Meath Folk Tales notes

Here are two items I found too late to include in the book.

from “The ‘Night of the Big Wind’ in Ireland, 6-7 January 1839”, Lisa Shields and Denis Fitzgerald, Irish Geography, Volume 22, Issue 1, 1989. c Taylor & Francis Ltd.

Edengully school, above at the mountain, was a-building at the time, and old Ned Curran, of Tierworker, was a night watchman, and he was coming down the road on his hands and feet – he couldn’t stand up – the wind was so strong – and he met a tall man riding a horse at Tackney’s brae. The man was sitting up straight in the saddle and was wearing a castor hat, while Ned couldn’t stand up and had to go on hands and feet on the side of the road. (DIF MS 1040; 677-78, Bailieboro region, Co. Cavan) – National Folklore Collection

The pressure at the centre of the storm west of Scotland was an extremely low 916 hPa, and at Phoenix Park it was 957.9 hPa, which is considerably lower than normal.

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From Richard Stanihurst, De rebus in Hibernia gestis (Antwerp, 1584)

The occasion why Ireland was parted into these fiue principall regions grew of this. [In 1224 BC] There arriued in Ireland fiue brethren, that were valiant & martiall gentlemen; to wit, Gandius, Genandius, Sagandus, otherwise named Gangan|dus, Rutheragus or Rutheranus, & Slanius. These fiue perceiuing that the countrie was not sufficient|lie peopled, were agreed (as it were) to cast lots, and to share the whole realme betwéene themselues. The foure elder brethren seuering the countrie into foure parts, and being loth to vse their yoongest brother like an outcast or stepsonne, condescended that each of them foure should of their owne portion allot to Slanius a paring or parcell of their inheritance. Which being as heartilie receiued of Slanius, as it was bountifullie granted by them, he setled himselfe therein, and of that partition it tooke the appellation of Media, Méeth. The foure parts méet at a certeine  stone at Méeth, néere the castell of Kilaire, as an in|different meare to seuer the foure regions.

But although Slanius in the beginning had the least parcell, yet in short space he stood so well to his tacklings, and incroched so far vpon his neighbors, that he obteined the whole monarchie of Ireland. At Méeth ap|pointed for the king his ta […]. which time he did not suppresse in obliuion his inheri|tance of Meeth; but did inlarge it, and decreed it should be a countrie appendant to the monarch his diet or table. And albett the confines thereof were by Slanius stretched, yet it conteineth not so much land as anie of the other foure parts comprehendeth; but rather by indifferent surueie, the halfe deale, where of also it is not vnlikelie named Méeth. For whereas in the time of Slanius, each of the foure parts compriseth two and thirtie cantreds, Meeth conteineth but sixteene cantreds. A cantred is named so much land as conteineth an hundred towneships. This Slanius is intoomed at an hill in Méeth, which of him is named Slane.