Grimm, in ' the preface to the German translation ~'has a relish , .

-' for inn~nt and simple poetry, will' feel at' t~acted by these tales. ,They posse~s ,a pec~-liar 1!avour which is not without itschaTI~s,

I all<\ they come to ' us from a country of which we are in general reminded in but few, :md those not very pleasant relations: It is, mo e·

.. over, illhabit~4 by.,~ "people whose antiqitify and early ~vilization ,is attested by history; and who:, as they in part still s~~k their, o1"n

,langul!-ge, m~~t ret.ain living traces of their £orll).er times, to shew,which the belief in iU

perpa~ural ,beings here -exhibited yieldsJ per- , A ~ hap!5, on~ of the 'best examples." A I . , .. ~h~ following extracts , f~o~ t~e pu1¥ic

prints are evidences of the popular supersti-- tlon of-Ireland, and are : in' the~selves ~' te-

J

PHr~FACE1 , \'\1

ID.!lrkable to b e omitted in a work ,professing to illustrate tIle subject. Deeply as I lament' t~at such ,pelusion should exist, these facts . will suffici~!ltly prove that I have not (as has been insinu!lted) conjure~ up forgotten tales, or attempted to perpetuate a WWi£ which had ' di~ppeared. On the contrary, my aim has beer)' to bring the twilight tales of th~ pea

S~!ltry b~~ore ~he vie~ of , the philosophei as~ if suffered. to remain unnot\ced, the latent ,oel~ef in them maY,long h8:ve ~gered Il~ong the ' iphabitants of th~ wild mpuntain and 10ne

s.om~len,-,to retard ~he pr6g~~ of thei!- civk lizaJ~fi, ,- c " , ,., . ,

.. ~ r .. , "'J

I( 'f.ALE~ AssiZE S~ JUly, il82§.-Ohild Murth-T~

ADD Roebe, ,11 0111 WQm,n of yery'advanced a~, was i~dicted for ,the mlirdel: of Michael Lellh'y, a 'young child. by drowning him in ~he Fleslt. • Thiscasef wl)ich -at

first assumetl a very serious aspect, from th~ meani\1g'

imputed t-o ,words spo\<en by the prisoner,. 'that 'the sin of the child's 'death was 01\ tllC grandma her, !Lnd

llA)t on the prisoner: turnell out to be a homicide cm,\niittell under the delusion of the grossest superstitioll , The child, though four years old, could neither stam1, walk, or speak-it lI'a.~ thought t() be fairy -.'fr llcl:-

amI the' grandmother orde red the prisoner anI! Oll ef 1(











"W' P&:EF.\CE;,

the witnesses, ;,\ II.I1'y CliffonT. to 'bathe the child every,·

morl)ing; in t\:at pool of the river Flrsk where the , b91l!lllal'ics IIf three farms met; they had so bathed i t fOf three, rilorllingeJrul~ni llg . ~n'd on the last morning

til~ prisoner klpt the cpiJd longH uil,ler the , water ', d,an uSual; 'when ber' companion ( the witness, ]\fary ClilforU.) . said to tiie priSoner. ' H 011" ~an you ;hOpe J

ever:to see Goc} after this?i to which the prisoner re: .

FJied, ' ~~l1t the sin w~s on the grand~otb~ ,an(1, np;t. on her: Uponrcross-exainination, the witness .aid ~ waS bot done ~iti1 inteiJt' to kill the child, but to cure , it-;~oputtAeJizi""IIIf(.if.~" , ..... ~ . ..1 __ _

.. The policeman wbo apprehended her. stated, tha, ' on onarging1 he; with droning th~ child, 'she ~id 'it ~ w8. :no litaiter ifit h~~ed tour yan ago. 'I . " •. ,

" Baron Pennefather said. tbat though it 11'(18 a ea,ae j' of suspicion, ami required, to be. thoroughly examined into, yet .the'jury would 'not' be nfe in' convicting the

priioller, of. murder, hpwever ' strong their suspicions-• mIght be. ' Verdict-Not guilty .:'-Morrti,igpo,t:

• " An' inqueat was' held on 'Saturd&y:I"t~ on the body er. a man ol.the nlQn'e 'o('Connor, 'a schoolmaBter, .

in Cbe neighbourbOod of C,s't1e NCllor: county cif BUgo. ' Thi.s ullfortUliato nlltn bill expressed his deiermil1aci~ to read his rCl'.<1nta'tion on the following SUll(l,ly, not

with~tnll<ling all the ctlbrts of his Irien'ds to dissuade j;m i they suceeedetl in entiejng hhu into a house,

,.here ~;~ was round sil3\lentled frOll! tlie ct'i illg. A

ylltd,i';,t ;Of WiJfu1 ~Iurdtr ~~llin8t 'fler50nlJ unJmo,,"n ,











TRADITIONS

O }' TllY.

.. OUTH OF IRELA ND.

PART n.

LONDON, -loIEN RY COLBUltN

N J':W BUnh[NG~N 8TREJ('j',,

------'-' - ! J::'l lJ.ncc.cxx'V,U.

. .











' 1

' .

. ,

LONDON: .... n'yJlD .Y YHO)U' DAVIJON, WHITJ:TJl.J.JSr ,

_ J

TH VOLUME

IS 1 •• SCRlDED TO

IN ADlIlIRATioN OF H):S GENIUS,

AND

IN GRATITUDE FOR HIS KINDNESS,

BY '

-. j











, '

.. - ~'-.,..

The Etching, by, IInd Wood Engravingl after the dra'R>ing. of

JY. H. ·Brooke, F. S. A. .

~ /

PREFACE.

IN redeeming a promise made in the preface to the sec~nd edition of the F airy L egends ~d 'l'raditions of the South of Ireland, apd placing before the public a second part of the same work, I trust that the indulgence which the Iormer volume nas experienced will, be extended to the present collection.

The literary intercpurse of European nations is nO\~ .so great, and translation so common, that a writer has in general but little reason to plume himself on his work having appear.ed in a French or German d~ess. But the ch~racter of die translator ' may confer value on that otherwise indifferent circuq!stance; and I cannot but feel and express a

, considerable degree of satisfaction at observing my fOf!!1er volume .translated into .German· by











vi

5uch:~e~line~t scholars as the brotlH~rs Grimm' .whose friendship and valuable correspondenc; It has also ~roc"tlred me. Their version, which I had,n'ot seen 'when the _second edition appeared, is, 'as ll}ight 1;>e expected,-1'aithful and spirited; ~nd to cr they'-Have-pr'efixed a most lea~ned and valuable introduction respecting Fmry superstition ingei1eraL ' - "Wh " D' . . oevcr,. says . r. Gr~mm, in the pre-face to the Getman translation, "has a relikh for innocent and simple ' poet/·y, will feel at: " t~a~ted by these tales. Th~y pps~ess a p~du- ' har flavour which is not wi!hout its charms, .. a~d th~y come to us frbm a country of wliich we are in genera!' reminded in but few, and

. .those not very pleasant relations. It is, more

. , 000'.er, il1hab~t~~ b~ a people whose antiquity : aIld early -c: vlhzatlOn is attested by history; '. tand wh?, as they ~n .part still speak theii-' own ' 'language, milstr 'retain- living traces of their -former times, to 8hew which the belief in su- '

"pernatural .beings here exhibited, yields perhaps, one of the best examples."

. ; 'I'he following extracts from the' publio ' ~, ~rints are evidences of the popular ' supersti- ' t10n of Ireland, and' are in themselves' too' re-

.J.. __ _

markable to be omitted in a W01'1-. pl'Ofessing to illustrate the subject. Deeply as I lament that such delusion should exist, these fact!;l will sufficiently prove that I have not (as has been insinuated) conjured up forgotten tales, or attempted to perpetuate a belief which had disappeared. On the contrary, my aim ha!! been to bring the twilight tales of. the pea.~ san try. before the v,iew of the philosopher, as if ~u1fered to remain unnoticed, the J8tent belief in them may long have 'lingered among the inhabitants of the wild mountain and 100eso~~len, to retard the progress ~f their civii lization. '

"TIlALEE ASSIZES, July, 1~26,-Child Mu,.de,..Ann Roche, ~n 01<1 woman of;ery advanced age, was indieted for the murder of Michael Leahy, a young child; by drowning him in the F1esk. , This case, which': at first assumed a very serious aspect, from the meaning imputed to words spoken by the prisoner, (that -th'e sin of the child's death was on th e grandmother, and not on the prisoner,' turned out to be a homicide committed under the delusion of the grossest superstition: The child, though four years old, could neither stand, walk, or speak -it was tlLOUght to be fa ir!J-str-uck:';-'

STIll the grandmother ordered the prisoner and Oll e ot

/











" .11 l ' R:EF A E .

tht: witnesses, J11ary Cliffonl. to bathe the child everT',.

morning ill that pool of the river Fleak where the boull cJ,aTics of three fa rms met; they hall so bathed it for three Illornings running, nnll on the last morning the prisoner kept the chiltl longer uutler the water than usual, when 'her companion (th,e witness, Mar] C,!ifford) &ai(l to the prisoner. ' How call you hop.<! n et to see Goll after this?' to which the pli~ouei: re,.

l1Jied, , that the sin was on the grandmother and nor on her: " Upon cross-examination~ the witness sait! it .-as ,not done with. intent to kill the child, but to cure it,.l-toput thefairy .out wit.

" The policeman who apprehended her, stated, that on ~harging her with drowning the child, she l18id it ~~ no matter if it had died four years ago .

. " Baron Pennefather said. that though it was a case

of suspicion,.aDd required to be t~oroughly examined into, yet the jury would not be safe in cOllvicting the prisoner of murder, however strong their suspicion. might be. Verdict-Not gu.ilty."-Mornitrg POll. '

" An inquest was held on Saturday last, on the body of a man of the name of Connor, a schoolmaster, in the neighbourhood of Castle Nenor, county of Sligo, This unfortunate man hacl expressed his determill8tioll ro read his recantation on the following Sunday, 1I0L

witll~tanding ItU the efforts of his, friends to dissuade

h im; they succeed el' in enticing him into a hQu* where he waR fOUllI\ suspended from the ccilin:;. ~

,'crci ict of Wilf\ll M. nler againl\t perSOQij uu\;nnlnl , , \'











.. .

,," PREFACE.

was found at the inquest, and warrants wue issued against his own father and two of his cousins on sus: picion of having perpetrated the deed. These person'8 endeavoured to circulate a report that he bad been hanged by the fairies. It appeared on the inquest that those persons who were the tint to jpve the alann'~ had paskd by some hoUBes in the immediate vicinity , of the house where the body was found hanging."Dublin Evening Mail, rBih April,· 1827.

It would be in the power of everyone conversant with Irish manner~ to produce in~~ces ohhe 'undoubting belief in these superstitions, if not so formal and revolting as the foregoing, yet fully as convincing.

In concl,u'Sion, I have to offer'my very best acknowledgments for the many communications with which I have been favoured . 1'0 Mr. Lynch, in particular, my thanks are due foc a manuscript collection of legends, from which those of " Diarmid Bawn, the Piper," and" Rent Day" have been ·.l'elected. The material assistance, however, derived from<various sources will be evident,' and these sources are so numerous as almost to preclude indi- . vidual mention. '- Speaking of these tales, if the oriental hyperbole is excu~ble, I roa .











justly use the woros of the Persian ,poet, an~ sav:--

" W-ith conscious pride I view the band Of faithfuHriends who rQund me standWith pritle e-xult that I, alone, Have join'd these &eattered gems in one ; For they're a wreath of pearl, and I

.,The silken cord on which they lie."

.CONT E N TS. ~ , , ':

THE MERROW.

-TIle Lady of Gollerul! -Flory Cantillon's Funeral -The Soul Cages . The Lord of Dunkerron The Wonderful T~ne

. THE DUL,LAHAN.

The Good Woman Hanlon's Mill . The Harvest Dinner The Death Coach The Headless Ho~man .

THE FIR-DARRIG.

J,)iarmid Bawn, the Piper Teigue of the Lee Ned Sheehy's ExculIe The Lucky .Guest

~:n~('

~ 21 3()

59 67

85 ]03 112 133 )38

156 , 16~ 178

.'~~3
















i ii CONTENT-8.

TREASURE LEGENDS.

DI·earning Tirn J arvjs Rent Day Scath-a-Legaune Linn-na-Payshtha' ..

ROCKS AND S.TONES.

Legend of Cairn Thierna The Rock of the Candle Clough-na-Cuddy . Barry of Cairn Thierna The Giants Stairs .'

~ .. ge

221 236 244 259'

275 280 286











.' I I"

"7-,,,/':., -<-~ '

l'jn:)· . \ Cl!. it t~ ~ !~ ..... iras found. at the inquest, }lul·, wa1'm t! were issur-j ~ ~ t . against his own father and t~o of his cou!lins on RUS- ~ ~ ~ picion of having perpetratecl th e del'd . TheRe pel'son ~ ~ ~' • t endeavoureil td circulate a . l'I~pori. thut he' .had ~,ecn ~ hangetlliy the fairies. r . It' . !lep~ared OIl . UIC .in,quest

that those persons.who wer&th~ first to.give .Lhe .farm .

had pa~, by 'some houses in the immediate vicinity ~ ol the house w~)'e' the body ,,:ds fO~lld ·h~ng~ng." - : • ~ ~ . t Dublin E ·ve,,/lrit ~ail) 18th Apri<, I B~7, .J

~ , It would b, i~ th, P'''''' " '''''')' 00' ~- ' 1 t 111'1 If;. ~ersant with ~ manners~o produce 111- ~ i ~ ~

~-8tanC~ of the undoubting belief in these su · ~ 1 ~ ~ j , Jt"ftP perstitions, if not so formal ~nd revolting as J:" ~ ~

,.!he fOt'egoin~, yet fully as cll ll vincillg, _1\ .~~. J\ In conclu~lon, I have to "fier lil Y n'rv hest I ~ ¥ I.;

. ~cknowlerlginents for the 111·lIlY ( "~)ll lln ~llli{; - 1 ':--< t: ~ ! Itions with which I h~ve beell !:" 'ulIl'ed. ')' I ~ '-1 l-h. Lynch, in pal·ticulal·, lily thanks are due ' . i' ~ for a manuscript collectioll of legends, frpm 1 ~ which those of "Diarll1id Ba\ 11 , th .. PijJ~~," ~' ~ ~ i t and "Rent Day" have becll ;;rlcelrd. Th~ '\.,.

rious sources will be' evident, 1111<1 thes(' SO l liTeS

are so numeOOUfi as 'all1lost to preclllde indi

CL vidual mention . Srl!ll~j c" Illt.ll 1<41 @t1,.;i+.

U ) IQ" 8.iell\&1- h, perlwl" i\ Gilit 11 Jlllel@, I um , .

•

1\ ~ll l' \ ~ ~ ~ ' ~~~ < .~ j i ~











.~

CON-T E · T~. ; "

/

,THE MERROW.

,The Lady of.Gollerus Flory Cantillon's Funeral :The S.oul Cages The Lord of Dunkerron . , The Wonderful Tune

,

THE D,ULLAHAN.

'rhe Good Woman . 'Hanlon's Mill . 'f be Harvest Dinner The Death Coach . The lIeadless Horsemal) .

".

THE FIR-DARRIG.

Diarmid Bawn the Piper Teigue of the Lee . Ned Sheehy's Excuse The Luck, Gue~ .

86 1~

. ll¥

. . 133 '. 131}

156 161 l~ ·tW ,. ' l
















- ~

11 CONTEN T S,

"l' TREASURE LEGE~D8,

Dreaming Tim .J arv is Rent Day Scath-a-Legaune ,Linn-na-Payshtha

ROCKS AND STONES.

~ ... e~end of Cairn Thiernli 'fhe J.tock of the Candle

' -

"

"age-22i 236 -:

24·t: 25~f

275-.. "28U . 3aZ. - 302. - I'-. J'. \

~

~~

~ ~ '>-i

((











FAIRY LEGENDS,

TH~ MERROW.

---" B anon the wave 'Vas fill'd with wOlldet'!!, w· and grecn.ba!r'd men'Vith conchs for trumpets, ~ w'd by fair nymphs That show'd their ivory 11110 Ill'!! through the tide."

CROLY'S GElIIS.











~£~~uJ~h~ ~ _ ~--lA-, ~ L-> C ? /'-~~

/:{ ~. &c/ ~~., t.-~ Art /~ ~

FAIRY LEGENDS.

THE MERROW.

--" The mysterious depths

And wild and woncl' rol1s fonns of ocean old."

THE CONCHOLOGJ8 T .

Il SEJUES.











-

LEGENDS OF THE MERROW.·

THE LADY OF GOLLERUS.

ON the shore of Smerwick harbour, one fine

summer's morning, just at day-break, stood Dick Fitzgerald H shoghing the dudeen," which may be

. translated, smoking his pipe. The sun was gradually rising behind the lofty Brandon, the dark

sea was getting green in the light, and the mists clearing away out of the valleys went rolling and curling like the smoke from the corner of Dick's mouth.

H 'Tis just the pattern of a pretty morning,"

said Dick, taking the }lipe from between his lips,

and looking towards the distant ocean, wllich lay

as still and tranquil as a tomb of polished marble. H Well, to be sure," continued he, after a pause,

H 'tis mighty lonesome to be talking to one's self by way of company, and not to have another soul

B2











4 'l'HE LADY OF GOLLERUS.

to answer one-nothing but the child of one's

own voice, the echo! I know this, that if I had

the luck, or may be the misfortune," said Dick, with a melancholy smile, cc to have the woman, it

would not be this way with me !-and what in

the wide world is a man without a wife? He's no more surely than a bottle without a drop of

drink in it, or dancing without music, or the left leg of a scissars, or a fishing-line without a hook, or any other matter that is no ways complete.Is it not so?" said Dick Fitzgerald, casting his

eyes towards a rock upon the strand, which,

though it could not speak, stood up as firm and

looked as bold as ever Kerry witness did. But what was his astonishment at beholding,

just at the foot of that rock, a beautiful young creature combing her hair, which was of a sea-green colour; and now the salt water shining on it, appeared, in the moming light, like melted butter

upon cabbage. Dick guessed at once that she was a Merrow,

although he had never seen one before, for he

spied the cohuleen driuth, or little enchanted

cap, which the sea people use for diving down

into the ocean, lying upon the strand, near her; and he had heard, that if once he could possess

himself of the cap, she would lose the power of

going away into the water: so 'he seized it with

"~ ..

THE LADY OF GOLLERUS. 5

all speed, and she, hearing the noise, tumed her

head about as natural as any Christian. When the Merrow saw that her little diving

cap was gone, the salt tears-doubly salt, no

doubt, from her-came trickling down her cheeks,

and she began a low meumful cry with just the tender voice of a new-bom infant. Dick, although he knew well enough what she was cry

ing for, determined to keep the cohltleen driutlt, let her cry never so much, to see what luck would come out of it. Yet he could not help

pitying her; and when the dumb thing looked

up in his face, and her cheeks all moist with tears, 'twas enough to make anyone feel, let alone Dick, who 'had ever and always, like most

of his countrymen, a mighty tender heart of his

own. cc Don't cry, my darling," said Dick Fitz

gerald; but the Merrow, like any bold chiid, only cried the more for that.

Dick sat himself down by her side, and took hold of her hand, by way of comforting her.

'Twas in no particular an ugly hand, only there was a small web between the fingers, as there is in a duck's foot; but 'twas as thin and as white

as the skin between egg and shell. cc What's your name, my darling?" says Dick,

thinking to make her conversant with him; but











6' THE L ADY OF GOLLER US.

he got no answer; and he was certain sure now, either that she could not speak, or did not understand him: he therefore squeezed her hand in his, as the only way he had of talking to her. It's the universal language ; and there's not a woman in the world, be she .fish or lady, that does not understand it.

The Merrow did not seem much displeased at this mode of conversation; and, making an end of her whining all at once-CC Man," says she, looking up in Dick Fitzgerald's face, cc Man, will you eat me ?')

cc By all the red petticoats and check aprons between Dingle and Tralee," cried Dick, jUmping up in amazement, cc I'd as soon eat myself, my jewel! Is it I eat you, my 11et ?-Now, 'twas some ugly ill-looking thief of a fish put that notion into your own pretty head, with the nice green hair down upon it, that is so cleanly combed out this morning !"

re Man," said the Merrow, cc what will you do

With me, if you won:t eat me ?" Dick's thoughts were running on a wife: he

saw, at the first glimpse, that she was handsome; but since she spoke, and spoke too like any real woman, he was fairly in love with her. 'Twas the neat way she called him man, that settled the mat~er entirely.

'i' HE LADY OF GOLLERU S.

cc Fish," says Dick, trying to speak to her after 'her own short fashion; cc fish," says he, cc here's my word, fresh and fasting, for you this blessed :.morning, that I'll make you mistress Fitzgerald ..before all the world, and that's what I'll do."

" Never, say the word twice," says she; cc I '~ ready and willing to be yours, mister Fitzgerald ; :but stop, if you please, 'till I twist up my hair." - It was some time before she had settled it en. .tirely to her liking; for she guessed, I suppose, .that she was going among strangers, where she would be iooked at. When that was done, the Merrow put the comb in her pocket, and then bent down her head .and whispered some words to the water . that was close to the foot of the

rock. Dick saw the murmur of the words upon the

top of the sea, going out towards the wide ocean, just like a breath of wind rippling along, and, says he, in the greatest wonder, cc Is it speaking you are, my darling, to the salt water?"

cc It's nothing else," says she, quite carelessly, cc I'm just sending- word home to my father, not to be waiting breakfast for me; just to keep, him

from being uneasy in his mind." cc And who's your father, my duck?" says

Dick.

' .











1/

THE LADY OF GOLLERUS.

" ':\'hat !" said the Merrow, " did you never hear of my lathe;? ' he 's the king of the waves, to be sure !" .

" And yourself, then, is a real king's daughter?" said Dick, opening his two eyes to take a full and true survey of Ms wife that was to be.

" Oh, I'm nothing else but a made man with

you, and a king your father ;-to ,be sure he has all the money that 's down in the bottom of the sea !"

" Money," repeated the Merrow, " what 's money?"

"'Tis no bad thing to have when one wants it," replied Dick; "and may be now the fishes have the understanding to bring up whatever you bid them ?"

" Oh! yes," said the Merrow, "they bring me what I want."

"To speak the truth then," said Dick, "'tis a straw bed I have at home before you, and that, I'm thinking, is no ways fitting for a king's

daughter; so if ' twould not be displeasing to you, just to mention, a nice feather bed, with a pair of new blankets-but what am I talking

about? may be you have not such things as beds down under the water?"

" By all means," said she, " Mr. Fitzgerald-


plenty of beds at your service. I 've fourteC'\n oyster beds of my own, not to mention one just

planting for the rearing of young ones." cc You have," says Dick, scratching his hea(l

and looking a little puzzled. "'Tis a feather bed I was speaking of-but clearly, yours is the

very cut of a decent plan, to have bed and supper

so handy to each other, that a person when they'd have the one, need never ask for the other."

However, bed or no bed. money or no money,

Dick Fitzgerald determined to marry the Merrow, and the Merrow had given her consent. Away they went, therefore, across the Strand, from Gollerus to Ballinrunnig, where Father Fitzgibbon happened to be that moming.

" There are two words to this bargain, Dick

Fitzgerald," said his Reverence, looking mighty glum. cc And is it a fishy woman you 'd marry?

the Lord preserve us I-Send the scaly creature

home to her own peopie, that's my advice to you, wherever she came from."

Dick had the cohuleen driutlz in his hand, and

was about to give it back to the Merrow, who looked covetously at it, but he thou gIlt for a moment, and then, says he-

" Please your Reverence, she's a king's daughter."

c, If she was the daughter of fifty kings," said

/

j











10 THE LADY OF GOLLERUS.

,Father Fitzgibbon, cc I tell you, you can't marry her, she being a fish."

cc Please your Reverence," said Dick again, in an under tone, cc she is as mild and as beautiful as the moon."

cr If she was as mild and as beautiful as th,e sun, moon, and stars, all put together, I tell you,

Pick Fitzgerald," said the Priest, stamping his right foot, cc you can't marry her, sIle being a fish 1" •

cc But she has all the gold that's down in the ea only for the asking, and I'm a made man if I

marry her j and," said Dick, looking up slily, cc I

can make it worth anyone's while to do the job."

cc Oh! that alters the case entirely," replied the Priest; cc why there's some reason now in

what you say: why didn't you tell me this before?

-marry her by all means if she was ten times a

fish . Money, you know, is not to be refused in these bad times, and I may as well have the

hansel of it as another, that may be would not take half the pains in counselling you that I have done."

So Father Fitzgibbon married Dick Fitzgerald

to the Merrow, and lili:e any loving couple, they returned to Gollerus well pleased with each other. E\rery thing prospered with Dick-he was at the

T HE L ADY OF GOLLERUS. 11

unny side of the world; the Merrow ma~e the 'best of wives, and they lived together 111 the

greatest contentment. It was wonderful to see, considering where she

had been brought up, how she would busy herself about the house, and how well she nursed the children; for, at the end of three years, there

were as many young Fitzgeralds-two boys and a girl.

In short, Dick was a happy man, and so he miaht have continued to the end of his days, if he

ha~ only the sense to take proper care of what

he had got; many another man, however, beside

Dick, has not had wit enough to do that.

One day when Dick was obliged to go to Tralee, he left the wife, minding the children at

home after him, and thinking she had plenty to do without disturbing his fishing tackle.

Dick was no sooner gone than Mrs. Fitzgerald

set about cleaning up the house, and chancing to pull down a fishing net, what should she find be~

~ind it in a hole in the wall, but her own cohuleen driuth.

She took it out and looked at it, and then she

thought 6f her fathe~ the king, and her mother

the queen, and her brothers and sisters, and she felt a longing to go back to them.

She sat down on a little stool and thought over

)











12 THE LADY OF GOLLERUS.

the happy days she had spent under the sea' then she looked at her children, and thought";n the

love and affection of poor Dick, and how it would break his heart to lose her. « But/' says she,

" he won't lose me entirely, for I'll come back to

him again, and who can blame me for going to

see my father and my mother after being so long away from them?"

She got up and went towards the door, but came back again to look once more at the child that was sleeping in the cradle. She kissed it gently, and as she kissed it, a tear trembled for an instant in her eye and then fell on its rosy

cheek. She wiped away the tear, and turning to

the eldest little girl, told her to take good care of

her brothers, and to be a good child herself, until she came back. The Merrow then went down to

the strand.-The sea was lying calm and smooth,

just heaving and glittering in the sun, and she

thought she heard a faint sweet " singing, inviting

her to come down. All her old ideas and feelings came flooding over her mind, Dick and her children

were at the instant forgotten, and plaCing the cohuleen driuth on her head, she plunged in.

Dick came home in the evening, and missing his wife, he asked Kathelin, his little girl, what

had become of her mother, but she could not tell

him. H e then inquired of the neighbours, and

, "


he learned that she was seen going towards the

strand with a strange looking thing like a cocked

hat in her hand. He returned to his cabin to

search for the cohuleen d1·iutlt. It was gone, and the truth now flashed upon him.

Year after year did Dick Fitzgerald wait ex

pecting the return of his wife, but he never saw her more. Dick never married again, always

thinking that the Merrow would sooner or later

return to him, and nothing could ever persuade him but that her father the king kept her below

by main force; " For/' said Dick, "she surely would not of herself give up her husband and her children."

While she was with him, she was so good a wife in every respect, that to this day she is spoken of in the tradition of the country as the pattern for one, under the name of T HE LADY OF

GOLLERUS.

The people of Feroe say, that the seal every ninth night puts off' its skin and gets a human form, and then dances and sports like the "human mortals," till it resumes its skin and becomes a seal again. It once happened that a man came by while this took place, and seeing the skin, he seized it and hid it.











'-~ -?<::. ~~; , - ;::'c-. ~ ~~ <A')-~~._~-,-<_ .~~ ;i--c-· .-.7 ~ - ~-"Z-;' .

....

14.. THE LA DY OF GOLLETtUS.

'Vhen the seal, which was in tlle shape of a woman, could not find its skin to creep into, it was forced to remain' in the human form , and, as she was fair to look upon, the same man took her to wife, had children by her, and lived right happy with her. After a long time the wife found the skin that hacl been stolen and 'coulel not resist the temptation to creep into it,

antI so she became a seal again. Danslce F olkesag-n, vol. 3. p. SI.

. Mr. Hibbert, in his Description of the Shetland Islands relates the same story in such a plea.'ling , . manner, that it is impossible to refrain from quotmg his words. "SOIl!etimes," he informs us, " Mermen and Merwomen have formed connubial attachments with the human race. A story is told of an inhabitant of Unst, who, in \\Talking on the sandy 'margin of a voe saw a number of these beings dancing by moonli..,~t and several seal-skins strewed beside them OIl

the ~ound. At his approach, they immediately fled to secure their garbs, and taking upon themselves the form of seals, plunged immediately into the sea. But as the Shetlamler perceived that one skin lay close to his feet, he snatched it up, bore it swiftly away, and placed it in concealment. On returning to the shore, he met the fairest damsel that was ever gazed upon by mortal eyes lamenting the robbery by .whic~ she should become an exile from her submaTlne fTlends and a tenant of the upper world. Vainly she implored the restitution of her property ; the man had drunk deeply of love, and was inexorable, but offered her

. " ' vc.; -'J ,/1,k!.. .,. ';. fr'~ -

t- v I/t. c.; OZ..ll - V-C-,...-, ~-....

_.-.................. -----..---,-

~---....,

O'k 4r 7' "'~, f J' 'l'H.E LADY OF (~OLL·E nus.

.,c. jt-t-d~ ~ .. a ,.. protection beneath his root' as his betrothed spouse.

h l. ... ;/ The Mcrlady perceiving that she must becollle an A .~ inhabitant of the earth, found that she could not do ~/ .a:..7~hetter than accept of the offer. This strange con nu"'/C4~''"7 bial attachment subsisted for many years, and several .t,: children were the fruits of it, who retained no far.!her, /-r~/-. marks of their origin, than in the resemblance which " t1.;~ 1 a sort of web between their fingers bore to the fore-

. • fee t of a seal-this peculiarity being possessed by the descendants of the family to the present day. The Sl;etlander's love for his Merwife was unbounded, but ' his affection was coldly returned. The lady would often steal alone to the desert strand, and, on a signal being given, a large seal would make his appearance, with whom she would hold, in an unknown tongue, an anxious conference. Years had thus glided away, when it happened that on/1 of the children, in the course of his play, found concealed beneath a stack of corn a seal'S skin, and, delighted with the prize, ran with it to his mother. Her eyes glistened with rapture-she gazed upon it as her own-as the means by which she could pass through the ocean that led to her native home. She burst forth into an ecstasy of joy, which was only moderated when she beheld her children whom she was now about to leave, and after hastily embracing them, Hed with all speed towards the sea side. The husband immediately returnerllearned the discovery that had taken place-ran to overtake his wife, but only arrived in time to see her transformation of shape coml)leted-to see her in the

11!':~" P S' ).~ - ;. ,/ !;:'1-~ de..adJ-",UZ-:;

-~.'''"~ 7 h.c.vA.. "-::./>- /::: .. ~.~. ~-:.? , .,;' . ./,.. -

)u _ .ro~ ".~~ <4.~,-, ~....c;;;..".7'7 c-~

PJ4 U. k . 4-/ ..;fty,..,J ..:v . " 10 ? , / fi

T I ......... ( .. Copyright Limerick Archives










16 T H E LADY OF GOLLERUS.

f'o):m of a seal, bound from the ledge of a rock into the sea. The large animal of the same kind with whom she had held a secret coi1Vel'se soon appeared , and evidently congratulated her in the most tender manner on her escape. But before she dived to un

known depth, she cast a parting glance at the wretched Shetlander, whose despairing looks excited in her hreast a few transient feelings of commiseration. , Farewell: said she to him : ' I loved you very well when I resided upon earth, but I always loved my first husband much better.' "-Page 569.

Mr. Tiliele tells us, in a note on the Da1!.~ke

Folkesagn, that there are still families who believe themselves to be descended from such marriages. A similar belief exists in Kerry respecting the O'Flaherty and the O'Sullivan families; and the 1\1acnamaras, a Clare family, have their name from a tradition of the same nature. Morgan, according to Ussher, signified in the ancient British" B01'n qfthe Sea."

It was the real name of the celebrated Pelagius; and is at present a very common one in Wales.

Vade, the father of the famous smith Velent, was the son of king Vilkinus and a Mermaid whom he met in a wood on the sea shore in Russia.

Vilkilla Saga, c. 18.

The stories of Peleus and Thetis in classical, and of king Beder and the fair Gulnare in oriental literature, may he referred to, as well as the ballad of Rosmer

Ha'vmand translated by Mr. Jamieson from. tp.~

Krempe Viser, and many others.











Documents

·FAIRY L'EGENDS