107 



" Le d' lurachain chreamhach fhasor 

 'S am buicein bhan orr shuas." — Macdonald. 

 Faran (O'Reilly). Latin : far, meal, grain. The earliest food of 

 the Romans. Irish : bar, food, corn, hence "barley." The feast 

 of garlic, " Feisd chreamh," was an important occasion for gather- 

 ings and social enjoyment to the ancient Celts. 



" Ann's bidh creamh agus sealgan, agus Iuibhe iomdha uile fhorreas re a 

 n-itheadh iirghlas feadh na bleadhna ma roibhe ar teitheadh 6 chainreath na 

 n-daoine, do 'n gleann da loch." — Irish. 



Where garlic and sorrel, and many other kinds, of which I ate fresh through- 

 out the year before I fled from the company of men to the glen of the Two 

 Lochs. 1 



'"Is leigheas air gach tinn 

 Creamh 'us 1m a' Mhaigh." 

 Garlic and May butter 

 Are remedies for every illness. 



"Its medicinal virtues were well known; but, like many other 

 plants once valued and used by our ancestors, it is now quite 

 superseded by pills and doses prepared by licensed practitioners.'' 

 • — Sheriff Nicolson. 



A. scorodoprasum — Rocambole. Gaelic and Irish: creamh nan 

 crag (Mackenzie), the rock garlic. 



A. ascalonicum — Shallot. Gaelic: sgalaid (Armstrong). 



A. shoenoprasum — Chives. Gaelic : feuran. Irish : fear an, the 

 grass-like plant. Saidse. Creamh garaidh, the garden garlic. 

 Welsh: cenin Pedr, Peter's leek. Foiltchiabh (O'Reilly), Peter's 

 leek. The well-known "chives," or commonly known to High- 

 land housekeepers as saidse, the round grassy leaves of which give 

 a grateful flavour to the broth. Foilt, alteration of faille, warmth, 

 welcome; and ciabh or ciobh, a lock of hair, as in ciabh-cheanndubh. 

 (S. ccespitosus ). The tufty growth of both plants may have 

 suggested the name. 



A vineale — Crow garlic. Gaelic : garlag Mhuire (Armstrong), 

 Mary's garlic. 



Narthecium ossifragum — Bog asphodel. Gaelic and Irish : 



1 A most gloomy and romantic spot in the County of Wicklow. 

 " Glen da lough ! thy gloomy wave, 

 Soon was gentle Kathleen's grave." — Moore. 



