Township: Barrapol,Barrapol

Map Reference: Barrapol 8

Name Type: house

Meaning: See Tobhta na Cailliche Bheir in Longships on the Sand.

Other Forms: Tobhta nan Cailleach -Hugh MacLean, Barrapol, collected by Ailean Boyd

Related Places:

Information:"[The Cailleach] was often called the cailleach bheur, which was understood in Scotland to mean the 'shrill voiced hag,' although in reality her name goes a thousand years back in Irish literature and folklore to the cailleach Beara, or old wife of Beare, which is a place in west Cork." Ronald Black, The Quern Dust Calendar, WHFP, 19.1.96.

The cailleach is said to have made these remarks:
"Chunnaic mi Loch a' Phuill mar thobar beag cruinn agus Sgeir Mhòr nan Ròn o eòrna breac gorm [I saw Loch a' Phuill as a small round well and Skerryvore covered with dappled green barley]." David McClounnan, Balephuil, 2/1996.

The Cailleach Beur lived there. She had a well near at hand which she had to cover every night. One night she forgot to do this and the water overflowed to form Loch a' Phuill - unknown informant.

Local Form:

Languages : Norse, Gaelic

Informants: Donald MacNeill (Dòmhnall an Tàilleir), The Land, 1/1994

Informant 2: Hugh MacLean, Barrapol, collected by Ailean Boyd