Wesj'kopp — Brasil and the Legendarji Islands of the N. Atlantic. 241) 



Asia by a vast continent. The belief in the islands must have been of the 

 first importance to encouracfe him ami his men on their daring voyage when 

 they burst into the silent sea. 



7._THE MYTH EC ISLANDS OF lEELAXD. 



Turning from the wider aspects and interest of the subject, it remains for 

 us to record what is believed in Ireland about the shadowy isles of bliss. 

 Brasil we have found constantly in the belief of all south-western Europe 

 the other islands belong to Irish lore alone. So unhesitatingly did the 

 Irish give them a local habitation that they can be placed on the maps as 

 definitely as any real islands.' When we examine the sea-bed, we see that it is 

 not impossible (save Brasil and the land between Teelin and the Stags of 

 Broadhaven) that islands may have existed within traditional memory at all 

 the alleged sites. Going northward up the coast the mythic isles are — 

 Cantillon's Eocks, off Ballyheige ; Kilstapheen, near Loop Head ; Kilstapheen, 

 or Kilstuithin, in Liscannor Bay ; the island off Skerd Eocks, in G-alway Bay ; 

 the actual Inish Bofin ; Imaire Biiidhe bank ; Monaster Ladra (or Letteragh), 

 off Annagh Point, in the Mullet, Co. Mayo ; the Sunken Laud, between 

 Counties Mayo and Donegal ; and the doubtful Tie Hud, to the north of the 

 latter. Brasil is of a different class, and must be reserved for separate study 



Ballyheige, Co. Kerry. — One of the most beautiful views (where all are 

 beautiful) on the Kerry coast is that over the site of the alleged island to the 

 vast rugged peaks of Corcaguiny, culminating in the great peak of Brandon, 

 that recalls the legendary voyage of its saintly hermit into the isles of the 

 outer sea. Outside the golden rim of sandhills and the silver crescents of 

 surf (the " sea-horses " of Bran's dream before his bold voyage) Lie certain 

 dangerous reefs just below the siu'face. In the adjoining parish the ancient 

 family of CantOIon dwelt from the reign of Heniy III,^ and popular beUef 

 connected them (or, in a variant, the MacEUigots)^ with the rocks. The 

 version of Crofton Croker only varies in embroidery from what I have heard 

 in south-west Clare and in Kerry. It runs thus : — A.n early Cantillon 

 won and married a sea-maiden (the princess, Diu'fulla, " Leaping Water," says 

 Croker) ; such love has always an ill-starred fate. She died young, and was 

 buried in an island, on which was a httle church, for, like Undine, her mortal 

 love had to be paid for at a great price. Her royal father ordered his subject 

 waves to cut the roots of the island, and whelm it " beneath the grey and 



I See Plate XXIl. 



^ I have gone at some length ijito their history and that uf Ballyli. ige in n paper on the 

 promontory forts of Xorth Kerry; Journal, Roy. Soc. Antt., Ir., vol. xl, pp. 119-123. 

 ^ Dr. C. Smith's " History of KeriT," p. 210 (230 in later edition). 



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