Westki>pp — Dun Crot and the " Harps of C'liu.^^ 379 



One other legend cannot be passed over in silence. C//h was a harper, 

 who, eoniing out of a s/d or sacred mound, used to play on two harps before 

 King Sniirdubh.i The legend strongly suggests a variant of those tales where 

 the Dagda (an outstanding god, whose son Oengus won his swau-bride in 

 these very mountains,- at Loo Bel Draccon') harps the seasons into being, or 

 the Welsh Bron, who harps magic music in the underworld on the croth.* 

 Thus Cliu endeavoured by his harping to bring a daughter of Bodb Dearg, the 

 chief " pre-Celtic " god of Munster, out of lier s/d mound at Slievenaman.' 

 Possibly little less mythical than these wild and most primitive stories is the 

 alleged visit of St. Patrick to Eogan Eedskin, King of Cashel, at Sliab Crot.^ 



A great vindated battle, in which the Leinstermen overthrew and 

 plundered the people of eastern County Limerick up to the Shannon, was fought 

 at the foot of the mountain of Crot in Cliu.' 



After the extraordinary wealth of legend the history seems brief and 

 bald. Cellachain, King of Cashel, fought his third great battle with the 

 Danes at Dun Crot (circa 950).' King Brian repaired the fort (about 

 1002- -1012). Another battle was fought, in 1058, between Diarmait 

 macMael na mbo and Donchad, son of Brian Boroimhe, at the mountain 

 foot." The ISTormans held the place precariously, for the Irish were strong in 

 the wooded hills, despite the nearness of Galbally, " the English town," and 

 Ballylanders, " the Londoners' town." Eobert de Boseworth, late of Nathirlach, 

 is named in 1369, '" but Aherloe was virtually O'Brien land down to 1578. 

 Dungrot and Arllagh (Aherloe) were confiscated from Morogh O'Brien, and 

 granted successively to George Moore, 1587, to Sir E. Fitton, and to a branch 

 of its native owners, under Donat O'Brien, the " Great Earl " of Thomond. 

 In 1611 its fair and Court of Pie Powder were granted to Thomas Cant well ; 

 his descendant, " John Cantwell, Irish Papist," lost them in the confiscation 

 of 1655 ; Dungrot Manor, with its grist and tucking mills and its Courts Leet 

 and Baron. " The river of Aherloe beginneth in the red bog of Ballybricn . . . 

 and runs through Ballyaskane, between the Manor of Donnegrot . . . and 



' Metrical Dind Shenchas (ed. E. Gwynu, Todd Lect. Serios x, p. 224). 

 -Rev. Celtique, iii, pp. 347-355. 



^Ancient Laws, Heptads, v,p. 277, gives, among " terrifying places," Loc bel dragiiiu, 

 or Loc bel set. See supra, xxxiv, p. 157- 



■•C. Squire, " Mythology of Ancient Britain and Ireland " {19U9), pp. 17-27. 

 ^ Reunes Dind S., Rev. Celt, xvi, p. 76. 

 '' Acallamh, Iriache Texte, iv, pp. 230-3. 

 "Rev. Celtique, xxiii, p. 315. 

 ^ " Cathreim Cellachain Caisil " (cd Bijgge), p. 87. 

 "Rev. Celt., xxii, etc. 

 JfRot. Mem. Scacc, No. 42, Edw. Ill, m3. 



K.I. A. PBOC, VOL. XXXV, Sf-:!. C. [iS] 



