Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 24, 1913.djvu/541

 Collectanea. 505

would never allow his tribe to go to war until he had himself challenged and defeated all the enemy's chiefs. He reigned in great esteem from the Fergus to the Owennagarna river. In his fighting-ring he always gave his opponents the choice of the sun and wind, in despite of which he overthrew them all. There was no king, nor soldier, nor monster that he feared to fight. His admiring tribe gave him a gold-embroidered cap, and the name of Oircheannach (Golden Head), and he died unconquered.^" I never heard this tale in the neighbourhood of the fort. It seems artificial, and based on a folk-derivation to flatter the Maclnerneys ; it is perhaps genuine, though late.

The tale in The Monks of Kilcrea, about the country from Inchiquin to Moher, is not found amongst the people, and is, I think, a pure invention by the anonymous author ■'^ of that pleasing poem.

One townland was transferred from Kilrush to Kilmurry parish, although embedded in the former. Tradition said that this was done because the abbot of Iniscatha, and his vicar at Kilrush, did not attend there during a pestilence to administer the last sacraments to the dying. The vicar of Kilmurry, hearing this, faithfully attended the victims, and the bishop afterwards assigned the townland to him and his successors as a reward. ^'-

The little stone circles and litde cairns on Creganenagh Hill in the Burren were, from the name, the centre of an early Aetiach, (fair, or tribal assembly), but Borlase ^"^ heard that they were memorials of a battle. Neither Dr. MacNamara nor I were told this at Castletown or Cruchwill, near the hill. The historic battles of Clare (with the exception of Corcomroe, Dysert, Clare Abbey, and Kilconnell) have no legends, so the battle- fields of Luchid, Magh Eir, Craglea, the Callow, Drumgrencha, Bunratty, Spansel Hill, Beal an chip, and Quin do not figure in this paper, nor do the sieges of Bunratty or Ballyalla.

The octagonal pillar called the "Leacht" of Donoughmore O'Daly stands on the shore of Oyster Creek opposite to Muck-

■** Collected by Prof. Brian O'Looney, 1860-70.


 * ^ Arthur Fitzgerald Geoghegan.

••2\V. S. Mason, o/>. at., vol. ii., p. 493.

^ Dolmens of Inland, vol. iii., p. 809.