Clare Island Surrey — History and Archaeology. 2 75 



distant isles in the ocean to the west of us, larger than Erin twice is each of 

 them or thrice." 1 The Dind Senchas tells of Connla's well under the sea. 2 

 Giraldus Cambrensis, in the late twelfth century, not only noted stems of 

 trees covered at high tide in North Wales, 3 but tells a legend similar to that 

 of Inishbofin, if not referring to that place. Among the western isles of 

 Ireland was one called " Phantastica," a " cumulus " emerged from the waves 

 where no land had been visible. The islanders supposed it to be a whale or sea- 

 monster, but it remained motionless; so some lads went out in a cwrach 

 (navicula), but failed to reach it on two successive days. On the third day, 

 advised by an old man, they fired a red-hot. arrow at it, and it at once became 

 stationary and habitable, for " fire is hostile to anything phantasmal."' 

 James Hardiman cites an old manuscript in the Academy's Library which 

 says that (like the gods of Hellas) the Tuatha De Danann hid in " floating 

 islands, with a wind that evermore keeps them out of sight of shore." These 

 lands lie far out to sea, though " sometimes perceived by the inhabitants of 

 Oulis and Iris " (O'Maille's country, Umhall and Erris), and from " Calbegs " 

 (Killybegs) in Donegal. Several seamen saw it when at sea ; one Captain 

 llich tells of the land and harbour, with two headlands, which vanished in 

 mist, for " the enchanters could, by magic skill, conceal their land from 

 foreigners. William Hamilton, of Londonderry (M.P. in 1663), relates circum- 

 stantially how " lirazile, the enchanted island," had been seen by multitudes 

 off the coast of Ulster (probably Donegal). Captain John Nesbit, of Fer- 

 managh, settled at Killybegs and traded with France. On one voyage, March 

 2nd, 1675, he found himself in a dense fog off an unknown island, in less 

 than 3 fathoms. He and eight persons (three are fully named) saw it ; he 

 and three officers landed and saw woods, cattle, horses, sheep, and black 

 rabbits ; the travellers came to a castle, but no person answered them from 

 it. They returned to the shore, and lit a fire, for the evening was cold; but a 

 hideous noise ensued, and they took the boat and fled to the ship. Next day 

 they saw a gentleman and his servants on the shore and brought them off. 

 He said he had long been imprisoned in the castle by an enchanter ; but the 

 lighting of a fire by Christians had wrecked the main tower and broken the 

 spell. Nesbit brought them to Killybegs, where many believed their story 

 on seeing their old coins and hearing their out-of-date language and ideas. 5 

 Hamilton (as told by a Quaker) states that he was destined to disenchant the 



1 "Voyage of Bran" (ed. Kuno Meyer), vol. i, p. 12. 



2 Dind Senciias (ed. Whitley Stokes), Revue Celtique, xv (1S94), p. 458. 



3 Itinerary in Wales. Book I, c. 35. 



4 " Topography of Ireland," Dist. II, e. xii. 



5 James Hardiman's Irish Minstrelsy (1S31), vol. i, p. 367, copie.l by T. Crofton Croker in the 

 ■" Tour" of Boullaye Le Gouz, p. 68. 



