638 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



' deed of old ' to delighted listening ears, but in language so ancient 

 as to be now almost unintelligible to most Irish, speakers of the 

 modem school." The tradition of St. Brendan's discovery of A.merica 

 is well knoTrn, but the statement made by old writers about the 

 supposed anti-putrefactive nature of the soil of Inishglora, does not 

 seem to be recognised by the people of the district, who point to the 

 bones among the ruins in disproof of the story. 



O'Flaherty, in his " Ogygia," mentions the island in the following 

 lines : — 



" In Innisglore on Erris shore, 

 Should we the bodies of our sires explore 

 "We'ed find them blooming, fresh and fail'. 

 No human flesh can rot or perish there." 



The PriesVs Leap. — Just below the sea face of Dunnamoe, and 

 separated from it by a narrow channel, is a large rock, which, tradition 

 relates, was once part of the clrffi on which the fort is built. It is said 

 that once in the old times, some say the time of Cromwell, a priest 

 was saying Mass at Tarmoncarra, when he was surprised by the 

 soldiery. Not knowing whither to fly, he ran towards the cliffs and 

 reached them at this spot, his pursuers coming close behind him. 

 Just when all seemed lost the large mass of rock on which he was 

 broke away from the cliff and settled down in the sea as an islet, 

 bearing down the priest with it, comfortably seated, in a niche, known 

 as the "priest's chair," sheltered from the bullets of his enemies. 

 Thus protected he remained until night, when he was taken off in a 

 curragh by his people. The place has since been known as the 

 "Priest's Leap." 



The Namhoge or Neewoge. — There was formerly on Iniskea a small 

 stone figure called the neewoge (little saint), which was believed to have 

 great power over the weather, and was accordingly treated with great 

 reverence and used to be invoked for favourable winds. It is said that 

 a pirate landed on the island, and after carrying off all that was 

 portable, set fire to the houses, with the exception of the one in which 

 the neetvoge was kept, which did not take fire. Search was made for 

 the cause and the image was taken out and broken. The neewoge 

 never fully recovered this treatment. His power, though still great, 

 was not the same as it had been. 



Some years ago the attention of the parish priest became directed 

 to the existence of this image, and having obtained the stone by a 

 stratagem from the woman who was its custodian he threw it into the 

 sea. As he died not very long after this, some of the islanders ascribe 



