79 



grey. The resemblance between a leek and the eye is not very 

 apparent, as the following quotation shows : — 



" Dhearca mar dhlaoi don bhugha^ 

 Is a dha bhraoi cearta caol-dhubha." — O'Brien. 



His eyes like a bunch of leeks, 



And his two eyebrows straight, dark, narrow. 



Although Shaw gives the name to leek, probably the plant 

 referred to is the harebell (see Scilla non - scripta). Irish : 

 coindid, coifme, cainneji. Welsh : cenifi {cen, a skin, peel, scales, 

 given to onions, garHc, leeks). 



"Do roidh, no do coindid, no do ablaibh." 

 Thy gale, nor thy onions, nor thy apples. 



Coindid, though applied to leeks, onions, &c., means seasoning, 

 condiments, Latin : condo. 



A. ursinum — Wild garlic. From the Celtic. Gaelic and 

 Irish : garleag. Welsh : garlleg, from gar, gairce, bitter, most 

 bitter. Gairgean. Creamh (Welsh, craf), crea?fi, to gnaw, 

 chew. Lurachaii, the flower of garlic. 



" Le d' lurachain chreajiihach fhason 

 'Sam buicein bhan orr' shuas." — M 'Donald. 



The feast of garlic, " Feisd chreamh," was an important occasion 

 for gatherings and social enjoyment to the ancient Celts. 



" Ann's bidh creamh agus sealgan, agus luibhe iomdha uile fhorreas, re a 

 n-itheadh urghlas feadh na bleadhna ma roibhe ar teitheadh 6 chaidreath na 

 n-daoine, do 'n gleann da loch." — Irish. 



Where garlic and sorrel, and many other kinds, of which I ate fresh 

 throughout the year before I fled from the company of men to the glen of the 

 Two Lochs. ^ 



A. scorodoprasum — Rocambole. Gaelic and Irish : creamh 

 nan crag (M'Kenzie), the rock garlic. 



A. ascalonicum — Shallot. Gaelic : sgalaid (Armstrong). (See 

 Alliuvi). 



A. schoenoprasum — Chives. Gaelic : feuran. Irish : fearan, 

 the grass -like plant. Saidse. Creamh ghdradh, the garden 

 garlic. Welsh : ce7iin Pedr, Peter's leek. 



A. vineale — Crow garlic. Gaelic: garleag Mhuire (Arm- 

 strong), Mary's garlic. 



^ A most gloomy and romantic spot in the County of Wicklow. 

 "Glen da lough ! thy gloomy wave, 



Soon was gentle Kathleen's grave." — Moore. 



