272 SPORTING REMINISCENCES 



Another thing which you may not do is to dig 

 up a fairy forth. The curse which falls upon the 

 man who puts the first spade in is the loss of a limb 

 or his wits. 



I had a cousin in Clare who did not believe in 

 fairies, and wished to level a forth on his land. 

 Not a labourer he had would begin it for him. 



Calling them a great many names he offered a 

 pair of new boots to the man who would brave the 

 folly of the superstition and at the same time he 

 called for a spade himself. Once the red earth 

 was turned the onus was off, the rest worked on 

 busily, if uneasily. Before one bank was down the 

 man from Ennis who had been promised the boots 

 was moaning over a crushed foot, a big rock had 

 fallen on to it. One boot was all he ever wore for 

 the rest of his days. Whether someone was de- 

 termined to see that superstition must be attended 

 to and rolled the stone down I cannot say. But 

 when a few years later my cousin himself went 

 mad the fairy forths in County Clare stood a good 

 chance of being left alone. 



You must not use anything which comes from 

 a church. This brings the most dreadful misfor- 

 tune. Now here again a case of coincidence. 

 About ten years ago a woman brought up a pair 

 of particularly handsome brass candlesticks which 

 I bought. But my housemaid promptly warned 

 me that they were off the " Holy Althar," and 

 that I must return them at once. 



