Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 2 1884.djvu/271

 Rh pulled down by the "cruelty to animal Martin" to build a salmon weir.

Beola had a great friend, a giant, on Aranmore, and every morning at sunrise they saluted one another. One morning, however, Beola overslept himself, and his friend threw a stone at him to wake him, which so enraged Beola that he hurled a shower of stones at him, which fully accounts for the number of large Connemara granite blocks on Aranmore. The Aranmore giant had a numerous family, who took to using these stones as seats, which fully accounts for the pedestal of limestone under each block, as their feet wore away the rock around each block.

About halfway between Corcogemore and Slieve Moidaun is a large long block of rock, standing on end, called Clogh-na-Curreel, or the stone of Curreel. Its size may be judged by its being easily mistaken for an old castle, until you are quite close to it. Curreel and Moidaun were great friends, but one day the latter, when on a visit to Curreel at Corcogemore, ran off with his wife. Curreel, who was asleep, woke up, and missed the wife and Moidaun; but, on looking across the plain, he saw them making off to Slieve Moidaun, whereupon he seized up the stone he used for his pillow and hurled it after them. The truth of the story is evident, as the marks of his five fingers and thumb can be seen under the south-east coiiier of the stone. It may here be observed that in the co. Donegal the giants are all said to have had five fingers besides the thumb; but on the three "giants' stones" that I have seen in that county there are seven impressions instead of six.

A giant whose name is now forgotten lived at Leam. He was famous for his great feats of strength. One day the devil came and challenged him to show his power. After various trials, in which they were both equal, the giant proposed that they should jump over a wide chasm with his pillow on his back, the pillow being a stone about six feet long. One side of the chasm was higher than the other, and both succeeded in jumping down; but after the giant had jumped up, just as the devil was springing off, the giant tripped him up, and he fell into the chasm, hurting his back. The stone stuck up in the bog, and was there until some years ago, when it was stolen by a mining captain who was working at the Glengoala mine. The place, after the