LAKE OF BEER IN IRELAND. 165 



since mortal man pulled a handful before ; not since the days 

 of the Danes, who were as wise as they were wicked, has the son 

 of a mother made use of this plant — come away with me and I 

 will show you what it was made the Danes stout and strong, when 

 they carried away poor Irishmen's daughters, and cut off the 

 young men's noses," * So off they set, and came to yonder pret- 

 ty lake : " take now, Denis, a wisp of that plant you have in your 

 hand, and wisk it well in the water of this lake, and wait a bit, 

 and you will see what will happen." So Denis did as he was 

 bid, and after waiting and chatting a while with the fairy, he was 

 bid to go, and in the palm of his hand to take a sup of the water. 

 So down he went, and lifting what he could take up in the hol- 

 low of his fist, he cried out "by the powers of pewter, please 

 your honour and glory, it 's the best beer that ever was brewed — 

 it 's as stong as malt can make it. Och then, is n't it the greatest 

 pity in the world, I have not the piggin to bring home a drop to 

 Judy and the childer." So Denis, after sipping and supping 

 until he was tired, and a little tipsy, turned about to look for the 

 fairy, and ^e was no where, he had vanished. And sure you may 

 be, that Denis took good care in going home to mark the way to 

 his new beer cellar ; and you may also take for sartain, that 

 from that day forth, Denis and all belonging to him were not 

 slow in resorting to the lake, and Denis was too good natured a 

 fellow not to tell it to the neighbours : why should n't he ? All 

 the men in Bear and Bantry could not drink it dry ; and may be 

 it was Denis an^all his friends that did not get strong and fat, 

 and his wife Judy's face became as round as a griddle ; but the 

 worst of all was, that the liquor turned their heads, and they all 

 took to fighting , there was not a fair or patron in all the west 

 country, even down to Castletown, that they did not kick up a 

 scrimmage or a row in. Now Father Florence Barret, the priest, 

 saw there was something not right a going on ; and so when con- 

 fession time came round, he took care to send for Denis O'Donohoe, 

 and Judy his wife, and all the neighbours, and his Raverence 

 was too cute a man, not to squeeze and draw out of the poor 

 people a confession of all ; and then it was that the good Father 



* The Danes after their conquest of Ireland imposed a heavy tribute on the 

 Irish ; every master of a family was obliged to pay in an ounce of gold yearly, 

 and if through misfortune or poverty he was unable to furnish his contribution, 

 he was punished by the loss of his nose. This tribute was therefore called the 

 Nose Rent. Can it in this way be accounted for, that the Milesian Irish are 

 a short-nosed race ? you seldom see an aquiline or long nose with the real breed. 



