Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 24, 1913.djvu/115

 Collectanea. 99

far and wide, from the CucluiUin Hills in Scotland to CuchuUin's Leap 15 at the mouth of the Shannon. At the latter place a huge and lofty rock tower, rising some fifty or sixty feet away from the end of Loop Head, ai)pears at one time to have been walled, and may, like other cliff forts, have been approached by a plank or natural bridge before the chasm widened. Before 850 Irish writers called it Leim Chonchulainn, so that probably his name and a story were attached to it in the ages left w-ithout record by the ravages of the Norse and Danes. But in later days his name was forgotten. "A hero," said the natives, was loved by Mai (a " Hag,'' though not necessarily old or ugly), and was pursued by her into the extreme angle at Loop Head. Closely pressed by her the hero leaped over to the island, was followed by her, and gathered his strength and sprang back to the headland. Mai was not to be discouraged, and followed, but fell short, and her blood stained all the sea as far as Hag's Head, her abode.^^ Local ety- mology says that Malbay owes its name to her. The same tale of Cuchulainn and the too fond dame is told in the Dindsenchas, but located at Fich m buana, near Dromsna, on the upper Shannon. 1'

Cuchulainn and the Red Branch Heroes, Conall Cernach, Cet, and Ross, fought the champions of the Firbolg Clann Umoir, and slew them. Several of the chiefs of the sons of Umor are com- memorated in Clare ; Irghus at the fort Caherdooneerish or Dunirias (not Caherdoonfergus as on the maps), on Rinn Boirne or Black Head ; Daelach at Lissadeely, Ballydeely, and the

1* Such " leaps" abound up the coast. There is Leamanivore (" Big Man's Leap") in North Mayo, the "Giant's Leap" at Downpairick Head, Leima- taggart ("Priest's Leap") and the "Leap of (Fiachra's) Sea Horse" in the Mullet at Dun Fiachrach Fort, Leim Conor, Leim Chaite, near Donegal Fort, and Cuchulainn's Leap in Clare, the Leap of Ballingarry in Kerry, and the " Heir's" Leap near Ardmore in Co. Waterford. There are also inland leaps such as that at Ardnurcher Castle.

i^O'Curry, in the Baltle of Magh Leana, p. 92, gives the tale rather differently: the hero's paramour {Cannaii) pursued him from Emania, and struck her back against a stone slightly below the edge, leaving an impression, whence it was called Leac na Cannain, and people believed that anyone with nerve enough to turn on one heel in the mark could obtain any wish.

^" "Dindsenchas," Revue Ce/tiqiie, vol. xvi., p. 57-8.