Clare Island Survey — Gaelic Plant and Animal Names. 4 25 



(D.) The Infamous "O&ji*. -o&ol,. 



Although the T)&n& t>&ol (Darra dheel) is a creature of ill fame through- 

 out the Clew Bay region, as it is, I helieve, all over Ireland, I was unable to find 

 current in the district any legend accounting for its bad reputation. It is 

 generally held there to be highly poisonous ; and in illustration of this, as 

 well as of the wonderful healing powers of St&n lu-p (Slawnloos), a Murrislc 

 man told me the following child's tale well known in his neighbourhood : — 



" One day the Keerogue and the Darra dheel had a great fight, and at last 

 the Darra dheel got a grip of the Keerogue and turned up its tail and stung the 

 Keerogue and poisoned him, and left him for dead. But what does the 

 Keerogue do biit crawl away till he comes across a Slawn-loos was growing in 

 the grass, and he bit a piece out of the Slawn-loos and chewed it up and 

 swallowed it, and he was cured on the spot." 



While collecting plant and animal names on Clare Island I was accustomed 

 to lay my difficulties of identification, etymology, and pronunciation before a 

 small council of islanders assembled at night in the inn kitchen at the harbour. 

 The men of light and leading here gathered together were usually able to 

 come to agreement on the problems presented to them ; so one night I 

 brought in alive in a glass tube a specimen of what I considered to be the true 

 Darra dheel {Ocypus olens), and proposed to lay it on the table as an exhibit 

 for examination and discussion. The proposal caused a flutter ; anxious eyes 

 were turned towards the door as if in contemplation of retreat, and when 

 the harmless beetle was gently shaken out of the tube on to the table one 

 bearded man, losing all control of his feelings, retired to the farthest corner of 

 the kitchen, crying out, " Oh, put it in the fire ! Put it in the fire, I tell you. 

 That'll bring you a great advantage." The more reckless spirits having 

 cautiously inspected the beetle from a safe distance pronounced it to be the true 

 Darra dheel. Only one esprit fort ventured to laugh at the fears of his brother 

 islanders, and when I returned the beetle to its glass tube a sigh of relief 

 passed round the kitchen. 



For many interesting details as to the Darra dheel in Irish literature 

 see Note 9 of B. J. O'Duffy's edition of Onbe Clomne Utn-peAnn (Soc. Pres. 

 Ir. Lang.), and also Dr. Hyde's " Beside the Fire," p. 184. 



(E.) Seal Metamorphosis. 

 Of the Clan Coneely seal legend, so well known in Connemara, I failed 

 to find any clear traces in Clare Island ; but two other interesting stories 

 of seal metamorphosis weregiven me by the islander whose version of the 

 Fweecawn Wirre legend is reproduced here in Note C. I give these seal 

 legends as closely as possible in the narrator's words. 



R.I. A. PKOC, VOL, XXXI. D $ 



