Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 5 1887.djvu/80

 72 number of things to do, all of which he succeeded in, till at last he told him to make a rope of sand. This he failed in, and the remains of the devil's rope is the Eskers that stretch across Ireland from Dublin to Galway Bay.

I think one of the feats was to make in a day as many islands as there are days in the year—which he did in Clew Bay. And another to make in the same time as many lakes as there are days in the year, which he did in the plain of Connemara, between Clifden and Roundston.

Ardmore, Co. Waterford.—St. Declan's church, well, and stone.—This saint is the patron of Ardmore, his day being celebrated on the 29th of July.

The church and well are on the south shore of the bay, while the stone is a little to the north-west on the beach. The latter is a large flattish block of conglomerate which the saint is said to have used as a boat when he first came to the place. It is now supported on the rocks that crop up in the beach, leaving, under it, a space scarcely fifteen inches high. On the patron day any one who passes through the latter under the stone is made whole of any disease he has.

In the churchyard of the more modern church, to the south-west of the village, is one of the early primitive small stone-roofed churches with an Egyptian doorway. This is now called "St. Declan's Cell," as it is said to have been built and inhabited by him. The earth from it is sold to pilgrims on the patron day, and an amusing story is told about it. The churchyard, from continual burials, is now so high that it has nearly smothered up this church except on the north side. On this account no one can get at the ancient west door, and to get into the church a hole has been broken through the north wall. On the 28th of one July a gentleman came to visit the parson, whose glebe lies to the north, alongside the graveyard. His servant, after he had made up his horses and got something to eat, thought he would explore the old ruins; but on this night the old lady that sold the clay to the pilgrims was getting ready her supply in a hole that she had rooted in St. Declan's Cell, and when the man peeped in she rose up with her light. The fellow gave a yell and bolted, never looking