Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1889-07-27


lilies of long, unbroken line, and gives notice
by pitiful lamentation, often accompanied
by the wringing and clapping of hands, of
approaching death. By thoae who believe
in her In Ireland to-day she is sometimes re-
garded as spirit from purgatorial realms,
released from penance when this pathetic
mission is accomplished; by some she is
world; but by all she is believed to be the
temporary personation of some deceased
member of the family to which her Rrisveus
message is brought. She is never trifed
with, startled or vexed; for if this should
happen the banshee would never again honor
the same family, at least for generation of
time. with it's tenderly plaintive presence.
All Irish fairies are capable of comforting
sure benefits, and their power for punish
ing evil is regarded as boundless. Conse-
quently they are a folk commanding more
than ordinary respect; and they are uni
versaliy spoken OF either in the tender and
friendly manner Of ''our neighbors," or with
that delicate Difference easily recognizable in
the appellation of "the good people,
Ghosts, phantoms and demons form goodly
part of the fairy phantasmagoria of Ireland.
One of the most hideous of these, and yet a
fellow Of infinite drollery, is the dullaghan.
He is generally found with his bead under
them are together, fiinging it merrily at some
other dullaghan, or again engaged with 1t in
games Of football; and fancy Washington
Irving had got an inkling of Irish dullaghans
| before he penned his inimitable tales of
''Ichabod Crane" and Grip Van Winkle."
found them curiously occupied in the south
west of Ireland. The Kerry fishermen claim
that once each year, at certain time of the
tide, ship manned with headless crew
sails thrice around Valentia Island in search
of former pirate captain, who lost his head
and ship in that channel in an engagement
with Queen Anne's forces. Ballindollaghan,
in county Roscommon, was noted haunt of
these odd creatures, and was so named in
their honor. Drumarraght, in county Fer
raght being Irish for an apparitien. Then
there are shirtless goblins; for Lougn Gilla-
gsnleny, the name of several tiny lakes in
Ireland, means nothing more nor less than
"the lake of the shirtless fellows" Tober-
tasha is cofin-shaped we'll, near Kilnamo-
ma, in Glare; and the Specification of>its Gel
tic name, Tobar"a'-taise, is the swell of the
ghost" Killeennagallive Qrish, Cillin-na.
ndealbh) in Tipperary, is ''the little church
of the phantoms." Again there are fairies
who do nothing but play at CONAN, or hur-
ley, and the fairy fort of Lisfarbegnagom-
maun, near Corroin, In Glare, is simply
"the fort of the little hurlers." The dan-
cling fairies gave Lissarinka Its name-ths
fort of the dancing. Certain old forts or
ole, mean "ths fort of the fairy music"
While Lisnafeedy, from fead, whistle, is
''the fort of the whistling fairies" The
Pooka is a wonderful sprite of merriment
and cunning. In fact he is the Irish (pucs)
Puck. He whisks through countless 1egen-
Diary tales, ripple of laughter and CLEAN
of light; and scores of places in Ireland
whose names bear his own, Or sons of it's
many notifications, attest his universal pop-
ularity.
But of all Irish fairies the most exaspera-
tingly inapish practical joker il the lepre-
chaun. He has many names in Celtic such
as luprachaun, luricane, lurrigadane, oluri-
correct designation from which all these cor
ruptions have come, luchorpan, from lu,
Everything very SMALL, and corpan, dimin-
utive of corp, body. Leprechaun is the
name now universally bestowed in Ireland
upon this merry little sprite. He is still
more familiarly known among the peasantry
as "she little imp in green" To a hairs
breadth he is just twelve inches In height.
He is dressed in little green coat with long,
dainty tails, bright scarlet vest, the pretti-
| eat knee-breeches of puee velvet you ever be-
| held, with green silk hose, and low pumps
with buckles studded with either diamonds
or sparkling drops of dew. There is jaun-
ty barrhad or cap on his head, with the dain-
test of dudheens stuck under the band at
one side, and a jewel of smeralds in the form
of shamrock at the other. A film of lace
made from rarest cobweb is gathered at his
| throat, another foamy rift of the same rolls
over the edges of his little vest, and he wears
a wonderful fob of wrought and blazing
gold. His eyes are no bigger than dolls
beads; but they are the merriest eyes that
| ever glistened; his mouth is very large from
continual laughter; and his paunch Is some
thing wonderful to behold, developed into
outrageous proportion from the shaking of
his sides from uncomfortable merriment;-
all the result of his "jokes, dsceptions and
diversions upon those who endeavor to use
him for gain. lndeed the little fellow seems
to embody the idea of an endless torment
and scourge to those who permit themselves
to become possessed of unholy greed and
avarice
Patient plodding, hard labor and CHEEKY
spirit under deprivation and suffering, are
all worthy and true characteristics Of the
lowly of Ireland. These are surely more o,
less rewarded in various ways by the leprs-
chaun; but woe to the sordid spirit who en-.
deavors to amsss riches through the agency
of this "iittle imp in green" His il the
power to give sudden and great wealth. He
has mills and mines and store-houses of
treasure innumerable. He is to every Irish
man, woman and child as the end Of the &C.
ductive rainbow and Its kettle of gold, to
our own childhood's fancy, with this impor-
tant difference. The leprechaun is an enti-
ty: an actually. No one dare deny his pos
session of all the treasures necessary to in.
stantly lift one from poverty to power and
riches. Thousands of aching Irish eyes have
feasted upon his gorgeous person and tanta.
lizing face. Besides You have the evidence
of scores of places in Ireland being named
from his known haunts. Near the old city
of Cong, in Mayo, there is the Mullsnlupra-
ghaun cave, or "the leprechaun's mill. Here
, in former times good people left their cas-
keens OF corn at nightfall, and came the
next morning to find them full of meal,
ground by the obliging lsprechauns during
. the night. Only the other day ascended
| Knocknalooricauu, near Lismore castle, in
, county Waterford. It is the Chill of the
, looricauns," or leprechauns. Poula upper
oadaun is "pool of the lepreehauns' which
! looked into at the edge of the KilorglaI
, bog, q few weeks ago, over in county Kerry
| And then have not myself seen many
J score of pleasant folk, who have told me, o
sat on the "stranger's seat" BY the hobs O
| of the times when their brother or father, o.
mother or grandfather, or grandmother, ha'
3 | not only seen thor lepreohaun with their ow
1 | two eyes, but had actually caught the nttl
imp; and but for their great excitement q
: the critical moment, "swate bad luck t.
them" would have gained the great treas
' urea There is no doubt abont this little i'm
; in green. But the conditions of securing hi
!, treasure-trove are such that he almost invs
q riably succeeds in defeating your greed, an
a making you the laughing stock of Q Who'll
v county and half another, more power to hin
y for his cunning. If yoa can catch him ant
= hold him until he is compelled to yield 20
y will gain all. Or, if you once catch his ey
a and never remove your own, you will sue
!. coed. But he has a gently-swung back-doo
d out of every difficulty. Get both your hand
d about his big paunoh and squeeze him unit
i he is black in the face, and he will whimpel
: "Faith, an its yours, if can be after tastir
# me own BREATH" You loose your grip III
n tie, and in twinkling he has popped out Q
= your hands, "an' is givin' yez the five fin
# gers af his beautiful pug nose" Folio
h him over bog and mountain, through fen an
A. glen, and corner him quite at the peak {
- handicapped Carrantuohill, the highei
n mountain in Ireland, and he is more tina
" your match still. "Well, here we are thin
a he will exclai-a in tone of praise for yor
" great pluck. "Whsre is that treasurer" 20
,e sternly reply, never taking your eyes fro
ID his own. "There, behind yer fut, ye gol
"a soon" You are startled and suddenly loo
behind you. The spell is broken. Avs
of speeds the 1eprechaun with a maddenir
~ laugh that crazes you into shying gre
al I boulders after him down the mountain-sid
Il and yousreturn to your everyday labo
n shamed into contentment with patient effo
d. and slower gains. And thus this little Iri
IAyat