School: Dún Átha, Carraig an Chabhaltaigh
- Location:
- Doonaha, Co. Clare
- Teacher: Ed J. Headtromóin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0633, Page 294
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- XML School: Dún Átha, Carraig an Chabhaltaigh
- XML Page 294
- XML “Cú Chulainn agus Mal”
- XML “Cú Chulainn agus Mal”
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- When Cu Culainn lived he was plagued by a woman who wanted to marry him (named Mal). So tired of her attentions was he that he decided to flee but she followed him. At last they reached Loop Head and when Cu Culainn was about to rest he looked around and found her near at hand. Outside Loop-head there is an island and on to this Cu Culainn but Mal with another leap was at his heels. Cu Culainn then had to leap back again to the main-land a much more difficult jump but he succeeded. When Mal attempted the jump she failed, fell into the sea and was drowned. The sea was red with her blood. Where she jumped is still called Loophead, a bay in west Clare is called Mal Bay and the headland near where her body was found near Innistymon is called Hag's Head
- Collector
- Pat Keating
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Teacher
- Address
- Kilbaha, Co. Clare
- II. Martin Quealy says that when Cu Culainn landed on the rock a mermaid came up and ordered him to leave it or that he would be turned into a mermaid.
III. Dan Murray says the strenuous flight and jumps sapped Cu Culainn's strength and he was never much use afterward. The spot on the cliff where Mal struck her head is still colored red.
IV. When fleeing, Cu Culainn hid in a cabin under the ground with a door at either end. Someone told Mal and when she entered by one door he fled through the other.
