Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 24, 1913.djvu/540

 502 Collectanea.

12. Undated Tales.

There are, of course, a number of tales that cannot be located in time, although sometimes attached to definite places, and other tales of a vague description.

Lisheencroneen, a splendid earthern fort with a deep fosse and high rings, lying near Doonaha in south-west Clare,'^ bore in 1 815 the names of Dun Athairrc (Doon Aheirc) and Lios fm fuadli. Despite a very definite letter of Eugene O'Curry in 1835, the Ordnance Survey saw fit to give the name Lisfuadnaheirka to another ring fort, for which the peasantry knew no name, but I heard a vague tale of " a horned ghost " at the former. ^'^

Knockaun Mountain, to the north-west of Lisdoonvarna, was called Sliabh oigheh Airim (or Slievyharrim, O'Harrim's mountain), say the Ord/iance Survey Letters, after "Arim," a supposed son of Finn mac Cumhail, otherwise unknown.

The Matal (wild boar) and Faracat (a huge wild cat with a moon mark of white hair), already mentioned as appearing in a tale by Comyn in 1750,^' possibly founded on folk-tales, have no place in present-day local story.

The lady Gillagreine ^^ was the daughter of a mortal father and a sunbeam, and, when told of her ill-matched parents, sprang into Lough Graney, floated down the river Graney to Derrygraney, and was buried at Tomgraney {i.e. Loch Greine> Doire Greine, and Tuam Greine).

Near Sixmilebridge the tale ran that, in early days, Meihan mac Enerheny, a famous warrior, made the huge fort, or rather hill town, of Moghane ^'' as a " fighting-ring " for himself. He

^^ The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. xxxix., p. 121 ; Journal of the North Minister Archaological Society, vol. i., p. 225. The original papers belong to Col. O'Callaghan Westropp of Lisme- hane.

^Vol. xxi., p. 343; Ordnance Sin~jey Letters (Co. Clare), vol. i., pp. 371 et seq. (Aug. 21st, 1835). Fuad is a personal name in the Dind Senchas (Sliabh Fuad, Revue Celtiqiie, vol. xvi., p. 51) ; but St. Moling was once pursued by 3.fuat or spectre {Mai-tyrology of Donegal, s. June 17).

"Vol. xxi., pp. 183, 479.

'^Vol. xxii., p. 186 ; Ordnance Sui-vey Letters (Co. Clare), vol. ii.,p. 241.

'* Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. xxvii.