J. F. Campbell Collection > Fireside stories of Ireland

132 THE FIRESIDE STORIES OF IRELAND.
in West Munster, and there perished as to his mortal part.
The people to this day call these rocks Teach Duin (Bonn's
House). He bestows his attention on the invisible concerns
of the whole kingdom, but resides in Knocfierna, near
Limerick, and when not presiding over the sumptuous
entertainments there furnished, he looks after the fairy-
tribes of Thomond (North Munster) and Ormond, and oc-
casionally makes a raid at their head against the fairies of
Connaught, or Leinster, or South Munster. He is rather
patriotic, and friendly besides to native talent. In Croker's
Legends is given an address made to him by a poor poet,
whose verses seemed to be in no request by king or chief
of mortal mould. It begins thus : —
" DoBn of the ocean vats, I give due reverence to thee."
Donn would not be a genuine Milesian spirit if ungifted
with combative propensities. A blacksmith near the Feale
was one night wakened up to put a shoe on the steed of a
noble-looking rider. He fashioned it without much delay,
but the great feat was to adjust and fasten it on. So
skittish and mettlesome were the mare's capers, that he
could not bring the iron convenience within a yard of its
appointed place. The master, after looking on for some
time, with grim amusement playing over his features,
quietly Avrung off the lower portion of the leg, and pre-
sented it to the operator. Awe of the rider now unnerved
him as much as the tricks of the steed had done before,
but the stranger thus attempted to encourage him, "Don't
be frightened, but fasten in your nails. I am Donn Fir-
inne, and am conducting ten thousand of my forces to wage
battle and conflict against the fairies of Cork. My people
are awaiting me outside your door at this moment."
All this was far from putting the village Yulcan at his
ease; but, better or worse, he got through the job someway.
The version of the story accessible to us mentions the con-
clusion of the shoeing, the adjusting of the shod portion to
the rest of the leg by Donn, the shouting of the tribe whcii
they saw their chief emerging from the forge, and the speed
with which they escaped from the blacksmith's sight.
Donn seems to have been in such a hurry, that he omitted