School: Cill Thiomáin, Durrus, Bantry (roll number 15989)

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1. Chieftain's Daughter

   

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   Following the road and keeping to the left you find a patch on the north side of the mountain which leads you to the bottomless lake, situated almost on the top of the mountain. There are many beautiful traditions of the picturesque locality, still amongst the older peasant of the district, one of which is:- "The Legend of the Bottomless lake," is as follows: "Chieftain O' Sullivan, of Dunbeacon Castle, had one child a daughter, Rosaleen. So beautiful and fair was she that the poets described her as "The Rose of the valley" She had a lover, Owen O Mahoney, of the White Castle, When O'Sullivan heard of his daughter's friendship with O'Mahoney, he was very angry as Owen could never hope for more than a younger son's chase. Notwithstanding this, the young lovers were ideally happy.
   "One evening as Rosaleen returned home, after a walk with her lover she was brought into the presence of her father's guest, Chieftain O Driscoll of the Three Castle Head. He was known to Rosaleen, who thoroughly disliked him, as an elderly bachelor, who drank a lot of rich wines, boasted a lot of his castles, of the men he had killed and the women who loved him. When Rosaleen heard he had come that day, to ask her in marriage and that her father gave his consent, she was horrified. Outwardly calm, she explained to her father and O Driscoll that she loved Owen O Mahoney and would marry no other. Her love for Owen was far dearer to her than her life. Her father

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Eileen O' Driscoll

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Kilcomane, Co. Cork