Great Britain and even from the Continent - all eager to be taught by this saintly person and his associates. Scattery Island earned the reputation of being a famous seat of Religion and Learning. It was said that there were at one time three thousand students and sixty bishops in Scattery Island. St Senan would allow no woman to live on or even land on the Island. He even prevented his kinwoman St Connera from entering the Island. It was said that she lived in one of the islands of Lough Derg (probably Holy Island or Iniscaltra). One time she made a splendid set of Vestments for St Senan and wished to present them to him personally. He would not allow her to come to his Island but sent her a message to put the vestments when finished into a box and float them down the Shannon and that he would get them Tradition tells us that she did as St Senan had directed and the Box with its precious contents arrived safely on Scattery Island. Feeling her end approaching and wishing to receive her last Holy Communion from her saintly relative St. Cannera - some years later - set out by boat for Scattery Island without informing St Senan He, However, knew of her intention and me the boat when it arrived in Scattery Island and commanded her not to land. He then gave her Holy Communion in the boat after which she died. St Senan had her body buried at low-water mark. The fishermen of Scattery

St. Senan was building a road from from Scattery to the Kerry mainland. Some foreigners made an attack on the island to kill the saint and his followers. As they were coming along the road St. Senan wished the waters to come over the road and to drawn the invaders before they could reach Scattery. Immediately the waters rose and all the foreigners were drowned, and a town that was near Scattery was also covered with water.
An old man from Tarbert who was in Scattery some time afterwards had his

also the common belief that this huge Monster could cast stones over a cwt weight from the Island to the town of Kilrush - two miles distant. Senan quickly banished this Monster to Lough Doo (Doolough) near Mount-Callan. There is a valley named Gleann-na-phista near the present town of Kilrush associated with this Monster's exit from Scattery Island. Senan's life in Scattery was one of rigid mortification, prayer and teaching and the fame of his piety and learning soon attracted Scholars from all parts of the Country and even from the Continent to be taught by St Senan and his associates so that Scattery earned the reputation of being a famous seat of religion and learning. No woman was allowed by the Saint to live or even land on the island while he lived. A kinswoman of his own who lived in Holy Island (Inis Caltra) in Lough Derg made a set of vestments for him and when she had them finished she desired to present them to him in person and asked his permission to do so. He refused and told her to put the vestments into a box and float them down the River Shannon. This she did and the Box with its precious contents duly landed in Scattery Island and Ste Senan took possession of them. Tradition also tells us that when this saintly kinswoman of the Saint (her name was St Cannera) felt her end approaching she came to Scattery Island to receive the last Sacraments from St Senan but he knowing (by devine power) of her approach and intention met her before she landed.

The earth got round the tower in Scattery Island is supposed to cure a mole.

A small chalice from Scattery Island is to be seen at the Convent of Marcy Kilrush.

This Serpent was so large that it was said that he could put his tail into his mouth after encircling Scattery Island with his body (Scattery Island is about 110 acres in area). The serpent tradition also tells us, was so powerful that he was able to toss huge stones some said to be half-a-ton weight with his tail as far as the present town of Kilrush. When Senan arrived in Scattery Island he approached the Serpent without fear and the latter opened its mouth so widely that Senan could see its entrails. He commanded the Serpent to leave this Island for ever in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. The monster then made a spring and landed in "Gleann-na-phiaste" (valley of the Serpent) making a large hole on the ground where he landed. He then went on by the valley of Clonreddan in the present parish of Couraclare (and which is still associated with this monster) and finally arrived at Doo Lough (Lough Doo a mountainous lake in the present parish of Mullagh) to which lake Senan had directed him to go. He condemned him (serpent) to live there on a trout and a half per day. The amount of food allowed him being totally insufficient the monster wasted away and died.
St Senan's life on Scattery Island was one of rigid mortification, prayer and teaching. The fame of his learning soon attracted scholars from all parts of the country

The patron saint of this district is Saint Sinon. He lived in Scattery, an island in the Shannon. There are several churches called after him in this district. He was supposed to have visited Killard where there are the ruins of a church and graveyard. The Catholic Church in Doonbeg is called St. Sinon's Church. A great many people are called Senan when baptised but the form used is not Senan but Sinon. While St. Sinon lived in Scattery he allowed no woman to enter the island. At the present day there are to be seen in Scattery Island the ruins of seven churches and a round tower which were built by St. Sinon. This round tower is the best preserved of all the round towers in Ireland. St. Sinon is buried on Scattery Island. St. Patrick never came to Clare but when he came to the bank of the Shannon he blessed Clare and said that a great saint would rise up there. He meant St. Sinon.

Scattery is a small island at the mouth of the Shannon. It contains about one hundred statute acres of land. There are fourteen families living there. There is also a school in it. Scattery is remarkable for its seven old churches and St. Senan's Well. One day St. Senan and his companions were out walking and they felt very thirsty. St. Senan struck the ground with his staff and immediately a well appeared. It is to be seen in the island at the present day. Scattery contains numerous old ruins. It is very easy to get to the island because any part of it is not far from land. Accordingly many tourists visit it.

St. Senan is the chief saint of my district. He is called St. Síonon. He had a church at Burrane, Maolacha where he was born and a few in Scattery. It is said he had a church in Kiltenane where he also had a blessed well. He has four blessed wells in Kilrush, Kilkee, Kiltenane, Maolacha. The rounds are performed in all the four blessed wells. When the people are performing the rounds at Maolacha, they have to go around certain trees and a lake.
The people would be up to their knees in water at the lake. St. Senane is said to drive a serpent from Scattery Island to a lake on the top of Mount Calan. From Scattery the serpent jumped to Kilrush just above the blessed well. He rested there and a big hollow is to be seen there. He jumped from Kilrush to Doherty's land in Moyasta,

There was a girl who lived in this parish and she was not able to walk without two crutches. Her mother took her to St. Senan's well in Molougha to perform a round. She had to go three Saturdays in succession, and the third Saturday she left the crutches after her and she walked it home and was all right after that.
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Long ago when St. Senan lived in Scattery Island, he built a tower by night and it was going to be the largest tower in the world. On the following morning a woman was up the first in Scattery and she saw the tower, and she stood looking at it and the tower stopped going up. After that St. Senan would allow no woman to be buried in Scattery. They should be buried at the depth of low water.

St. Senan lived with his people in Molougha before he went Scattery, an island near Kilrush.
One morning St. Senan was driving the cows to a field, some distance from his house. He saw the calves following him. He ran towards the calves, to put them into a cabin, but the calves followed him. He drove the cows back again but the calves would follow him then. He saw some sticks near by. He took two of the sticks and made a cross with them. Then he drove them into the ground between the cows and the calves. He then drove the cows to the field, and when he came back he put the calves in the cabin. 2-5-38.When St. Senan was going to Scattery islands he had no boat to take him across. He saw a large stone, not far away. He went to it, and sat on it. He was lifted in the air and was carried to Scattery.

Long ago some people in Low Island, Kildysart, built a fine yacht. They were building it in a barn, and one morning when they got up one of the boards were removed. The man that was building it said that it was not right to continue the building of it any further, because he thought it would not be lucky. But the rest of the men would not be said by him and carried on. When the yacht was built it was launched. Then they had to do "rounds" down at Scattery Island. When they were coming home from Scattery they were about opposite Cahiracon when the boat overturned, and the three men were drowned. About a month after on a bad night three men came to a house in Low Island and asked for food. There was only the servant in the house and she gave them something to eat. When they were gone she got a 10 a piece under each plate. They believed that these men were the men that got drowned.

The island contained a round tower and the ruins of the ancient church of St Senan. At the present time about 30 families live there.Traditions of Scattery are1. There are no mice, rats, coarogs(?) or rabbits on it.
2. A Scattery person has never yet had to call the priest at night.
3. Only certain people can land on Scattery alive or dead and only certain people may be buried there. On one occasion a man expressed

St. Senan was coming out from Scattery Island one day after saying mass and he forgot his mass book, when he came to the red stores near Shanacyle he met a man named Pounder who was a boat man and he told him about the mass book the man said if he had the way to go out for it he would bring it out safely. Then St. Senan put out a flag in the water and he told the man to walk lightly on the flag, he did and he went out and in to Scattery and brought the mass book with him. Then St. Senan changed the man's name to Hedderman.

About twenty years ago my father and a few others were fishing near Scattery Island. At mid-night it got windy and they decided to go home. Just as they were pulling in the nets a large steamer passed by going to Limerick, as they thought.
They took no further notice of it, but began to row. They were not far out however, when the steamer turned and came back in their direction. The men said that it would be better to go back to Scattery until it passed. As they were going in, the steamer seemed to be going in after them. They

Knockpatrick, and recite the rosary at the well.When a boy, Senan's father wanted him to be a soldier, but he objected, and he hid himself in a stack of hay, and his soldiers were attracted by a light shining round the hay stack. They caught him, and they let him go, because they thought he was an angel from heaven. He had to fight a great battle against his enemies. Senan lived in Scattery island on the Shannon. He went to Rome, and became a bishop, and on returning to Ireland, he built a monastery on the Lee, and he visited the two sisters of St. Brendan. He proceeded northwards to the Shannon, and landed on Scattery island.On the island lived a chieftain called Mactail who wanted the island for himself, and when St. Senan banished the monsters that destroyed the place, Mactail said he would kill the saint.

(roughly West Clare) who were allowed to bury their dead there. It is said that the earth taken from this Churchyard or St Senan's Bed has the power of Banishing farm pests.
St Senan founded many Churches, Monasteries and Convents throughout his Diocese and often made a tour of inspection to these Convents and Monasteries During these tours he converted many people to the true Faith - fulfilling to the letter the prophecy of St Patrick. It was during one of these tours that he died - somewhere around Carrigaholt. When on his final journey to the convents and monasteries to the West he visited a Convent at Querrin (Carrigaholt parish) and the Nuns there begged of him to leave them some relic of his visit. He said he would when he would be returning to Scattery. He died in on of the Convents in the extreme West of the County and when it was being taken home his body rested for one night in the Convent Church at Querrin (before mentioned). A second thumb grew during the night on one of the hands and the Nuns taking this as the fulfilment of the Saint's promise to them cut it off and preserved it as a relic of him. His body lay in an open coffin in Cattery Island for twelve days and during that time there was no decomposition. Strange appearances were seen in the sky during those 12 days. The other ecclesiastic's of Scattery Island were one of these days around St Senan's coffin and one of them said it was surprising that he did not name his successor before his death. He then sat up in the coffin and named St Odo as his successor after which he laid 'back again' and shortly after was buried

I live in Scattery Island, a small island on the Shannon outside the town of Kilrush. This island is in the parish of Kilrush, and in the barony of Moyarta. At present there are fourteen houses on the island, five of which are slated and the remaining nine are thatched.
Scattery Island derives its name from the Irish word "Inis Chathaigh", which means the island of the serpent. Tradition holds that the island was, till the coming of Saint Senan, inhabited by a monster, or Catach, which devoured man or beast that ventured on the place. Tradition further asserts that St. Senan triumphed over

was carried on in a style similar to the described above. During the night, a group of Kilrush boys walked in. They were heavily disguised, of course, as they were there to represent the traditional " Straw Boys ". A hearty welcome was given to them, and for some time they monopilised the kitchen floor. Some of them danced with the bride, while others had to be satisfied with the still unclaimed female treasures of Scattery Island.
Nóta:-" The old order changeth and yieldeth place to new " everywhere so I fear that in years to come, the old fashion of having weddings will die out in Scattery also. The present inhabitants are as modern-minded as their

Our farm is situated in Carrig Island about two miles from Ballylongford. The farm consists of about one hundred and twenty acres of land, and is divided into more than twelve different fields. Each field or meadow has some peculiar story attached to it.
There is a most peculiar story however attached to the strand near one field. In the time that St. Seanan lived in Scattery Island, he ordered that a road should be made all the way from where he was which was Scattery Island to Carrig Island which was about six miles.
The road was started in Carrig Island but it is not known whether it was then when the saint ordered it or later on it was started. The road goes out about one mile and a half and can be seen to the present day.
The old people say that the reason why it was not finished was that one morning when the men were at work a red haired woman passed them and