60 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



water spirit, and has been seen, half raised out of the water, combing her hair. 

 She was a beautiful and gracious spirit. " the best-natured of women," 1 and is 

 crowned with the meadowsweet (spiraea), to which she gave its sweet smell. 

 She is a powerful tutelary spirit, and (aided by Cleenagh and Aibhell) attacked 

 and repelled the grim Atropus from a sick man. 3 She was connected with the 

 moon, for her hill, "Carron Hill" frecte cairn), was " sickle "-shaped and 

 meant " sickle hill," and men, before performing the ceremonies, used to look 

 for the moon (whether it had risen or not), lest they should be unable to 

 return. They used to go in procession on St. John's Eve, carrying lighted 

 wisps (diar, whence "'Aine Cliar," recte clinch), encircling the hill, and 

 visiting " the little moat called Mullock cruachavn laimhre Icah 1 an triuir," 

 tin* mound of three persons (perhaps the local triad), visiting the tillage and 

 meadows to bring luck to the crops and cattle. 4 Some girls, who lingered behind 

 one time, saw 'Aine. who asked them to go, and showed them, through a ring. 

 th.it the hill was crowded with fairies. < )nee the procession was not made, out 

 of respect to a dead neighbour, hut the fairies were seen marching round the 

 hill-top. 'Aine was violated by the Earl of Desmond fa recollection of the 

 legend of Oilioll Aulom). She had a son, Geroid Iarla, " the magician Earl of 

 Desmond," who is still seen riding over (or glittering under) the ripples of 

 Loch Gur till his horse's golden shoes are worn out.' She owned a red bull, 

 with which she entered the" green hill."* "8he,or the Cailleach ttheura," laid 

 thegreat bloeks of the wet the river. Indeed the Sliocht 'Aine, several 



local families, 1 descend from her in the female line. As to the procession round 

 a mound or cairn, the King of Tara was forbidden to go dewiol round that 

 sanctuary, though other persons performed the rite there between two cairns. 

 The Agallamh has "around the brugh let him walk dtisiol." A poem,A.D. 555, 



'Th: pean in old literature, as where she befriends Becuma (" Adventures 



• ■f Art." Book of Fernwy. y. 180, Kriu. vol. iii. p. II 



'See poetnof 1737in Introd. " Feu tighe Chonain," pp. 93- 169. C'f. Ouchnlaind'a fight 

 with Hercules, iind the defeat «t the Tuath.-i Dr? by the Philistines. In later days absurd 

 pseudo-classic " ornament " is common. 



'SoTara is " Tulach an Trir," fr^m the "three fairy youths" of Eman (Battle of 

 Magh Lean*, p. T'2). It was forbidden to disturb a meeting-tulach, or quarrel in a fort 

 (Anc. Laws, vol. i, p. 17">i 



'Compare the cultus of the .\fatres in Gaul, deities "of growth and fertility," 

 "worshipped at large central gatherings during the great festivals " (MacCulloch, he. nl., 

 p. *T9). 



1 Rev. Celt., vol. iv, p. 191. Or, as more usually said, " when the silver shoes of his 

 horse " are worn out. 



She was called the " LadyAwney." of "Orange," in 1K70. In some legends "Orange " 

 rway. I have heard of " King Liamgowl of • irange " landing in Waterford to fight 

 Kin-.; Sham us, and the Danes came from Orange. 



T O'Briens, FitzGeralds, Dillanes, Creeds, Lallans, and O'Deas. 



