374 Collectanea.
five years ago. In the history a banshee appears to De Clare.-® A story preserved in an Appendix to tlie Life of St. Senan tells how the saint, to punish a violation of his sanctuary, drove Richard De Clare mad, so that the latter rushed heedlessly into a battle in which he lost his life; this story probably dates back, to the later fourteenth century.-^
There are some extremely unreliable De Clare traditions. Clare Castle and Clarisford near Killaloe were said to be named after "Clarence," for De Clare, in certain late English histories, had been transformed into a good " Duke of Clarence " who " intro- duced civility" into Clare, building market towns and castles and governing the country well ; but the Irish were under no such delusions about the civilizing career of Norman conquest in Thomond.
The late sixteenth-century "court" (possibly that of the Deans of Kilfenora), on the Fergus near Inchiquin Lake was called Cobhail ^*' an Claraighmore ("Great De Clare's ruin") in 1859.^^ At my earlier visits the old folk denied that it ever bore the map name " De Clare's House," or had anything to do with Claragh- more, with whose name and fate they were familiar.
The north-east tower of Bunratty Castle was named " De Clare's Tower" by the Studderts; it is clearly of the late fifteenth century. 2- The name De Clare was used in late times by the Studderts, who have of course no connection with the extinct Lords of Bunratty, and probably first applied the name to the tower with no better foundation than the recent " bathroom " story possesses.
Conor O'Hiomhair figures in a second tale at Dysert Castle, in which a guest of O'Dea politely wishes the castle full of gold,
-^Cf. vol. .\xi., pp. 188-9.
^"Colgan, op. cit., March 8th, sec. xxxxvi. \^sic\
'"Cobhal, pronounced locally "Cowl," is used, even by English speakers, near Corofin and Tulla for a ruined house or even cabin. Coul na brawher (" the friar's ruin") is still shown, not far north from " De Clare's House."
^'^ Ordnance Sw'vey Letters {Qo. Clare), vol i. , p. 51. It was also called " O'Quin's ruin" ; v. ibid. pp. 61-3.
'" This tallies with the statement in the " Castle founders' list." So far as I can judge, no portion of any earlier building is left.
