Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 24, 1913.djvu/531

 Collectanea. 493

some collectors of the chief rents. The Earl of Thomond sent his brother, Henry O'Brien of Trumniera Castle, to conijilain to MacMahon. While waiting for MacMahon's return, Henry fell in love with the chief's beautiful daughter, and the lovers agreed that, if MacMahon on his return showed hostility to Henry, the lady should hoist a black handkerchief on the west side of the Castle. O'Brien, returning from hunting, forgot to look for the signal, and was attacked on entering the courtyard, the gate being shut behind him. He rode his horse into the river, and swam across the creek, but was again attacked and wounded, his servant being killed. He laid a complaint before the Queen in person, and she outlawed MacMahon, and granted all his estate to O'Brien. Meantime MacMahon had fled to Dunboy, where he was accidentally shot by his own son.^ So O'Brien on his return found all opposition at an end, and married the lady of his choice. This tale differs too much from history to be " book legend." It is true that MacMahon got into trouble for capturing Daniel O'Brien (brother of the Earl of Thomond), and that the estates were eventually granted to his prisoner, but the anger of the Crown against MacMahon arose from his capture of an English ship, and his relations with the rebel James " Sugan Earl" of Desmond. Teig MacMahon died in 1601.

In 1875 I heard a similar story about Dunlicka Castle from some of my brother's tenants at Moveen, near Kilkee. O'Brien of Carrigaholt fell in love with the daughter of MacMahon of Dunlicka. She used to hoist a flag on the Castle when her father was away, but the chief heard of it and himself gave the signal. O'Brien rode into the Castle and was attacked, but leaped his horse over the chasm of Poulnagat to the north of the Castle and escaped unhurt.

10. The Seventeenth Ce?itury.

The only tale referring to the early years of this century is a bald one of Knockalough Castle on an islet in the lake of the same name near Kilmilie. "Torlough Roe MacMalion of Knockalough killed his wife and child with one blow." ^" The "hero" was living in 161 1.

^This is probably an explanatory remark by Graham, and not local tradition. '^^ Ordnance Sui-vey Letters (Co. Clare), vol. ii., p. 45.