Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 5 1887.djvu/74

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ORY Island is twelve miles from the coast of the county Donegal, being the extreme north-west land of Ireland: and, like all the remarkable places round the coast, it has its history and its legends, one of the most remarkable of the latter being that of Ballor.

Ballor of Tory was a sort of Cyclops, having only one eye before, in the middle, of his forehead—however, he had a second behind in the middle of the back of his skull; while a glance from the latter would strike a person dead. On this account a person in the co. Donegal, who is supposed to have[an evil eye, is called Suil Bhallor—or Bailor's eye. Ballor had only one child, a daughter Ethnea; and it was prophesied by a Druid that he would die by the hands of his grandchild; he therefore put Ethnea into the charge of twelve matrons, and sent them to live in a castle on Tor-more (big peak), the highest and a nearly inaccessible crag at the eastern extremity of Tory Island. There Ethnea gradually grew up, a beautiful maiden, wondering how she got there, and what the hairy animals she saw in the currach fishing around the island were; but the matrons were true to their trust, and would not let Ethnea know what they were.

In the meantime Ballor was amusing himself, as usual, plundering all boats that tried to pass, and making raids on the mainland, from which he carried off cattle and prisoners.

The chief of the adjoining territory of Tullaghobegley was MacKineely, he being the owner of the cow called Glas Gaivlcn—" she was so lactiferous that her fame spread far and wide," and "Bailor of the Mighty Blows and the Evil Eye declared that his ambition could never be satisfied until he got possession of her." But MacKineely brought her everywhere with him, so that it was impossible to steal her. MacKineely had a brother named Gavida, a smith, whose forge was at Drumnatinne, or the ridge of the fire. One day, MacKineely