Cavan Burren

By Séamus Ó hUltacháin

1. The Giant's Grave [wedge tomb]

Folklore tells of two young giants Lugh and Lag, who both fancied a young female giant. In their efforts to impress her they challenged one another to jump over a wide chasm, which they did easily. Lag, in a fit of bravado thought that he could jump over backwards but in attempting to do so he fell to his death in the chasm below. He was buried in the wedge tomb beside the chasm. The chasm became known as "The Giant's Leap". It is not known if the surviving giant Lugh, succeeded in winning the affections of the female giant.

2. Tullygobban Hill [Tulaigh an Ghobáin]—Wedge tomb and cairn.

Tullygobban is named after the Gobán Saor, [the master craftsman of Irish mythology] who is credited with building all the tombs and placing all the huge boulders [glacial erratics] in the area. It is said that his wife is buried in the wedge-tomb on Tullygobban Hill [The Lady's Grave] and that their child is buried in the nearby round cairn.[Child's Grave]

3. Giant's Table [Lannliss townland]

This looks like a massive capstone for a dolmen, but it is resting on a limestone pedestal.It was the setting for a story told by local seanchaí Philip Dolan [Philip Red Mick] to folklore collector Michael Murphy. The recorded story is now in the archives of the Department of Irish Folklore, U. C. D..It tells of the election of a "Queen of the May" by the fairies on May Eve. The Giant's Table is just outside the forest close to the Giant's Grave and the Promontory Fort.

4. Tullygobban Lough.

A magical "water horse"was supposed to live in this lake. The fairies used to ride this horse, which could travel over land, and over and under water. Another area associated with the fairies was the Legeelan Rocks, just to the south of Burren.A number of people fell to their death down these rocks. It is said that they stepped on fairy passes.

As well as stories of giants,fairies and magic horses, many places in Burren are associated with the druids e. g.

5. The Druids' Altar [The Calf House]

It is not clear whether in fact this name was given to this monument by the Ordnance Survey or if it was associated with the druids in local folklore.

6. The Druids' Alt.

An "alt" is the Irish word for a ravine. The Druids" Alt is a deep ravine near the south-east corner of Burren. It is still covered in hazel scrub—the magic woods associated with the druids, the Celtic high priests.

7. The Druids' Chair.

This is a boulder [glacial erratic] carved into the shape of a chair, overlooking the Druids' Alt.

8. The Lightning Stone.

Beside the Druids' Chair, this is a huge boulder split vertically. It was supposed to have been split by lightning, when the druids invoked a storm.

9. The Druids' Table

This is a large flat boulder, with a deep depression [cup mark] in its centre. It is said that the druids offered sacrifice here, filling the hollow with blood

10. The Rocking Stone.

Wakeman in "Guide to Lough Erne" 1870, called this the "Druidical Rocking Stone". A huge stone, so delicately balanced that it rocks easily, it is said to have been used by the druids for cursing, wishing, casting spells and foretelling the future.

11. The Holy Ground.

This is a small area in the south of the Burren Forest with lots of strange boulders. It was supposed to be an area of druidic practice also. It is interesting that nearly all the trees planted in this area died.

12. Doirnín Fionn [Fionn's Fist]

This is a large boulder opposite the old byre near the Calf House. It is shaped like a fist — hence the name.

As well as the association with giants, druids and fairies a lot of sites in Burren, especially the megalithic tombs were believed to have magic powers and fertility inducing properties .As with similar sites elsewhere in Ireland they were used for making love by childless couples in the hope of conceiving children. [See "Irish Folk Ways" by E. Estyn Evans.]