Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 28, 1917.djvu/481

 Collectanea. 447

ship in the church. Their ghost? are sometimes seen walking along the river bank in the evening.

The "Red Pedlar's grave " near Knockatemple Church in Erris has (or had) a legend, told fully by W. Maxwell in Wild Sports of the West. I did not hear it locally nor is the supposed date of the events known. In the neighbouring mountains (I hear) a earn of " Fair David," a famous robber, is shown. He was hunted down and killed, about 200 years ago. His monu- ment is called (phonetically) " Lacht Dahya bawn," on top of Corsleive Mountain. There are also legends of the migration of certain existing families from Tirconnell to Ballycroy. They came by sea to Fahy, near Doonah Castle, and included MacSweenys, O'Clerys, O'Gallaghers, MacNamaras, Conways and O'Friols. This probably refers to the mid-seventeenth century, as does that of the O'Tooles from Wicklow to Inishturk.

Otwayi heard, near Killala, from old people about an "Abbot " in his vestments at Moync " Abbey " (a beautiful Franciscan convent) ; " Abbey " and " Abbot," like " Doctor " and " Esquire," are terms used carelessly m Ireland. " Moyne Abbey was a grand place entirely — what must it have been before Luther and Calvin or the curse of Cromwell fell on it .' " " I could hear old ancient people say it would be worth twenty miles walking to hear Mass then in the Abbey with the grand Abbot in his vestments and all the friars." Old people often tell as their own memories of matters long before their fathers' recollections, as I once demonstrated by showing that an old man of vaunted memory was " personally recollecting " events nearly two centuries before the time of our meetmg. " There was a great Abbot, one Lynch, or Laheen, from Galway, he was full of learning." He ruled over St. Dechin's Abbey at Kilroe and " used to walk there twice a week from Moyne by way of penance." The protestant bishop (of Killala) O'Toway asked him to come to his castle and refresh himself, but he said he had to return, " I must be with my Maker e'er night." The bishop asked how he could be so certain, where he had no sign of sickness, but the Abbot went on, and his would-be host, a kind-hearted man, sent next day to enquire for him. The

^ Erris and Tyraivly, p. 192.