Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

Ossianic and other Early Legends. 287
have him without doing violence to good manners or
classification. Our story-tellers sometimes represent the
fairies,—either the original stock, or the human beings
who have assumed their nature,—as showing good-will
to mortals in distress. We Avould quote some instances
of O'Donoghue's beneficence; but are they not suf-
ficiently trumpeted in Killarney Guide-books % Such
being the case, it would not be just or natural that our
national saints should neglect their poor countrymen.
But as our business in this section is not with legends
of saints, but of fairies, we would not cite the following
piece of supernatural interference were it not for its
rather doubtful character :
—
HOW DONAGHADEE GOT ITS NAME.
In the fine old kingdom of Kerry lived Donogha
and Vauria, man and wife. Had they been a happy
pair, their names and their little disagreements would
not have reached our times. Donogha was lazy,
Vauria was fiery in temper ; and so food and fuel v/ere
frequently scarce, and words of anger and reproach
frequent. On a fine summer day the master of the
house was sitting by his hearth devoid of care, and
doing no heavier work than smoking his pipe. Vauria
coming in, rated him to such an extent for his idleness,
neither sticks nor turf being under the roof to boil the
supper, that he went forth into the wood to gather a
bresna. Having taken twice the time it would have cost
another to collect his bundle, he tied it up by a great
effort, and then sat down upon it to lament at his ease
his hard fate, cursed with poverty and a scolding wife.