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| GOUGANE BARRA, CO. CORK. -Ireland possesses but few loughs, or lakes, more picturesquely situated than Gougane Barra-Gaelic for St. Fin-Bar's Rock Cleft-near the headwaters of the river Lee, in the county Cork. It is environed by mountains on all sides except the east, and from this point proceeds the stream, through a rocky gap, on its rapid course to Lough Allua-another entrancing sheet of water-and thence to the ocean. From the sides of the hills countless rivulets tumble into the lough, with endless murmurings, and keep it ever full to highest watermark. In the centre of the lake is a small island, containing the ruins of a saintly shrine, which is the scene of many a holy pilgrimage and miraculous cure. It is said that St. Fin-Bar, by St. Patrick's direction, drowned in Gougane Barra, a murderous winged dragon, which the latter had overlooked when he banished all other reptiles from Ireland. The conditon imposed upon the saint before he destroyed the monster was, to build a church where the waters flowing from the lough meet the tide. This condidion was fulfilled by the building of St. Fin-Bar's Cathedral in the city of Cork. Gougane Barra was the saint's country residence, and the sacred buildings whose ruins cover about half of its island, were erected by him. The larger portion of these ruins, which have been allowed to fall into a state of discreditable decay, appear in the accompanying sketch. |
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