Dalton — Cromm Cruaich of Magh Sleacht. 51 



Crom Dubh and St. Brendan, on the last Sunday of July, wliich is commonly 

 called ' Dounach Crom Dubh ' " ' 



At Kilcummin, in North Mayo, where tradition still cherishes the well 

 used by St. Patrick for baptizing his converts in the district, " not a year has 

 passed since then without the people holding a station at the well on the 

 anniversary of that day, and that day is the last Sunday of the seventh 

 month. And in that place the Irish speakers call the month ' Mi na Lughnas/ 

 and the Sunday ' Domhnach Chruim Duibh ' ; and the English speakers call 

 the Sunday ' Garland Sunday.'- And not a year from then until now but 

 there has been a pattern at Kilcummin, where the same well is. ' Tobar 

 Chuimin ' they call it, for its name was changed in St. Cuimin's time, because 

 of the many miracles he worked there ; and he is buried in Kilcummin, within 

 a perch of the well . . . There is a pattern the same Sunday at the well 

 called St. Bridget's, just close to Kilbride, and not far from Doonbristy." ^ 



In the " Descriptive Catalogue of the Book of Fermoy," published by 

 J. H. Todd, D.D.,* one of the fragments is thus introduced : " This is the 

 reason why Crom Dubh Sunday was so called." The explanation given is 

 that on the same day, as was related by a demon to St. Cainnech of Eoscrea, 

 Crom died ; that the evil powers, whom he had well served, naturally clutched 

 at his lifeless body, with intent to carry off his spirit; but that "suddenly 

 St. Patrick, with a host of saints and angels, appeared, who assailed us with 

 fiery darts, one of which struck me in the leg, and has left me lame for ever. 

 It seems that Crom Dubh's charities and good works were more than a 

 balance for his sins ; so the saints took possession of his soul, and put us to 

 flight." ' 



This legend simply conveys by means of Christian symbol the well- 

 remembered facts that St. Patrick with his legion of saints and angels had 

 invaded Crom Dubh's citadels at Magh Sleacht and elsewhere ; that the aged 

 deity Crom then forfeited his heathen existence ; that the evil spirit of 

 paganism — the lingering regard for idol-worship — still struggled hard to 

 resist destruction ; that the same spirit was quickly maimed, and Crom Dubh's 

 instrumental influence rescued from its grasp, by the new-risen church of 

 Patrick's founding. Thenceforth the saints bad possession of Crom's 



1 "Trans, of Kilkenny Archffiological Society," vol. ii (1852-3), p. 130. 



- I infer from this that the name " Garland Sunday," incorrectly given by Dr. Kenny 

 as " Garlic Sunday " [supra, p. 50), was used only by the Anglo-Irish. 



3 " Lnb na Caillighe," edited by Joseph Lloyd, m.r.i.a. (Gill & Son, 1910), 

 pp. 39, 40. 



* Proc. R.I.A., vol. i, pt. i, p. 30. 



5 Ibid. See also " O. S. Letters," Co. Mayo, vol. ii, p. 269. 



