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.

Craglea, Co. Clare

This weeks Sídh or fairy abode is Craglea near Killaloe in Co. Clare. Craglea is associated with Brian Boru as this is where his clans Banshee Aoibhil is said to have resided. The picture below also appeared in Sean Duffys great book on Brian Boru "http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brian-Boru-Battle-Clontarf-Duffy/dp/0717162079"

Professor Ronald Hicks who is an expert in the Síd and their locations has this to say about it. "Síd Craige Léithe (Craiglea) in County Clare, overlooking Lough Derg, home of Aoibhil, whose name signifies beauty. Aoibhil was the guardian banshee over north Munster and in particular over the tribe of Dal gCais, which included king Brian Boru. It is said that Aoibhil was in love with Dunlang O'Hartigan, companion of Brian's oldest son, Murchadh. She warned him not to go to the battle of Clontarf against the Vikings or he would surely die, as indeed he did."

O' Sullivan Beare soldiers buried near Templederry

Something to add to the Ormond way section of O'Sullivan Beare's march through Tipperary. From the Irish Tourism Report on Templederry dating to the 1940s.
"A round conical hill, tree covered, picturesque mound, which is the traditional burial place of some of O’Sullivan Beare’s followers killed at Latteragh (see under Battles). Local residents say that the height of this mound is gradually falling and that the inside is hollow. An opening into the interior (now overgrown) on the side facing the river will be located by” neighbours who lived nearby.
“A.D 1602 On Chrismas Day. O’Sullivan Beare was obliged to go away unreceived by the Earl (Thomond)… on the seventh night he remained at Leathrach… he was not a day or a night without receiving fierce assaults and battles”.

Glencar

Glencar Cairn on Gortnageragh to the north of Doon but in Co. Tipperary. Its a pretty unimposing cairn but Professor Ronald Hicks (who is an expert on references to fairy Síds in ancient literature) thinks its a candidate for Sid Cuile. He says "Síd Cuile (Síd Cuillne) – Mentioned in the Yellow Book of Lecan in the tale Táin Bó Dartada ("The Cattle Raid of Dartaid"), where Eocho Bec of Dún Cuile is invited by Ailill and Medb to a Samhain (Halloween) conference at Crúachan. A woman from the síd (banshee) appears to give him advice about his journey. Location unclear, but my candidate is the hill of Gortnageragh ("field of the sheep"), which lies just northeast of Doon (Dún Cuile), County Limerick, on the Tipperary side of the county boundary. There is a cairn on top."

It is described on archaeology.ie as follows:

"On top of a poorly drained mountain with good views in all directions. A small modern cairn (H 0.5m; diam. 2m) has been built to support a trigonometrical station on top of an earlier cairn (diam. 8m E-W), the outline of which is still visible. The modern cairn may have reused stones from the earlier cairn."

Sheegouna

Sheegouna cairn & megalithic tomb - Brenormore, near Kilsheelan, South Tipperary. Sheegouna translates as "fairy mound of the cow". 

When I climbed Slievenamon back about 10 years ago I noticed this other cairn on the OS map down on a lower peak to the north of the main peak. I headed down to it and spotted an unusual (not marked on the OS map) structure on the way.  It turns out that structure was an unclassified megalithic tomb. I knew it had to be something alright. 

The description of the cairn or "fairy mound". From archaeology.ie "In heather on top of 550m spot-height, on peak of Sheegouna. Oval mound (dims. 18.65m N-S; 22.85m E-W; max. H 2.55m) of angular limestones. Stones removed from N-half to build up four small shelters in the S-half. Small pile of stones possibly re-constructed on the N-side. Bilberry bushes around perimeter. Small stone (H 0.35m; Wth 0.75m), pyramidal in shape is located 12m due N of cairn and is similar to the triangular-shaped stone associated with the nearby wedge-tomb (TS071-054----). A megalithic tomb (TS071-54----) is located 112m to SW. Cairn (TS071-052----) on Knochahunna and cairn (TS078-001----) on Slievenamon are located 1km to NNW and SSW respectively. The passage tombs at Knockroe (KK034-019001-) and Baunfree (KK034-031----), Co. Kilkenny are located 10km to the E and 13KM to NE respectively."

About the megalithic tomb it is described as being "In upland heath, on a SE-facing slope of Sheegouna, on the eastern side of Slievenamon Mountain. Monument identified during field survey. A rectangular structure (overall dims. 2.8m N-S; 2.5m E-W; internal dims. 2.25m E-W; 1.1m N-S tapering to 0.6m towards the rear) which opens out to the E. The side walls are constructed of a combination of orthostats (H 0.77-1.1m) and rubble stone wall (T 0.8m) and are leaning into the interior. There is one lintel (dims. L 0.92m; T c. 0.4m) towards the rear supported on two orthostats and another collapsed stone (L 0.75m; T 0.36m) at the rear which appears to have been another lintel. The entrance is defined on either side by orthostats. A wall (int. H 0.9m; ext. H 0.6m) runs from the entrance northwards, revetting the hillslope. Cairn (TS071-021----) on Sheegouna is c. 112m to NE. The passage tombs at Knockroe (KK034-019001-) and Baunfree (KK034-031----), Co. Kilkenny are located 10km to the E and 13KM to ENE respectively. A small triangular-shaped stone (H 0.35m; T 0.42m) is located 18m to the WSW and is similar to the triangular-shaped stone associated with the nearby cairn (TS071-021----). "

St. Patricks Stone, Castleconnell (Again)

I recently posted on my facebook page about a stone near the River Shannon in Castleconnell that is known locally as where St. Patrick blessed Co. Clare from.
It is meant to show St. Patrick's footprints, the print of his staff and also the imprint of the last snake as they were banished into Co. Clare. I was actually prompted to visit this rock again by some folklore I found in the Schools Manuscripts about it and another stone. I used to visit it often in my youth.

What was even more interesting was another stone near Hermitage in which the following folklore was recorded:

"There is another stone that St. Patrick killed a snake on and the mark of the snake is on the stone. This stone is in Hermitage in a field near the railway. Another rock which is called St. Patricks Rock is in the lands of Hermitage. It weighs one ton and on it are marks of horse hooves, a dogs front legs and the impression of St. Patricks feet."
http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922094/4851853

I think that although recorded here as two different rocks, it actually is the same one (and separate from the one near the river bank).
This rock is actually recorded as a megalithic structure in the SMR. I visited it years ago and had wondered about the markings on it, the footprint on it was very evident but between debris and foliage from the tree beside it, it was difficult to make out anything else. It is recorded on the old 1840's OS maps by the name "Cloghroenapeastia", I think that translates as the "red stone of the serpent".
I visited again last Summer and noted what looked like cup-marks (to me) along with lots of natural markings.
I had to wait until a few weeks ago for the foliage to die back and for me to get a chance to visit again when the sun was low. A low sun casts shadows and helps illuminate any hard to make out carvings.

These are the photos from that visit.

Close up of the natural markings. 

From the opposite view - you can make out the footprint on the stone in the
front centre. 

Close-up of the footprint.

Looking down on the markngs from above - although many look natural,
some to me look like the could be artificial.

Another from above showing some more of the markings.

I showed them to a rock art expert who is a friend and he concluded that the markings are unfortunately more than likely natural (from photos only).
Personally the cup-marks that I thought where there look as good as ones I've seen on other confirmed sites but I guess with the amount of natural markings on it, this does go against them being artificial.

Photo of the markings by the river bank.