Notes Lough Corrib 231 



Lough Corrib, Cos. Galway and Mayo. Sir 

 William Wilde in his book on Lough Corrib, 

 p. 287, says : 



' Aughnanure Achad-na-n-mubhar, "the field of 

 tfae yews "- is so called from the number of these 

 trees, that of old grew all around this spot, and 

 that probably extended for a long distance east- 

 ward ; so that there is a tradition that the wild-cats 

 and martens nay, that man himself could have 

 walked on their tops from here to Tullokyan with- 

 out putting foot to the ground. . . . Near the 

 western entrance of this fortress (Aughnanure 

 Castle) the last living specimen probably 500 

 years old of this ancient forest, still (1872) 

 flourishes. . . . Passing over the Esker . . . the 

 neighbouring townland of Kylemore, " the great 

 wood," naturally calls attention to the spot ; for 

 around us may be still seen the withered stumps 

 or roots of no less than twelve of the ancient yews 

 of Gnomare and Gnobeg ; and two of these about 

 half a mile to the north of the Chapel claim special 

 attention. Passing down the road to Lough Corrib, 

 through this barren, grey-coloured, rocky region, 

 without a house or living thing to claim attention, 

 the eye falls on a lone, grey, tall spectre-like object, 

 standing in the midst of a large field of limestone ; 

 and on approaching it, we find it to be the bare, 

 knobby stump of an ancient yew-tree here figured 

 by Mr. Kinahan, to whom we are indebted for 



