In Cork Heritage Project, Fermoy Adair School won the folklore section with their project on Labbacallee. This is a sample from the project..
Labbacallee is a megalithic wedge tomb which was made around 4300 years ago just after the pyramids in Egypt . Labbacallee is around 8km from Fermoy , 12km from Mitchelstown 40km from Cork, 6km from Ballyhooly . It is off the R512.
Labbacallee has 3 large cap stones. The largest weighs about 10 tons. It looks like a big tomb .In side the tomb there are two chambers. The largest capstone is 7.8meters which is slanted on the top . When we were on our tour in Labbacallee,17 people fit in comfortably. The stones are horizontal ,diagonal and vertical . In the highest point inside I could stand up straight. It is 26 feet in length.
Labbacallee has 3 large cap stones. The largest weighs about 10 tons. It looks like a big tomb .In side the tomb there are two chambers. The largest capstone is 7.8meters which is slanted on the top . When we were on our tour in Labbacallee,17 people fit in comfortably. The stones are horizontal ,diagonal and vertical . In the highest point inside I could stand up straight. It is 26 feet in length.
An Cailleach Béara
The Cailleach Béara or Hag of Bere was a woman believed to have supernatural powers. She was to be married with Mogh Ruith. When the Hag got very old or was nearly dead she would have gone down to the water-side and because of her unnatural powers, when she touched the water she would have been transformed into a young beautiful girl again and would have lived on. If she had gotten old again she would do the same.
The Cailleach Béara or Hag of Bere was a woman believed to have supernatural powers. She was to be married with Mogh Ruith. When the Hag got very old or was nearly dead she would have gone down to the water-side and because of her unnatural powers, when she touched the water she would have been transformed into a young beautiful girl again and would have lived on. If she had gotten old again she would do the same.
On Monday the 22nd of September 2013 we went to Glanworth. While we were in Glanworth we went to Labbacallee, a Friary and the Mill. In Labbacallee there is a legend about an old hag, a few fairies and leprechauns. We all found it very interesting. We performed two plays there; They were called “ An Cat Bán,” and “ The Tale Of The Leather Bottle" I was one of the drunken men in “ An Cat Bán “ and a guest at the wedding in “ The Tale Of The Leather Bottle.” After that, we went to the Friary.
On that day it was the equinox. At the equinox a beam of light shines into the chambers of Labbacallee when the sun sets. An equinox is when the night and day last approximately the same time.One wall of the Labbacallee wedge tomb faces in an east west direction.
On that day it was the equinox. At the equinox a beam of light shines into the chambers of Labbacallee when the sun sets. An equinox is when the night and day last approximately the same time.One wall of the Labbacallee wedge tomb faces in an east west direction.
STORIES ABOUT THE HAG AND LABBACALLEE
AN CAT BÁN
Oíche amháin bhí ceathrar fhear ag dul abhaile. Bhí siad ar meisce. Stad siad ag Leaba Chaillí. Thosaigh siad ag lorg óir. Thosaigh siad ag tochailt. Go tobann, leím cat mór bán as an bpoll. Cat feargach le súile geara agus eireaball fada trí thine. Bhí eagla an domhan ar na fir. Thosaigh siad ag screadaíl. Ansin thosaigh siad ag léim timpeall agus rith siad ar nós na gaoithe síos go dtí an abhainn.
As sin amach ní raibh éinne i nGleannúir ag lorg óir i Leaba Chaillí.
Oíche amháin bhí ceathrar fhear ag dul abhaile. Bhí siad ar meisce. Stad siad ag Leaba Chaillí. Thosaigh siad ag lorg óir. Thosaigh siad ag tochailt. Go tobann, leím cat mór bán as an bpoll. Cat feargach le súile geara agus eireaball fada trí thine. Bhí eagla an domhan ar na fir. Thosaigh siad ag screadaíl. Ansin thosaigh siad ag léim timpeall agus rith siad ar nós na gaoithe síos go dtí an abhainn.
As sin amach ní raibh éinne i nGleannúir ag lorg óir i Leaba Chaillí.
THE LEATHER BOTTLE
Séamas na mBo was riding his horse one day. For some reason the horse got spooked and threw Séamas off. Then Séamas landed in a tomb. Séamas cursed the horse and while he was cursing the horse, a hag came out of the tomb and shouted at Séamas. Séamas apologised and flattered the hag. He asked her for a place to sleep. The hag beckoned him down a stairway.
Séamas followed the hag. They soon came to a hall. Séamas could hardly believe what he saw. There in the hall were a bunch fairies and leprechauns. The fairies offered of him a drink. Séamas drank the drink and started boasting. He said he could lift the capstone outside and so he did. The fairies were angry because it meant they had to leave. As the fairies and the leprechauns left they each gave Séamas a good kick. One fairy gave Séamas a leather bottle and said that Séamas shouldn’t open it until his son got married. When Séamas woke up, the staircase was gone, but he still had the leather bottle in his hand..
Séamas na mBo was riding his horse one day. For some reason the horse got spooked and threw Séamas off. Then Séamas landed in a tomb. Séamas cursed the horse and while he was cursing the horse, a hag came out of the tomb and shouted at Séamas. Séamas apologised and flattered the hag. He asked her for a place to sleep. The hag beckoned him down a stairway.
Séamas followed the hag. They soon came to a hall. Séamas could hardly believe what he saw. There in the hall were a bunch fairies and leprechauns. The fairies offered of him a drink. Séamas drank the drink and started boasting. He said he could lift the capstone outside and so he did. The fairies were angry because it meant they had to leave. As the fairies and the leprechauns left they each gave Séamas a good kick. One fairy gave Séamas a leather bottle and said that Séamas shouldn’t open it until his son got married. When Séamas woke up, the staircase was gone, but he still had the leather bottle in his hand..
Soon Séamas’s only son Sean was getting married so Séamas got the bottle and opened it. He took a sip and passed it on to the next person and the next and so on. Once everyone had had a drink they started fighting. Everyone was lying on the floor in pain. Séamas opened his eyes and saw the fairies and the leprechauns dancing and laughing at him. They started picking up all the pieces of the broken leather bottle. They gave all the pieces to a leprechaun cobbler in the corner, the leprechaun cobbler fixed the bottle. Once the bottle was fixed the fairies and leprechauns took one last laugh at Séamas and left never to be seen again.
The End
The End
CLIODNA AND AOIBHEALL
Folklore says that the hag had two daughters :Cliodhna and Aoibheal. The two sisters both loved a young chieftain from the O’Caoimh family who lived in Dún Maelclaigh in Glanworth. The chieftain only loved Aoibheal and Cliodhna got jealous that he loved her sister, so Cliodhna put a spell on Aoibheal to make her look like a corpse. After the funeral Cliodhna went to dig up her sisters grave and told her, “ Give up love for him and I will make you look well again”. Aoibheal refused to say no to her undying love, so Cliodhna turned her into a white cat.
Folklore says that the hag had two daughters :Cliodhna and Aoibheal. The two sisters both loved a young chieftain from the O’Caoimh family who lived in Dún Maelclaigh in Glanworth. The chieftain only loved Aoibheal and Cliodhna got jealous that he loved her sister, so Cliodhna put a spell on Aoibheal to make her look like a corpse. After the funeral Cliodhna went to dig up her sisters grave and told her, “ Give up love for him and I will make you look well again”. Aoibheal refused to say no to her undying love, so Cliodhna turned her into a white cat.
Later, the chieftain married Cliodhna but the nurse felt guilty about laying the spell on Aoibheal so she told Cliodhna’s husband. O’Caoimh was furious and told Cliodhna to change Aoibheal back, but Cliodhna was not able to change her spell because she had lost her magic wand.
Cliodhna was banished to Carrig Chliodhna in Kilshannig 6km to the south of Mallow. There as the queen of the Munster fairies, she built a palace for the fairies. Now she is known d the Queen of the Banshee.
Folklore says that the hag had two daughters :Cliodhna and Aoibheal. The two sisters both loved a young chieftain from the O’Caoimh family who lived in Dún Maelclaigh in Glanworth. The chieftain only loved Aoibheal and Cliodhna got jealous that he loved her sister, so Cliodhna put a spell on Aoibheal to make her look like a corpse. After the funeral Cliodhna went to dig up her sisters grave and told her, “ Give up love for him and I will make you look well again”. Aoibheal refused to say no to her undying love, so Cliodhna turned her into a white cat.
Folklore says that the hag had two daughters :Cliodhna and Aoibheal. The two sisters both loved a young chieftain from the O’Caoimh family who lived in Dún Maelclaigh in Glanworth. The chieftain only loved Aoibheal and Cliodhna got jealous that he loved her sister, so Cliodhna put a spell on Aoibheal to make her look like a corpse. After the funeral Cliodhna went to dig up her sisters grave and told her, “ Give up love for him and I will make you look well again”. Aoibheal refused to say no to her undying love, so Cliodhna turned her into a white cat.
Later, the chieftain married Cliodhna but the nurse felt guilty about laying the spell on Aoibheal so she told Cliodhna’s husband. O’Caoimh was furious and told Cliodhna to change Aoibheal back, but Cliodhna was not able to change her spell because she had lost her magic wand.
Cliodhna was banished to Carrig Chliodhna in Kilshannig 6km to the south of Mallow. There as the queen of the Munster fairies, she built a palace for the fairies. Now she is known d the Queen of the Banshee.
THE MURDER OF MOGH RUITH
The hag was married to Mogh Ruith. She thought that Mogh Ruith was being unfaithful so she followed him. When Mogh Ruith saw his wife (The Hag) following him he ran. The hag chased him. Mogh Ruith ran and ran, while he was running across the river Funsheon the hag picked up a stone and threw it at Mogh. The stone landed on top of Mogh’s head and killed him….and he’s buried on top of Corrin Hill.
The hag was married to Mogh Ruith. She thought that Mogh Ruith was being unfaithful so she followed him. When Mogh Ruith saw his wife (The Hag) following him he ran. The hag chased him. Mogh Ruith ran and ran, while he was running across the river Funsheon the hag picked up a stone and threw it at Mogh. The stone landed on top of Mogh’s head and killed him….and he’s buried on top of Corrin Hill.
SLIEVE GULLION
Finn was out in the green, he saw a grey fawn. He called for his hounds but neither of them came or the men but only the hounds Bran and Sceolan. He set them after the fawn as close as they could keep to her. They reached Slieve Gullion in the province of Ulster. They were close to the hill then the fawn vanished from their sight. Finn went looking eastward and the hounds went towards the west. Finn came upon a lake and saw a beautiful girl with golden hair; she was downhearted because she lost her ring.
Finn asked her did she see two hounds and a fawn pass by? The girl replied no then she sobbed. Finn asked her “what ails you”?
She said she had lost her ring in the water. He stripped his clothes and jumped in to find the ring. When he found it he gave it to her and suddenly turned old. The girl leaped into the water and disappeared. The Fianna set out to find Finn. They saw an old man near the river. They asked him did he see a fawn and two hounds come by. Finn told them everything. The Fianna dug a passage tomb Calliagh Bearra’s House and gave him the antidote from the hag. When he drank it his shape came back but his hair was white and stayed white.
Finn was out in the green, he saw a grey fawn. He called for his hounds but neither of them came or the men but only the hounds Bran and Sceolan. He set them after the fawn as close as they could keep to her. They reached Slieve Gullion in the province of Ulster. They were close to the hill then the fawn vanished from their sight. Finn went looking eastward and the hounds went towards the west. Finn came upon a lake and saw a beautiful girl with golden hair; she was downhearted because she lost her ring.
Finn asked her did she see two hounds and a fawn pass by? The girl replied no then she sobbed. Finn asked her “what ails you”?
She said she had lost her ring in the water. He stripped his clothes and jumped in to find the ring. When he found it he gave it to her and suddenly turned old. The girl leaped into the water and disappeared. The Fianna set out to find Finn. They saw an old man near the river. They asked him did he see a fawn and two hounds come by. Finn told them everything. The Fianna dug a passage tomb Calliagh Bearra’s House and gave him the antidote from the hag. When he drank it his shape came back but his hair was white and stayed white.
LOUGH CREW
Lough Crew is also known as the Witches Mountain. It is said to be one of the places where the hag lived. Her house was in the shape of a cross. It was 8.8m long. At the equinox the sun shines through the cairn house and on to the back wall. The light shines on that wall for 50 minutes. There are designs on the back wall. The house is Cairn T in Co. Meath. If you stand up there on a very sunny day you will be able to see 18 counties. Archaeologists have found a stone chair and it is supposed to be for the Hag. It is 10 tons, 3 m long and 6ft high. There is a legend that tells us that one day she was attempting a magical feat requiring her to drop handful of stones on each of the three Lough Crew peaks, jumping from one to the next. If she succeeded she would have ruled all over Ireland. She was able to drop her cairns of stones on the first two peaks, but missed her mark and fell to her death on her last leap.
Lough Crew is also known as the Witches Mountain. It is said to be one of the places where the hag lived. Her house was in the shape of a cross. It was 8.8m long. At the equinox the sun shines through the cairn house and on to the back wall. The light shines on that wall for 50 minutes. There are designs on the back wall. The house is Cairn T in Co. Meath. If you stand up there on a very sunny day you will be able to see 18 counties. Archaeologists have found a stone chair and it is supposed to be for the Hag. It is 10 tons, 3 m long and 6ft high. There is a legend that tells us that one day she was attempting a magical feat requiring her to drop handful of stones on each of the three Lough Crew peaks, jumping from one to the next. If she succeeded she would have ruled all over Ireland. She was able to drop her cairns of stones on the first two peaks, but missed her mark and fell to her death on her last leap.