Browne — The Ethnography of Clare Island and Inishturk. 65 



was rescued from some people passing. As a protection against them 

 •a red cord is tied around the wrist of a parturient woman, also round 

 the infant's wrist when born. Cattle having their tails cut or the 

 hairs taken off are thojight to have been injured by the fairies. 

 Fairy boats are said to have been seen at Inishturk ; and at Clare 

 Island a fairy or phantom ship is reported to have been observed some 

 months ago passing over the land, and lights at sea have been seen to 

 which supernatural origin was ascribed. Tliere are also beliefs about 

 seals which, as in Bofin, are thought to be enchanted people, and 

 which, like the fairies, are credited with having once stolen a girl 

 from Clare Island. It is believed that if any one shoots a seal, the 

 weather will be wet or stormy for the two days following. 



2. Leeclicraft and Charms. — The belief in the efficacy of charms 

 for certain complaints is common ; for others, local herb remedies are 

 much used. Some old people have a charm for the aid of women in 

 labour, which they repeat ; and they claim that, when they reach a 

 certain point in the repetition of the formula, they know whether the 

 case is going to turn out well or ill. 



"Head-measuring," as described in the report on the Mullet dis- 

 trict is practised for the cure of headache. For " the rose " (erysi- 

 pelas) anointing with butter is practised, as described in the report 

 referred to above. There is a woman on Clare Island who gives herbs 

 for coughs and for " the evil " ; in the latter case a decoction of nine 

 herbs (boiled in milk) has to be taken before sunrise every day for 

 fifteen days. 



All coughs are supposed to be due to pleurisy, and for this the 

 usual remedy is bleeding from the foot. A syrup made with sugar, 

 vinegar, broom-tops, and the roots of nettles is used as an expectorant. 

 A poultice of mashed ferns is applied to burns. A decoction of wild 

 geranium is employed for the cure of cases of " gravel." 



Cattle becoming ill are treated by boring the ear, and inserting a 

 thong of goatskin. Should the complaint be worms, the treatment is 

 the old and well-known charm of tying the worm-knot. 



In his report to the Ordnance Survey, Dr. O'Donovan says, with 

 ;respect to Caher Island, 1839 : — " Caher. — Any woman or child suf- 

 fering from epilepsy or ' falling sickness,' would be immediately and 

 for ever cured of it after sleeping for a few minutes in thelittJe church 

 of Teampull Phadruig, but more especially on St. Patrick's Bed out- 

 side, and some say on any part of the island." 



3. — Legends and Traditions. — There appears to be a rather large 

 ^tock of old legends and tales still surviving the shocks of modern 



E.I. A. PKOC, SEE. irr., VOL. V. F 



