Ulster Archaeological Society

Antiquarian Notes and QueriesSource: Ulster Journal of Archaeology, First Series, Vol. 7 (1859), pp. 73-78Published by: Ulster Archaeological SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20563489 .

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73

ANTIQUARIAN NOTES ANI) QUERIES.

A Belfast merchant, when making a speech very hard for a whole week, during which time lately in a public assembly, declared that Bel- I took the opportunity of visiting Carrick Fergs fast, a century ago, was "a small fishing vil- and Bell Fast, two considerable towns in the lage." If the speaker had been a subscriber to north of Ireland ......... I found the Earl of

this dournal, he might have found contained in Dunagall in Town. lre invited me to Bellfast, it quite sufficient proof of the incorrectness of whither he was going with the Earl of Orrery such a statement. Belfast was not at any time, and Lord Dungannon. Bellfast is the second strictly speaking, a fishing village, if such des- Town in Ireland, well built, full of people, and cription be meant to apply to the fixed employ- of great Trade. The quantities of Butter and

ment of a considerable portion of the popula- Beef which it sends into Foreign parts are tion. On the contrary, probably two hundred almost incredible: I have seen the Barrels pil'd years ago, and undoubtedly one hundred, it was, up in the very Streets. The new Pottery is a as a town of trade, as great as it is now, rela- pretty Curiosity, set uip by Mr. Smith the pre

tively to other places and to the extent of the sent Sovereign, and his predecessor, Captain commerce of the north of Ireland at the time. Leathes, a man of great ingenuity. The Castle

As one of the many proofs of this, I copy the (so they call the Earl of IDunagall's house) is following, which will, no doubt, be new to most not of the newest Model, but the Gardens are of your readers, and may, perhaps, convince such very Spacious, with great variety of walks both Belfast merchants as may chance to read it, that, close and open, Fish Ponds, Groves, &c.; and the very long indeed before their day, their places irregularity itself was I think no small Addition were occupied by a commercial community, ac- to the Beauty of the Place."> G. B.

tire and enterprising like themselves, but whose Supplementary to the notices in vol. vi. of the

business transactions, of course, would appear Journal respecting Fairy superstitions in the small in the eyes of those whom, I suppose, we county of Antrim, I would notice some singular

must soon begin to call " millionaires" and mer- extensions of the prevalent ideas on the subject chant princes. which exist in a part of that county not far dis

In an Account of the Isle of Yen, by William tant from Cushendall. A well-known fea

Sacheverel, Esq. (described as late Governor of ture connected with this superstition is, that old

the Island), and printed in London in 1702, the thorn-busies on the banks of streams, or nearwhat

author gives an account of a vdyage which the people call"IDanes'forts," or, indeed, anyplace

he took to Jona in 1688, in which are these where standing alone, are considered to be the

words:-" We got into tough Learn. It blew haunts or peculiar abodes of fairies; and, as such,

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74

are not to be disturbetl without the risk of not to touclh tlicm, as they never had been

personal danger, sooner or later, to the person so planited by the hanid of man. In the next fiel(d

offending. I have often endeavoured to explain, nearly, there is an ash-tree standing alone at the

on rational principles, to persons putting faith in edge of a streamil, and also thou,ght to be of super

this belief, how it was that a thom-bush might natural origin. The consequence is, that it is

be growing alone-that they were perhaps wrong tenided witlh thle utmost reverence by thc smnall

in their opinion that it had never been planted farmer in whose lanid it is growing: it is even

by human ha-nds-that there was at least no thouighlt unsafe to cut a rod from it, stories being

proof of the fact-or if so, it was possibld that told of calamiiities befalling persons who had

the birds of the air, or bhe little boys of a far been so daring as to comnmit stuch an act; the grass

distant age, might have carried away haws to aiound it is carefully shorn, and when brought

those remote places, some one of which, out of a home, a strict cyamination of it is made, to

multitude, mi4lht have fallen on good grounid, discover if any twigi has been cut in the pro and escaped the thousand dangers to whiclh cess and carried away unwitting,ly foino the young thorns, as well as other growing scions, s-acred plant; and in cases where this has hap

are exposed in their progress from youth to pened, I have known the twig taken back again,

maturity. My attempted explanations were and laid with due respect and caution beside always received with incredulity: and in truth, the parent stem. a solitary old gnarled thorn that has braved the These instances are brought forward to showv

storms of two or three centuries, standing on the that this superstitious belief is not conifined to

bank of one of those beautiful streams with old thorns only, but would probably be found, at

which this country abounds, distant from any least in some, localities, to extend itself to a tree

human habitation or from any of its kind, is, to of any kind, growing alone, or of whlich the

sayr the least of it, an object of some interest; origini did not readily appear. G. B. and we can scarcely wonder that it should pro- ANTrnmTIEs OF BAiLYYASS BAY, Co. DPoLNAIL. duce an impression on weak and credulous minds [Journial, vol. vi., p. 351]-J know the district not easily removed. And this brings me to what hiere (lescribed. A bridge forins the boundary I have called an extension of the superstition, between two towildands, Killulty and Ballynass.

though it might rather be considered a degrada- About forty perches above the bridge is a con tion of it, being destitute of any romantic asso- siderable water-fall, and from thence to the sea

ciations whatever. Passing through a meadow the river is shallow. From the waterfall is lately with the occupier, I asked. him why derived the name of the townland, Ballynass, he dld not remove a number of what are i.e., Baile an eas, "'town of the cataract."

called " wild sallies," [willows,] perfect weeds, North of the bridge, at the distance of about in fact, which were fast spreading over his 30 perches, stand the rains of O'Donnell's castle,

ground, forming a most unseemly and unpro- formerly a residence of O'Donnell Bayakh: this

fitable thicket. He said it was considered best part of the towaland is called Ballynad, i.e., Baide

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75

an athai, " the town of the ford." It was about son, with the English, and Fitz, with the Nor

forty years ago, as I understand, that were dis- mans, have denoted simply the son; but 0

covered the foundationis of many houses, on a some individual selected as representing the spot about 100 yards firom the bar, where the merits and dignity of a distant progenitor ?

sand had been blown away. This is about a H. P. mile from the up-land on the east side of the bar, FORMULAS OF MARCELLUS.-In the second

and said to be the landing-place used in old Formula given in the Jurnal, vol. iv., p. 268, tinmes by the boats fromi Teorry Island. I am there is one word, or group of words, which is

informed that among the pins discovered was obviously Irish, namely, acrisumiouelor. If you oIne of pure gold. Aoau. pronounce this in the presence of any Irish

0 AND MXc.-Somic of the coincidences in the peasant, he will understand it thus: Seriosa me

culstomns of nations are striking. The Irish used thu a lathair (the sound of which, represented o and KIwe according to a rule of their own res- in English orthography, is scrissa me hoo a laur],

pecting family names; these prefixes meaning "I will destroy you immediately." This is so literally " grand-son" and "son." But it is not clear that there can be no question about it.

so clear which particular branch of tlhe same With respect to the whole of this Formula, the faimily should take the one form of name in X, with which the first word begins, must repre preference to the other, if some peculiar privi- sent S and C. I should write the words thus:

lege werenotimplied. Spolman, speaking of iNn/s seeits, "spew out ;" easga, quickly;" cri/h

[the kinid of property so called], has the follow- chonba, "shakiiin dog;" eas,qa, "quickly;" crith, ing pass,age,:-" Conradus Salicus," a French "1trembling;" grana,

' ugly ;" easamh, "dis

Emperor, going to Rome about 915, " to fetch temper;" scriosa me the, "I will destroy you;

his crowni from Pope John X., made a constitu- a lathair, "immediately;" /asga, "quick ;" crt/h tion upon the petition of his soldiers"-no here- chona, "shaking dog ;" crth luan, " trembling

ditary feuds having existed previously-" that hound." Luan, which is given by O'Reilly, in his f/lii or aviatiei-the sons, or, if no sons were Irish Dictionary, appears to be a coHoquial abbre living, the nephews or granidsons of some of viation of tuath-chon. You must always under them, should succeed in the Feud of their father. stand that charmers (fairy-men invariably) apos IBat Gerardus noteth that this law setteth not trophise the genii (sighe), not the disease. They the Feud upon the eldest son, or any other son begin by coaxing, and end by threatening, those of the Feudatory particularly, but left it in the inivisible agents of evil. lord's election to please himself with which of [In my proposed explanation of another of theem he would." In Ireland there was no these Formulas (vol. vi., p. 363), I observe a hereditary property, but there were certain misprint, line 10. It should be prossageri== descendible privileges; and it was some popular brasagoire, more quickly.] assembly, not the will of a prince, which made C. M. 0'KREFFE. the selection of di&nissimus. May n1ot Hliac, like

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76

RIPPAREES. [Journal,vol. v., 166, 255]-The this kind I have seen myself: and those of this

following passages occur in a rather scarce book, party assured me that, after the action was over,

entitled, An Impartial History of the Affairs of some of them, looking about amongst the dead,

Ireland during the last Ten Years. London, 1691: found one -Dun, a sergeant of the enemies, who

"These Lthe Rapparees] are such of the Irish was lying like an otter, all under water, in a

as are not of the army, but the country people, running brook (except the top of his nose and

armed in a kind of an hostile manner with half- his mouth); they brought him out, and altho' he

pikes and skeins, and some with seythes on prolfer'd Forty Shillings in English money to

muskets. For the priests, the last three or save his life (a great ransom, as he believed), four years past, would not allow an Irishman to yet he was one of the four that was hanged.

come to mass without he brought at least his When the Itapparees hatve nomind to shew them

Rapparee along: that, they say, in Irish, signifies selves upon the bogs, they commonly sink down

a half-stick or a broken beam, being like a half between two or three little hills, grown over

pike: from thence the men themselves have got with long grass, so that you may as soon find a

that name; and some call them Creaughts, from Hair as one of them. They conceal their arms

the little huts they live in. These huts they thus: they take off the Lock, and lint it in their

build so conveniently with hurdles and long turf, pocket, or hide it in some dry place; they stop

that they can remove them in summer towards the Mussle close with a cork, and the Tutch

the mountains, and bring them down to the hole with a small Quil, and then throw the

vallies in winter." Piece itself into a running Water or a Pond.

At page 52 of the same work, an attack on a You may see an hundred of them without Arms,

party of Raparees, near Mountmelick, by the who look like the poorest humblest slaves in the

English, is described,-" After some resistance, world, and you may search till you are weary

they killed thirty-nine, and took four, whom before you find one Gun; but yet when they

they hanged without any further ceremony. have a mind to do mischief, they can all be

The rest escaped to the bogs, and in a moment readT in an hour's warning, for every one knows

all disappeared, which may seem strange to where to go and fetch his own Arms, though

those that have not seen it, but something of you do not." R.

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77

ANSWERS TO QUERIES.

WALDENSIAN GAELIC. [Queries, vol.vi.,p.365] s'amuserent & danser autour, et meme A le

-In reference to this subject, I send a quota- traverser, pieds nuds. Ccci me donna lieu de

tion from Downes's Guide through Switzerland faire reflexiorn sur l'detymologie du bone-fire en and Savoy, Paris, 1830:-" Some Celtic tribe Angleterre, qni m' a tout l'air de venir de ces

has left many traces of its language in the feux d'ossements, plutot que du Franqais forcd,

southern parts of Switzerland. Apollonius 'do bon feu,' pour feu de joye." [p. 105.] Rhodius calls the parts about the Lake of I have never seen any of these fires of bones

Geneva ' the gloomy land of the Kelts.' It is which he mentions; do any of your readers know

on record that Datltai, King of Ireland, a coun- whether such a practice still exists in any part

try in part Celtic, led an army to the frontiers of Ireland? SENE. of Italy som1e centuries before the Christian era, RowAN-tuEE. [Queries, vol. ii., p. 205]

most of whom, with tleir general, perished in Bishop -leber, in his Journey in India, says (p. the Pennine Alps. The remniant formed a small 252)-'" I passed a fine tree of the Mimosa,

colony on the spot, and the Celtic or Irish lan- resembling greatly at a distance the Mountain

guage is at this day spoken in some of the neigh- Ash. A sprig of this tree, they say, worn in

bouring districts." [p. 127.] This story seems the turban or suspended over the bed, is a per plausible enough; but it would be very desir- fect security against all spells, the Evil Eye, &c. able to ascertain whether the latter part of the I was surprised to find the superstition whieh,

stateient be correct, viz., that the language stiU in England and Scotland, attaches to the Rowan

actually exists among the Pennine Alps. Pos- tree, here applied to a tree of nearly similar form. sibly your correspondent, Professor Adolphe What is the centre from which all these common Pictet, of Ge-neva, could throw some light on the notions are derived ?" ANGoLCus. subject. OLLAMH FODhILA. THE WREi .-In corroboration of the etymo

BoN-Fneu. [Queries, volvi., p. 190]-The fol- logy quoted by Mr. O'XExnFE [vol. iv., p. 171]1 lowing passage occurs in Latocnaye's Promenade from Cormac's Glossary, namely, D)raoi-ean, en Irlande, published in 1797:-" Au sujet de " the Druid bird," it may be noticed that, in

de je no sais quelle fete, les enfans firent un flu Welsh, the word dryw signifies both a "I druid"

d'o8sements (ce qui cSt en usage commun en and a " wren." CYMBO. Irlande pour les jours de rejoouisance), et ils

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78

Q U E R I ES .

Can any of your correspondents inform me What is the origin of the prov-erbial saying, where I may obtain particulars of the battle of common in the North of Ireland, " As black as

Slieve Oira, fought by the MlacDonnels and the Toal's cloak ?" E.

MacQuillans, on the 13th of July, 1569 ? Have any relies of the Spanish Armada ever F. N. L. been discovered on the coast of Ireland? A

What is the origin of the word brogh (or number of the ships are said to have been

broghan}, meaning a lunar halo, and regarded wrecked on the north and west shores. as a sign of bad weather? F. N. L. AIONZO.

The County Antrim farmers say that bad CHLAzNG OF STYrLE.- A friend some time ago

weather may be expected whenever the new i wrote to know if I could explain the following moon appears "on her back, with the new moon difficulty which he had met with -'" In news

in her arms, and a brough round her," meaning papers previouis to the year 1752, when dates

by this the appearance called a " Ado." The are given, both the day of the week and the day

word is pronounced gutturally; what is its of the month being named, there appears to be derivation? O'IARA. one day of error. Is this the case; and if so,

I wish to inquire whether ancient candle- how did it arise, and when did it cease ? I

sticks have found their way into Irish collec- could give innumerable examples from publica tions; also, if it has been ascertained at what tions of the time: the following from the period they were introduced to Ireland; and, if Belfast News-Letter may be sufficient: any types have been recognized as peculiarlv Friday, Feb. 23, 1738, was really Thursday.

Irish? F. N. L. Friday, Aug. 7, 1746, ,, Thursday. On the hill to the north of the village of Tuesday, Jan. 23, 1749 ,, Monday.

Portstewart, County Londonderry, may be seen But Tuesday, July 17, 1750, was really Tuesday.

the traces of a stone rampart, about ten feet In this last there is no error, and so again

thick, running in a semicircular direction from Sunday, Feb. 9, 1752.

the perpendicular cliff on the one side, to that Sunday, Feb. 23, 1752, &c,"

on the other, thus forming a considerable inclo- The apparent error is perhaps explained by

sure. This was probably the temporary place the fact that the custom was to commence the

of defence of Banish or Scotch invaders; is any- year on the 25th March. But I should wish to

thing known of its history? F. N. L. inquire why this was the practice? and also at

I wish to know what is the correct pronun- what time the 1st of January was first called the

ciation of the word " to eschew," which occurs commencement of the year. In some places I

once or twice in our English version of the find it stated to have been in 1752, in others,

Scriptures. Some scholars tell me it should be 1753. J. W M.

pronounced eskew, others e8hew, Tyro. i

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