Macalistek — The History and Antiquities oj Inis Cealtra. 171 



spot, when the brerhta han ocv.s gohann ociis druacl against which St. Patrick's 

 Hymn seeks protection were a very real terror. We are not told in the life 

 of St. C^oluni, from which we quoted in the first part of this paper, why he 

 suddenly, and as it would appear capriciously, took a dislike to Inis Cealtra; the 

 inolestiae hominum frequentantium reads like a mere excuse. I for one think 

 that a hint at an explanation of this is to be found in the ancient tradition 

 that O'Conor happily garnered for us. The cailleach was a druidess, who 

 cursed the interloper that had stolen the sacred tree. I frankly avow myself 

 one of those who hold the unpopular and often derided view that folk-tales 

 contain a considerable amount of literal historic fact, thougli I admit that we 

 cannot without external aid deduce from a tale that has passed through an 

 unknown number of generations the course of events on which it is based. 



I have no faith in the alleged causeway lietween the islands, whether as a 

 work of nature or of art. 



II. A Causeway to the Mainlaiid. — O'Conor further says (p. 565) : " The 

 principle \sic\ road is still observable leading from the lake to the churches 

 in a Southern direction. It is said that there is a road (or causeway) extending 

 opposite or near the Western extremity of this road, a distance of some 

 perches from the island into the lake. A person could safely walk on it in 

 summer time when the weather is dry. It is supposed that this road formerly 

 connected the island with the mainland." I could find no confirmation of 

 this ; on the contrary', I was assured that there is deep water all round the 

 island. 



III. The hell of St. Caimin's. — We have mentioned in describing the church 

 of St. Cairain that there is the foundation of a belfry perched on the slope of 

 the gable. Of this O'Conor says : " Henry Boucher above mentioned saw a 

 liell on the East gable of this church. On Caimin's day [24th March] it used 

 to toll spontaneously. It was brought to Killaloe, where however they 

 could make no use it, for it would not ring. Jt was shortly afterwards buried 

 in the ground."' A writer in the R.S.A.I. Journal for 1889 mentions that 

 there are many legends about St. Mary's Church — by which he means 

 St. Caimin's, as the context shows— and these he says he has written at 

 length ; but the samples he gives do not encourage us to expect that the 

 collection would be of great value. He refers to the story of the witch and 

 the tower, with the fanciful addition that it had been intended to carry the 

 tower up. Babel -like, to reach the sky. He also mentions this very pretty 



^ The latter part of this statement (from "On Caimin's day" onward) is roughly 

 scribbled in pencil on the M.S., apparently in O'Conor's hand. 



