Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 27, 1916.djvu/134

 1 06 Collectanea.

land and the neighbouring cHff. The Tain bo Flidhais ^ names a Fiacra of Dun Fiacrach among the chiefs summoned to the aid of OiHll Finn. It also names the occupants of the other forts in order — "reach his (Fiacra's) dun; stern his valour Fiacra, the fair, of keen blade." "Go to Dunmore (Dunnamo, the 'great fort' of the peninsula) to the three Fosgaman of lorrus, go to Ferderg in his diHn (Dundearg in the prose) to the son of Dolar, of vast schemes ; (go) to Dun an aeinfhir, the seat of Dubthach, the black ; from Dun Tuathi (Dundonnell), without violence, invite hither Domnall dual buidhe, the king of mighty deeds ; tell him I am in great straits." As we pass down the coast, where all the duns save Dundonnell lie within a reach of less than three miles, we come to Dunaneanir, and hear that Eanir (the one man) used to stride across the chasm into the fort, and are shown his grave. ^ The next fort, Dunadearg, has a similar legend — a popular attempt to explain its simple name ("the dark red fort," derived from its reddish rock) by inventing a "Darrig" who used to leap into it. The " leap " legends ^ predominate at the Mayo cliff forts, and the occupants, even where not called giants, are supposed to be of supernatural size and activity to be able to leap across the gullies at their abodes. As we have seen, the chief Domnall and his steward, Certan, have grown to giants in the folk-tales.

^ Celtic Revieiv.

"Journal Royal Society of Antiquaries, Ireland, vol. xlii., p. 204 for Dunaneanir ; p. 201 for Dunnamo ; p. 208 for Dunadearg.

^ I give them later on in these notes.

{To be C07itinued^