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Folklore of Lough Gur
The Grange Stone circle in Lough Gur dates from so valuable and interesting as that of the Bean’Ti
about 2,000 B.C. Made up of 113 stones, thisis and her golden comb. Long ago the Bean’Ti sat on
the largest prehistoric stone circle in Ireland. her seat, having come up from the depths of the
Lough Gur is one of Irelands gems surrounded by lake. She sat upon her seat and combed her hair
natural beauty. This horse shoe shaped lake has seen with her golden comb which she placed beside her
generations of human inhabitation. Here you will when the work was done. And then the Bean’Ti
enter the mystical realms of Irelands’ distant past slept. High above the seat was the hill on which
– from early Stone age through to the Bronze Age , stood the Buachall or a Herdsboy, watched he the
Early Christian and Early Medieval periods. lady of the lake as she dressed her golden tresses,
There is a great folk tale which deals with Gearoid saw he the golden comb and coveted it for himself.
Iarla, 3rd Earl of Desmond who was Chief Justice Bean’Ti sleeping, dreamed not of robber Buachall,
for Ireland in 1367 following the Statutes of who now softly approached the seat and stole the
Kilkenny. Iarla ( a name which means “earl”) lived golden comb. From that day, misfortunes hard and
from 1338 to 1398. As well as dabbling in magic, fast came upon the buachall and death soon came
he composed verse in both Irish and French. As a to him. When he was about to die, he ordered that
punishment for his involvement in magic, he did the golden comb be flung into the lake and so the
not die but it is said to live beneath the waters of Bean’Ti joyfully regained it.”
Lough Gur. Every seven years he rides around the Teampall Nua
lake margin on his white horse, shod with silver
shoes. When the shoes are finally worn, he will Of Owen’s poems one of the most popular is
regain his mortal form and restore the glory of the “Teampall Nua”. Here he pays tribute to Thomas
Desmonds. O’Connellan, a poet-harper who died during a feast
Owen Bresnan (1847 – 1912) in his manuscript at Bouchiers Castle c. 1700 and is buried…
“Lough Gur – its pillarstones, Stone Circles and
traditions” recounts the following tale. "in that churchyard by Lough Gur’s romantic shore,
“The Covetous Herdsboy – many a tale of Lough where the shamrocks and the ivy every grow
Gur have I heard from young and old but none where the wild dove and the raven
like protecting spirits soar
o’er the green graves of silent Teampall Nua”
www.loughgur.com
Lough Gur
99
The Grange Stone circle in Lough Gur dates from so valuable and interesting as that of the Bean’Ti
about 2,000 B.C. Made up of 113 stones, thisis and her golden comb. Long ago the Bean’Ti sat on
the largest prehistoric stone circle in Ireland. her seat, having come up from the depths of the
Lough Gur is one of Irelands gems surrounded by lake. She sat upon her seat and combed her hair
natural beauty. This horse shoe shaped lake has seen with her golden comb which she placed beside her
generations of human inhabitation. Here you will when the work was done. And then the Bean’Ti
enter the mystical realms of Irelands’ distant past slept. High above the seat was the hill on which
– from early Stone age through to the Bronze Age , stood the Buachall or a Herdsboy, watched he the
Early Christian and Early Medieval periods. lady of the lake as she dressed her golden tresses,
There is a great folk tale which deals with Gearoid saw he the golden comb and coveted it for himself.
Iarla, 3rd Earl of Desmond who was Chief Justice Bean’Ti sleeping, dreamed not of robber Buachall,
for Ireland in 1367 following the Statutes of who now softly approached the seat and stole the
Kilkenny. Iarla ( a name which means “earl”) lived golden comb. From that day, misfortunes hard and
from 1338 to 1398. As well as dabbling in magic, fast came upon the buachall and death soon came
he composed verse in both Irish and French. As a to him. When he was about to die, he ordered that
punishment for his involvement in magic, he did the golden comb be flung into the lake and so the
not die but it is said to live beneath the waters of Bean’Ti joyfully regained it.”
Lough Gur. Every seven years he rides around the Teampall Nua
lake margin on his white horse, shod with silver
shoes. When the shoes are finally worn, he will Of Owen’s poems one of the most popular is
regain his mortal form and restore the glory of the “Teampall Nua”. Here he pays tribute to Thomas
Desmonds. O’Connellan, a poet-harper who died during a feast
Owen Bresnan (1847 – 1912) in his manuscript at Bouchiers Castle c. 1700 and is buried…
“Lough Gur – its pillarstones, Stone Circles and
traditions” recounts the following tale. "in that churchyard by Lough Gur’s romantic shore,
“The Covetous Herdsboy – many a tale of Lough where the shamrocks and the ivy every grow
Gur have I heard from young and old but none where the wild dove and the raven
like protecting spirits soar
o’er the green graves of silent Teampall Nua”
www.loughgur.com
Lough Gur
99
