I’ve always
been fascinated by this evocatively named site. It brings to mind my own local site,
the Graves of the Leinstermen.
The
folklore related to these graves isn’t as old though and seems to relate to
local folklore and records from the 1930s in the Irish Folklore Commission’s Schools
Manuscripts.
In a record
from Doonaha it says the following:
“Near here is the grave of the "Yellow Men"
where 9 shipwrecked Frenchmen were buried about 60 years ago. Their ship was in
difficulties and they threw a rope ashore by which 9 were saved. One of the
local young men however cut part of this fine rope (which was
considerably too long at first) so that when the ship drifted a little away
from the shore the cut rope was too short and useless to save the others who
were drowned in that spot.”
https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5162147/5158738/5198121
Another reference to Yellow Men relates to a different incident
and shipwrecks from the Spanish Armada.
“When the Spanish Armada was sent to conquer England a storm
occurerd and parted the fleet. Many of the ships were wrecked some of them off
the West Coast of Ireland especially off the coast of Clare near Quilty. Some
of the bodies were recovered and buried in a neighbouring graveyard known as
Kilfarboy "Cill Fear Buide" or church of the Yellow men or
Spaniards.”
https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922397/4877881/5076563
Another reference backs up the supposed meaning behind the name
Kilfarboy.
“The parish was known as Cill Fear Bhuidhe or the church of
the yellow men.”
https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922388/4876725/5085127
This ties in more with the local information board on site,
rather than being “French-men” they were Spanish.
The information board says
“The story surrounds nine or
eleven ' yellow men' who are buried here in a mass grave looking over the
Atlantic. It was originally thought that they were oriental, possibly from
China or Japan (only because of the phrase, yellow men) However, it should not
be forgotten that when the Spanish Armada landed in Ireland - the Spanish were
referred Yellow Men. The foregoing research would suggest that anywhere from
Spain, Portugal to Morocco and to as Tunisia to Egypt would more likely be
their Point of departure.”
I have to admit that initially when I heard the term “Yellow
Men” it stereotypically I thought of the story of Inuits that were supposed to
have been sighted in Northern Scotland in the past.
There were known as Finn-men and there are a number of
different explanations for how they may have arrived in Northern Scotland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finn-men
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14788810.2020.1838819#abstract
The graves are in a really rugged location, it is great that
the local community have retained and recorded the folklore in relation to the
shipwreck and it shows the importance of doing so.
There is one other reference to "Yellow Men" on duchas.ie and it relates to Co. Louth but there is no explanation as to why the field has that name.
"Another field in Mayne is called Cnoc Feara Buidhe which mean's the hill of the yellow men."
https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5008853/4961152/5075004
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