The fairy mention in my subject line - well, soem people who may have absolutely no interest in the parish of Dunmore, may have an interest in fairies and there is a wee bit of a fairy story in this parish! Jane On the History and Antiquities of the Parish of Dunmore, in the Baronies of Dunmore & Ballymoe, Co. Galway By the Rev. J. Neiry Journal of the Galway Archaeological & Historical Society ii. The Ordnance Survey Letters J. O'Donovan to Geo. A. Larcom Of the Parish of Dunmore Tuam, Aug., 30th. 1838 Situation: This parish is bounded on the north by the county of Roscommon and the parish of 'Teampull a tochum' (Templetogher) in this county : on the east by the parish of Bweenaunagh (buidheanach) (Boyounagh) and Cloonbern (Clonbern) : on the south by Cloonbern and the parish of Tuam in which a part of it is isolated : and on the west by the parish of Addragoole. Name : In the Ancient Irish Annals, this place is called 'Dunmor,' signifying large 'Dun' or earthen fort : which is the true name, though present tradition interprets it as if it were written 'Dun Moire,' "the Dun of Moira," daughter of the great navigator Manannan. History: Tradition says that this place took its name from an earthen fort erected by 'More' the daughter of 'Manannan,' with which a large castle was afterwards erected immediately after the English invasion of 'Haiste,' a distinguished Chirftan of the Conquest, the ancestor of the present people called 'Hosty,' now numerous in this part of the country. We have, *now*, no historical authority to prove when or by whom this castle of Dunmore was erected, but the tradition is vivid and I think true. It has been preserved by Donnell Treacy, who lives at the old Castle, from the lips of the poet Cormac O'Coman, who lived to the age of 110 and who was the living 'Fintan' (fountain) of the history of Connaught in his time. Dr. O'Connor states in the Stowe catalogue that the Annals of Connaught are the best history for the Castles of Connaught. Do they mention this Castle of Dunmore (in Conmaice Kinel Dubhain - (modernised Divaney, Dwane and Divine, still in use) which was in later times called Dun Mor Fheorais? The tradition preserved by old Treacey (note: and preserved by Tommie Treacey, grand-nephew of Donal according to Rev. Neary), from the mouth of the poet O'Coman, is that the noble 'Haiste' (Hosty Merrick was killed in 1272, 'Annals of Lough Cé', and buried at Annaghboggan near Lake Beltra, Burrishoole), the son of Membric, a distinguished warrior of the Welsh nation, commenced erecting a castle a short distance to the west of where Dunmore Castle now stands, but that the fairy who presides over the place, Mor ni Mananain, not wishing that he should erect his fortress there, destroyed by night as much as his masons had erected by day, and that she continued to do so for several nights until Haiste consulted a Magician, who told him that Mor-Ny-Mhanannain did not wish him to place his fortress there, but that she would be willing to allow him erect it on the site of her own fort, and Hasty, taking the advice of the Sage, and seeing the old 'Dun' a favourable position, immediately commenced to build there, and More, being delighted to view so lofty a pile towering over the humble mounds of her ancient fortress, suffered no fairy to interrupt the work. to be continued........................