Westropp — The Earthworks, Sfc, of S. E. Co. Limerick. 165 



with its prominent cairn-toppod dome, so conspicuously seen from 'Aine's 

 cairn, was the son of Mider, and gave his epithet to it — Knockfirina. 



I heard as a child, about 1872, from the peasantry at Attyfhn much about 

 King Donn. His blue dome was an infallible weather-glass, whence its 

 name, " The Hill of Truth." He was a powerful fairy, who gathered the 

 clouds on the peak. The fairy hares 1 on the hill were his pets, " no doubt," 

 and were often seen. He lived in the Sthrickeen, 2 the big heap of stones on 

 top. I heard from better educated (and therefore less reliable) sources that 

 stories were told, the same as those embodied by Michael Hogan, " the Bard 

 of Thomond." Hogan describes Donn, " in his chariot of meteors," defeating 

 the Cratloe fairies, and carrying off the young bride of Macconmara of 

 Carrigogunnell ; but the Ossianic flavour and bombast conceal the local 

 mythology, if any. In a genuine (but probably late) folk verse, "Donn Firiune, 

 Robert of the Cam, and Greroid Iarla, who vanished in the clouds," 3 are the 

 three chiefs of the Minister fairies from " Carnthierna," near Fermoy to the 

 Shannon. Donn of Dough dwells in a large sandhill, in the 'golf links, near 

 Lehinch, Co. Clare ; and I remember (in 1878) when people did not care to 

 pass by night, and lights were said to be seen there. The last of the ancient 

 bards of Thomond, Andrew Curtin (" fallen on evil days and evil tongues," in 

 the eighteenth century) prayed this Donn to take him as his servant. 4 It 

 was better than depending on the illiterate scmires, though Curtin received 

 much hospitality from the MacDonnells of Kilkee, who appreciated Irish 

 poetry ; but tradition does not tell that Donn granted the poet any favour. 



Edaoin. — Though forgotten locally, the yellow-haired Edaoin, the tutelary 

 goddess of Eogan Mogh Nuada, deserves mention. 6 She resided at Inis 

 Grecraige or Beare Island, so their friendship may have been accidental. She 

 rescued her protege, and aided his escape to Spain by making the pillar-stones 

 and rocks appear to his pursuers in the forms of his company. The deluded 

 foe vainly broke their weapons on their supposed victims. The story is 

 evidently archaic, though we have it in a late and corrupt form. Elsewhere 

 she appears with Cliodna and Aine as the " treasures of the Tuatha 

 De Danann." 



Fee Fi. — I have said so much about the gods of Knockainey, 6 that I must 



1 Hares were sacred in Gaul ; Boudicca brought one against tho Romans. See Hibbert 

 Lect. iv, p. 199. 



2 " Struadhraicin " (FitzGerald's " Limerick," ii, p. 382), " a specula or place for tire 

 signals." Lewis (Topog. Diet. p. 114) says it is on the site of an ancient temple. Illustrated 

 by Dr. George Fogerty and described by Mr. P. J. Lynch, Minister Arch. Soc. i, p. 108. 



3 Rev. Celt., iv, p. 191. 



1 Mss. R. I. Acad., 23 M. 47, Folk Lore, xxi, p. 196. 



6 "Magh Leana," especially p. 31. " Supra, vol. x\xiv, pp. .">o 56, 69, 60. 



