Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 March 1884 — Sunken Irish Cities. [ARTICLE]

Sunken Irish Cities.

There are numerous legends of sunken cities scattered throughout Ireland, some of which are of a most romantic origin. Thus the space now covered by the Lake of Inehiquin is reported in former days to have been a populous and flourishing city; but for some dreadful and unabsolved crime, tradition says, it was buried beneath the deep waters. The dark spirit of its king still resides in one of the caverns which border the lake, and once every seven years at midnight he issues forth mounted on his white 'charger, and makes the complete circuit of the lake, a performance which ha is to oontinue till the silver hoofs of his steed are worn out, when the curse will be removed, and the city reappear once more in all its by-gone condition. The peasantry affirm that even now, on a calm night, one may clearly see the towers and spires gleaming through the clear water. With this legend we may compare one told by Burton in his “History of Ireland.” In Ulster is a lake 30,000 paces long and 15,000 broad, out of which ariseth the noble northern river called Banu. It is believed by the inhabitants that they were formerly wicked, vicious people who lived in this place, and there was a prophecy in every one’s mouth that whenever h well which was therein, and was continually covered and locked up carefully, should be left open, so great a quantity of watpr would issue therefrom as would soon overflow the whole adjacent country. It happened that an old beldam coming to fetch water heard her child cry; upon which, running away in haste, she forgot to cover the spring, and coming back to do, the land was so overrun that it was past her help, and at length she, her ohild, and all the territory were drowned, which caused this pool that remains.— Blackwood’s Magazine.