Letters on the Antiquities of County Clare, 1835 by Eugene O’Curry
transcribed and edited by Brían Ó Dálaigh

Letter IV: Naming of Forts; Forts near Kilkee; Forts and Legends of Loop Head

Lunatic Asylum Limerick

1 August 1835

My Dear Sir,

In my last letter I closed my account of the names and situations of old castles for the present and intended that this should contain my derivations of some of the names, but as I expect soon to have more time to devote to that subject, I will now mention a few raths, dúns &c. and find, I am inclined to think, that the names ráth, lios, dún, céis, for, áit, suidhe, carraig, cathair, bruighean, caisleán, ceapach, &c. have not as yet, in any way that I have seen, been properly explained. I will here confine myself to a few observations on the following names, leaving you of course to judge of the correctness of my views. The names dún, lios, ráth, for, suidhe, céis, I take to all mean the same thing, namely a circular mound or wall of earth, enclosing and protecting a dwelling of the same materials. I know many structures bearing the above names indiscriminately, all agreeing in shape, materials, situation &c. They are, I am sure, the remains of the first scientific, military structures of this country and of other military structures, different in shape, materials &c. and at the present day known by the same names with the last mentioned above. It is from their occupying situations, immediately on or convenient to the old original foundations, for instance, in my limited list of castles, you find many of them called dún, lios &c. but you are by no means to suppose that these names originated with the founding of the castles, no, no. They borrow their names from some old ráth or lios, either still standing or removed to make room for their more respectable buildings.

Dún Lice is an old fort surrounded by a deep trench or fosse, still full of water, and takes its name from being built on a solid rock or flag. It was built by three brothers, who never spoke but three sentences, during the three times seven years they were building it. At the end of the first 7 years the oldest said 'Chualadh' [I heard]. At the end of the second 7 years the second said ‘Céard é?’ [What is it?] And at the end of the third 7 years the youngest said ‘Géim bó’ [a cow mooing]. It is a very well looking place on the summit of a mountain commanding a fine view of the Atlantic and of the Shannon at either side and close to Caisleán Dúnlice. It is one of the principal abodes of the good people here.

Dún Eacaidhe is a more ruinous looking place, two miles north east of this place at Kilkee. I mentioned Dún an Daill Rua before and following its direction to the west we arrive at Loop head. You are aware that the county of Clare terminates in a sharp point to the west called corruptly, I think, Loop Head from Leap Head from Ceann Léime. The place called Ceann Léime is the very point of the land, cut off by a frightful chasm of 60 feet through which the sea rolls with terrible rapidity and noise from the sea to the Shannon and back again, for this is the point of junction of the Shannon with the ocean. This little island, rather point, is now called Bullán na Léime and is the real Ceann Léime and the separating cleft is the real Léim Chonngcullain and not the mouth of the river across to Kerry as given by ‘Iota’ in the Dublin Penny Journal of August 17, 1833. The story here is that Cúchulann was much annoyed by a Leanán or mistress of his, whose name was Mal, that he ran away from her and from Ulster and he travelled into Munster, that she pursued and overtook him, that he travelled still to the west, till finding his farther progress obstructed by the termination of the land, and seeing his follower at his heels, he made a desperate leap across the chasm and landed safe on the little island. The woman, nothing daunted, jumped after him and arrived safe also. Cúchulann, on seeing this, leaped backwards to land again and the Leanán, resolved not to be beat by him, leaped also backwards, but miscalculating her level, the spring too low a little, so that her back met a stone or rather a flag that projects from the top of the cliff (on the mainland) about a foot below the surface and down she fell. The fall was so great and the projecting points of rock so numerous and sharp that she was dashed to pieces long ere she reached the water. And her blood having been driven by a strong westerly breeze to the east and north east as far as Ceann Cailidhe or Hags Head, about 30 miles distance, gave the name Bádh Mhal to the long bay and hence Mal Bay. I know these places very well. Leac na Leanán is still an object of curiosity and some men test their nerves by placing one heel on it and whirling about with the body and the other leg, and any right hardy fellow, who performs this action, cuts his name on the green sward above so that if ever you come to this place you can see the complete list of all the heroes who have achieved this mighty deed of valour. This is an unwarrantably long digression but as I have account to speak of places very near Leap Head, I thought it would not be amiss to say so much of the place itself.

About a quarter of a mile inside the head, in a straight line from the ocean to the Shannon are Cathair Chrocháin, Cathair Sál, Cathair na hAon Mhná and Dún Daithlion. In one of the old Mss that I sent you, you have the adventures of those celebrated characters by a Clare gentleman of the name of Michael Comyn. The first of these places crowns the top of a high hill on the north and was built of stone without mortar or jointing. The last stands on the brink of the Shannon to the south and is built of earth like the common lios. The second (Cathair Sál) stands midway between them, it is about level with the ground and was of stone like the first; the third (Cathair na hAon Mhná) stands alone to the west of Cathair Sál nearly level with the ground and was built of stone. Here you will perceived that the three stone buildings were designated cathair, while the earthen one retains its very original name of dún. This is not the only instance of this distinction that I could produce, but as my object is to point the attention of better heads than my own to the subject, I believe I have said enough. At the foot of Cathair Chrocháin hill on the east side, are three or four small square fields enclosed by very old looking low stone walls. In one of them are to be seen the foundations of two or three small buildings (square) they were of stone, and immediately by one of them is a small opening in the ground facing into the hill. Though I was often anxious to explore this place, yet I never could get any person to await me to do so and consequently I know nothing more about it than its… [incomplete].

Taken from NLI, Petrie Correspondence, Ms 792, iv, no. 374.