Browne — Ethnography of the Mullet, Iiikhhca, 6^ Portacloy. 633 



the fairies. A few years ago the cattle on this farm became ill, and 

 one after another died ; the people of the house consulted a " fairy 

 woman," who told them that the cause of the disease was the defiling- 

 of the fairies play-ground, by allowing a manure heap on the south 

 side of the house, but that if this were removed that all would be 

 well. Her advice was taken, and from that day forth the illness 

 ceased. Dirty water should not be thrown out at night for fear of 

 offending the fairies. 



Many of the old customs mentioned by writers of the earKer part 

 of the century have become extinct. People from the mainland no 

 longer bury their dead on Inishglora, and some other customs coii- 

 nected with this island have died out since it became uninhabited ; 

 the first that two people could not go together into one of the ruined 

 cells or cloghans without breaking bread between them, neglect of 

 which would cause one of the two to die within the year ; the other 

 that every visitor should kiss the wooden statute of St. Brendan.^ 

 Though these customs have gone, many still continue to exist — wakes, 

 funeral customs, and straw-boys at weddings have been already men- 

 tioned; wren hunting is practised, and the "wran-bush" carried 

 round on St. Stephen's Day, as in most other parts of Ireland. On 

 St. John's Eve bon-fires, or Beltain fires, are lighted, and people used 

 to jump through the smoke over them when they got low ; many still 

 endeavour on these occasions to take home a live coal to kindle their 

 own fires with. 



The sign of the cross is made over the mouth when yawning to 

 avert evil. Hair-cuttings are carefully put away in a hole in the 

 wall in order that strength may be preserved. 



The sale of cattle is completed by dipping a stick in dirt, and 

 marking the beasts therewith. 



Girls sometimes try means of discovering what their future husband 

 will be like. The following is a specimen : — On the first sight of the 

 fijst new moon of the New Tear, the girl kneels down and says seven 

 " Our Fathers " and seven "Hail Marys"; then she takes some of 

 the clay from under her left knee and puts it into a left stocking, 

 which she then buries until retiring at night, when she takes it up and 

 sleeps on it to dream of her future husband. 



There is a love charm of a rather gruesome character which is still 



' It used to be the custom for all ships passing Inishglora to lower top sails in 

 honour of St. Brendan ; and it was believed that any man who thrice lifted thtt 

 statue in his arms was rendered capable of helping women in difficult labours. — 



O'DONOVAN. 



