Murrisk.
Finally I’ll finish of this week’s
foray into the stories and folklore of Sea Monsters with a bit of a local
flavour.
The name Murrisk originated from
either Muir Riasc
meaning a marsh by the sea or Muir Iasc meaning sea monster. Here's a little story that I've adapted in order to give it a local connection and to get you thinking.
Once upon a time, oh it must have
been about 150 years ago, a family from Dublin were visiting family in or
around Westport and decided to spend the day taking the sea air. The father had a keen interest in what was at
that time the relatively new and expensive past time of photography and he took
his rather cumbersome tripod camera along in order to take some photographs
that he could show off to his friends on returning to Dublin.
After gaining some advice from the
family he was visiting he and his wife and children set off for Bertra beach
and the little village of Murrisk where he was assured he would be able to take
advantage of the beautiful views of Clew Bay and The Reek and also visit sites
of archaeological interest such as the old abbey.
It was near the end of September,
the day was bright but there was a distinct autumnal chill in the air and
although they expected to see other people on the beach it was completely
deserted. While his wife set up a little
picnic area the children were playing happily together so the father took the
opportunity to set up his camera in order to take a family photograph. His camera was the newest model available and
he was eager to try it out and although the children would have preferred to
carry on playing they obeyed their father’s instructions and together with
their mother they all lined up and he arranged them into what he thought would
be the perfect position.
Placing his head under the back
cloth of his box camera he was happy with the view and as the plate began to
record the image he ran over and joined his family. Suddenly an unexpected visitor joined them,
it was a beautiful black horse wearing only a bridle of black leather with
ornate silver decoration. They began to
stroke the horse and were delighted to see it as they had a great love of
horses and had a number of them back in Dublin so they were not unduly worried
about this riderless horse that had appeared silently in their midst.
The horse was magnificent, its coat
shone and it held its head high and proud.
The father loved riding and as an accomplished horseman he couldn’t
resist the urge to climb up onto the horse’s back. The lack of a saddle didn’t bother him in the
slightest and before he realised what was happening the horse took off galloping
along the beach towards the sea. As they
entered the crashing waves of the incoming tide he tried to reign in the horse
but to no avail. His family, not
realising the danger he was in and believing he knew what he was doing stood
back up the beach watching and laughing at the sight of him getting soaking wet
as the waves crashed up against the side of the horse.
They all cheered as they saw the
horse jumping through the water but suddenly his wife raised her hands to her
face as she realised that the horse was out of control. The horse let out a loud cry as it
disappeared beneath the waves taking the rider with it. The father’s body was never found. The photograph sat on the mantelpiece of the
family home in Dublin but strangely over the years even the father’s image has
faded from the family picture. It’s as though
the Kelpie has taken his very soul.
Murrisk, Marsh by the sea or could it have
been the legendry Sea monster, I’ll let you decide.
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