Folklore and Legend

Queen Maeve

Inisclothran, Inchcleraun, or Quaker's Island is an island in the north of Lough Ree which takes its name from Clothra (or Clorina) the sister of Queen Maeve of Connaught, the heroine of the Tain Bo Cuailigne.

According to legend Maeve sought refuge on the island in her old age and after the death of her husband, Oilioll, at the hands of Conall Cearnach. One day as she bathed at Grianan Meva, Forbaid, the son of Conor of Ulster, struck her dead with a single sling shot - which according to tradition he fired from Elfeet, in County Longford, a distance of an English mile across the lake.

St. Ciaran on Hare Island

There are several stories and legends associated with St. Ciaran who founded a monastery on Hare Island, off Coosan Point, before he founded Clonmacnoise. In the the Latin and Irish lives of St. Ciaran there is a story told which concerns the naming of Gospel-Book Harbour, a name which is recorded on the Ordnance Survey map. As with other stories of Ciaran the re-telling of this one causes even further confusion because in it a different successor to Ciaran as abbot of Inis Aingin:

It so happened, that Ciaran's Book of Gospels was dropped into the lake by a careless brother. There it remained for a long time. On a certain day in summer, cows went into the water, and the strap of that Book stuck to the foot of one animal, who brought it quite dry to the landing place. When opened, not a single letter was defaced, and afterwards the landing place was called Port in Sosceoil, or Harbour of the Gospel. A certain man, named Donnan, came from Corco-Baiscin to St. Ciaran. He was son to a brother of Senan, son of Gergenn, while he and Senan had the same mother. Senan said to him "What dost tjou wish or why dost thou come?" He replied "To seek a place wherein I may abide and serve God". When Ciaran had resolved on leaving Aingin, after a residence of three years and three months, he intended Donnan should succeed there succeed him. He also left with him as reliquaries, that Book of Gospels which had been recovered from the lake, his bell, and his bearer Mael Odran".

St. Ciaran left Inis Aingin and went down river to found Clonmacnoise, one of the great monasteries of Ireland in 545AD.