There have been a variety of factors, among them the continued survival of a predominately rural way of life, which has ensured that Ireland has preserved a wealth of antiquities, many of which blend effortless in to the surrounding environment. Dolmens, court cairns, passage caves, stone circles, standing stones, Ogham stones, ring fort earth works, crannogs, round towers, high crosses, churches, monasteries, abbeys and castles- many of these remnants of our past are spread over the Donegal landscape, the Kingdoms of the ancient British Venniconii
Ireland’s ancient myths legends and customs are- as one might expect – closely linked to many of these antiquities. And some of the most enduring legends concern the dolmens. There are more than 1200 megalithic (large stone) monuments in Ireland of which some 160 are dolmens (portal tombs). For many centuries these dolmens were spoken of in romantic Irish folklore as the beds of Diarmuid and Grainne.
Legend has it that the beautiful Grainne was betrothed to the all- powerful but ageing Fianna leader Fionn McCumhail. However the young girl was deeply unhappy at this arrangement and was attracted to one of Fionn’s young warriors Diarmuid. She contrived to make Diarmuid elope with her but the couple were hotly pursued by Fionn and his companions who swore to give them no rest. While in constant flight no one would dare risk offering them shelter, Diarmuid was forced to build a new stone shelter each night-hence the dolmens scattered over our country side.
And here in Donegal the dolmens of Kilclooney must rank as one of the most graceful and evocative structures bequeathed to us by our most ancient ancestors, from whom modern genetic studies prove we are primarily decended.
Ancient folk customs and beliefs are not something relegated entirely to the distant past however. Many superstitions are so deeply rooted they are still quite prevalent in rural areas. As well as offering a fascinating glimpse in to our past heritage, they provide some practical benefits in the present. Irish film maker Eamon de Buitlear pointed out that because county people for centuries have avoided disturbing any ancient ring forts, often due to irreverence to the little people. This has played an important part in the preservation of our wild life habitat, for the resident animals have flourished with little fear of man. You still see fields of corn with an ancient earth work left undisturbed. Animals realise these are the places to inhabit it. Even today there are cases of council workmen refusing to make a road through an area containing a “fairy fort” because they have certain knowledge of men elsewhere who were cursed for interfering with such places. These beliefs guarantee conservation.
Estyn Evans, writing in 1942, remarked that rather than such being the sole preserve of simply country folk, he had found evidence of it closer to hand at Queens University in Belfast. Discussing the superstitions attached to “fairy thorns” the solitary white thorn trees which are scattered through our fields he wrote “A venerable thorn, pink flowering, stands under my window as I write and casts its shadow in to the Senate Room of the University. But no one will remove it or even lop its branches and the story goes that when the buildings were being erected the plans had to be changed in order that the thorn should not interfered with. If a lone tree is surrounded by half a dozen scientific departments has gleaned such respect it can be imagined in what awe the country thorn are held.”
Such a thorn is present to this day in Blythe Street, Sandy Row, Belfast, now a beautiful garden site which has prevented over-development .It sits neatly beside St Aidan’s Parish Church, not far from 2 Watson Street, Linfield Road ,where I wrote my first book, The Cruthin. To be continued