In this Parish, in the Townland of Cael-Choille and
within half a mile of the boundary of the Co. of Galway, are situated
the celebrated Boher na Mias and Hermitage of St. Mac Duagh. What a dismal
and gloomy spot! I walked thither on the 15th inst. from Corofin, and
I never felt so fatigued, after having walked for miles across the country
on the uneven surface of the lime-stone rocks. What an enthusiastic recluse
St. Colman, the son of Duach must have been, to have retired from the
busy scenes of life to contemplate eternity and the uncertainty of human
fate in this dismal valley, then thickly wooded and haunted by wolves!
The story about Boher na Mias and the dishes of Guaire Aidhne, the Hospitable,
has already been given from various authorities in my letters on Dun Guaire in
the Parish of Kinvara, and it is not, therefore, necessary to repeat it here.
It will be sufficient to state that Boher na Mias or the Road of the Dishes is
situated in the townland of Keelkilly in the Parish of Carron and Barony of Burren,
and at the foot of a high cliff called Kinn-Aillé. This is the very name it is called in the Life of Mac Duach published
by Colgan. “He
fixed his dwelling near a pleasant fountain “(now Tobar Mac Duagh - J.O’D.)” in
the great wood of Boireann, and in that part of it which is called Kinn-Aillé,
about five miles from Durlus, the Palace of Guaire”.
The tracks of the feet of men, horses and dogs, said to have been impressed in
the rock by the miracle of Mac Duagh, are holes of various sizes and shapes naturally
worked by water in the surface of the lime-stone flag. These natural impressions,
however, are sufficiently remarkable to have suggested the ground-work of the
legend about Boher na Mias, which, though a very wild one, is nevertheless not
without interest to the antiquary and lover of legendary lore. But if the tracks
in the level lime-stone rock be natural and uninteresting to the antiquary, the
Hermitage of Mac Duagh and the grave of his servant are not. The little oratory
of Mac Duagh in this wild valley, though much dilapidated, is still easily recognised
to be a Church of his time. It was very small, and only one gable and one side
wall remain. The gable faces the cliff and is featureless, and the side wall
contains a small, rude, quadrangular window, measuring on the outside ten inches
by five, which looks to the east. This is certainly the original oratory of St. Mac Duagh, (“They built there
an oratory surrounded with trees.” - Scholiast of Aengus.) and the very
one in which Guairé Aidhné, King of Connaught, discovered him when
induced him to remove to Kilmacduagh where he built a sumptuous Monastery for
him. Immediately to the east of Templemacduagh at Kinallia is Tobermacduagh,
at which
Stations are performed and a “Pattern” held on St. Mac Duagh’s
Day, said to be last day of summer, but this must be an error, as St. Colman
Mac Duagh’s Day is the 3rd of February. There are also here two altars or penitential Stations at which pilgrims
perform
their turrises or rounds on the “Pattern Day” or on any day they
wish.
Over the little Church to the
northwest is a cave in a rock called Mac Duach’s Bed or Leaba Mhic
Duach, in which he was accustomed to sleep every night before King Guaire
discovered him, and about twenty perches to the south of it is shewn the
grave of his servant (Leacht - ?) who died after partaking of the dinner
which flew hither from Guaire’s table! The poor man had been so
emaciated from eating herbs in the wilderness that when he swallowed a
piece of substantial food he died on the spot! His grave is a curious
one and could be very easily explored.
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