Browne — Ethnography of Inishhofin and Inishshark. 359 



or the influence of the evil-eye ; and that she had been told by some of 

 the people that they had seen little men, dressed in green, and headed 

 by two others dressed in black, running over the hills. 



In a recent Paper,^ Professor A. C. Haddon gives the following : — 

 "In Innisboflji, Co. Gralway, the people have a very firm belief in 

 fairies. Mr. Allies, who resides there, informed me that one old man 

 told him that he saw a number of fairy girls, dressed in brown, around 

 him one day when he (Mr. Allies) was shooting rabbits. Mr. Allies 

 offered £50 if a fairy could be shown to him, and £100 if he took a 

 photograph of one. Mr. Allies has not yet paid away any money. 

 Mr. Allies and his brother were quarrying a rock by the side of the 

 harbour, and at last the men refused to work at it any longer, as it 

 was so full of ' good people ' as to be hot." 



It is remarkable that the leprachaun does not appear in any of the 

 fairy tales of these islands, though the fir dearg figures largely in 

 them. 



1. Customs. — The old customs kept up here are said not to be 

 numerous. Wakes and funeral observances have been already referred 

 to (p. 352). Beltane-fires are lighted on St. John's Eve, round which 

 the people gather, and, when the fire becomes low, they leap through 

 the smoke over the embers. 



The custom of chasing the wren on St. Stephen's Day, so common 

 throughout the greater part of Ireland, is said not to be known here. 



There are two holy wells on the islands, one, Tober Flannain, in 

 the graveyard close to TempuU Colman, in the townland of Knock, is 

 reputed to have worked many marvellous cures ; and the other, Tober 

 Leo, on Inishshark, not far from the cloghan of the saint, is also of great 

 local fame. 



Por the following note on Inishshark, I am indebted to Mr. 

 Michael Lavelle : — 



" There is yet shown a ruin called Cloghan Leo, in which he (St. 

 Leo) is said to liave dwelt ; also fourteen stations, to each of which on 

 certain days these people make a holiday, and pray there for the day. 

 There is also a blessed well, called Thobar Leo, at which they pray ; 

 and after prajing during the day, they go and sleep in the place 

 mentioned above (Cloghan Leo), but it is now almost to the ground. 



" On one of the stations is a granite stone which is hollowed out 



1 " A Batch of Irish Folk-Lore." Professor A. C. Haddon, Folh-Lore, vol. iv., 

 p. 49. 



