Ardcroney Portal Tomb & St Patrick

Some folklore linking this Portal Tomb near Ardcroney with St Patrick.

Nenagh Guardian - 22-08-1936

About a mile to the east of Ardcroney in a district called Lough Fada (Loch Fada), which according to tradition, was visited by St. Patrick. The place was, as the name indicates, at one time covered with water, but it is now quite dry. The bed of the river, which drained the lake into the Shannon, can still be traced. Faint with hunger, the saint was one day, according to legend, passing the lake in which three men were engaged fishing. Though hard at work for hours they had caught no fish till a few minutes before St. Patrick's arrival. Explaining his plight to the fishermen, he asked them for some fish to relieve his hunger but they refused. He thereupon changed them into stones. Three large pillars of stone, each about six feet high and four feet wide, are still pointed out as confirming the truth of the legend.
Druid's Altar
As is the case in most legends, there is probably a stratum of truth in the story. According to Dr. Healy, the saint visited Rathurles, about three miles distant, on his journey northward from Cashel. From Rathurles he proceeded to Terryglass, and Ardcroney would be in a direct line between these two places; near Loch Fada are the remains of a large fort which is still called "The Doon" (An Dun), where a king or chieftain resided in olden times. It was St. Patrick's policy to convert the ruler of the district first, and having done so in Ardcroney, he would probably proceeded to Loch Fada to view the Druid's altar - for such undoubtedly were the three large stones. According to tradition, a number of smaller pillar stones formed a circular enclosure round the altar but these were removed by the planters for building purposes. It is also stated that the smaller stones were covered with rude inscriptions on the edges. These were probably the Ogham characters as used by the Irish till St. Patrick's time.

This suggests to me that some old building or wall in the vicinity has the remains of what is probably rock-art incorporated into it from the circular enclosure mentioned below. Also see the old OS map in which Lough Fadda is noted.

Duchas.ie confirms that these stones were known locally as a "druids altar".

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5162111/5155208/5170572

In the farm of Mr Patrick Oakey Ballylusky Nenagh there is a field known as Druids Altar". In the corner of the field there is the remains of an old altar. It is believed that druids had an altar there one time.

Lough Muskry & St Patrick

There is a lot of interesting folklore associated with Lough Muskry and the Galtees.

From http://www.caitrionakennyphotography.com/
"Lake Muskry was formerly known a Lough Beal Sead, ‘The Lake of the Jewel Mouth’, but it has also been identified as, ‘Loch Beal Dragan’, The Lake of the dragon’s mouth. Its present name, Lough Muskry comes from the Muscraighe sept that lived in the south of Ireland. The lake is said to have been formed on the spot where Cliach the harper stood for a year to serenade his beloved, the daughter (of) Bodhbh of Slievenamon. It is also mentioned in one of the Shannon legend stories where the ‘Ol Nag’ or great serpent was banished by St. Patrick from Connaught and confined to Lake Muskry."

Other folklore on the lake comes from duchas.ie

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5162130/5156627/5197489

"Loch Muskry is one of the four lakes on the Galtee mountains and there is a little story connected with it.
It is said that Saint Patrick chained a serpent in this lake and he promised to release him on an Easier Sunday morning at the end of some period of seven years. The serpent comes up on an Easter Sunday morning at the end of seven years and he says,"Is it the morning yet Patrick" and Patrick says "No", and the serpent goes down again for another seven years.|"

There seems to be a little bit of confusion as Lough Diheen is also credited with being the lake that St Patrick banished the serpent into. 

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922302/4868455/5053722

"In the olden days long, long ago the people along the foot of the Galtees were terrified by a great serpent, so dangerous was it that no person dare approach the mountain of lake.
At last St Patrick arrived at the Galtees and after a long discussion the serpent agreed to remain under a large vat or tub at the bottom of the lake. St. Patrick agreeing to set it free after the day of "Luain". The old people say and did believe up to a short time ago, that the serpent puts its head over the water every St. Patrick's Day and cries out in a mournful voice. "? ? an luainí, A Pádraig"
So strong was their belief that an attempt was once made to drain the lake. The owner of Ballinacourtie estate, one Captain Dawson, about 150 years ago heard so much about this serpent that on one occassion he took a number of workmen with him to drain the lake and destroy the serpent. They had pick axes, shovels, spades with them. As they were about to start work Captain Dawson looked towards home only to see as he thought his mansion on fire. They all left work and returned quickly to Ballinacourtie only to find everything just as they left it in the morning."

Interestingly enough "Lá an Luain" can be translated as Doomsday and so this is likely to be the Luain in this folklore. 

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922064/4849120/5011154

"The origin of the word Galtee is not definitely known. For a long time it was called "Sliab Crocta Cliac" which means "Mountain of the harps of cliac". Then it was called "Sliab gcoilte" which means "the mountain of the woods". Cliac played on his harp outside the palace of the king of Munster but failed to win the hand of his daughter. He then went up on the Galtees and played his two harps together. The hill burst open and formed Lough Bel Seod which means "Lake of the Jewel mouth" or "Lough Bel Dragan which means "Lake of the Dragons mouth" There are five lakes in the Galtees:- Muskry, Farbrega, Borheen, Diheen and Curra or Corrig. All the loughs are popularly supposed to be enchanted. St Patrick put the kings serpent into Diheen and promised to free him after the day of Luan which will never come."

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922297/4868085/5072317

"There are four lakes on the sides of the Galtee Mountains, Lake Curra, Lake Diheen, Lake Muskry and Borheen. When St Patrick was banishing the serpents out of Ireland one of them it is said dropped into Lake Diheen and St Patrick tied him down with a silken thread and every seven years on Easter Monday morning he puts up his head and cries out "It's a long Monday morning." He is of a brindled colour. He has a very small head. He is the only serpent in Ireland."

Some of the folklore surrounding this serpent shows a bit of humour and you can only smile when you imagine the serpent sticking his head out of the water and asking "Is it morning yet"!

Edit.

Aine Ryan notes that this lake as where "Aongus Óg persued Caer to Tipperary where at the Lake of the Dragon’s Teeth/ Mouth he recognises her in swan form from a bevy of 150 swans." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caer_Ibormeith

 

The Rock of Cashel or Síd Druim

This is one of Tipperary's most iconic sites but not many probably know about its faery side. Professor Ronald Hicks has this to say "Síd Druim – "Síd ridge," more commonly known as the Rock of Cashel or St. Patrick's Rock, in County Tipperary. It became the royal seat of Munster, perhaps as early as the fifth century. The name is actually shared with a variety of other sites that we will visit later. There seems to be a dialect difference further north, where the name appears as Síd Truim in County Meath and as a whole cluster of Sheetrim townlands in counties Armagh (2), Fermanagh (1), and Monaghan (3)."
The photo is taken from beside a standing stone in I think Corralough townland outside Cashel.