A Story

Years ago, seals were very plentiful around Rossbeg, and the fish were getting so scarce that the fishermen resolved to kill all the seals they could lay hands on. One day in particular they killed seven very large seals and an eighth escaped with a large spear stuck in its side. The fishermen carried on their fishing as usual that day, but in the evening, a dreadful storm arose and they were giving up all hope when they sighted a small island which they had never seen before. They rowed towards it and after much trouble, landed there. There was just one house on the island and in they went.

The only occupier of the house was an old man who was very kind to them. When they were a little while in the house they heard great moaning as if from someone in pain. They asked the old man what it was and he told them that that morning his eight sons went out fishing and that seven were killed and this one escaped and arrived home with a spear in his side, and that it could never be drawn out except by the hands of the person who had stuck it there. That same man happened to be one of the crew, and he immediately went and drew out the spear, when the boy at once became as well as ever.

The storm settled down and the men got safely home, but before leaving had to promise the old island man that they would never again kill a seal. This promise they strictly kept and since then a seal has never been killed in the Rossbeg shore with the result that seals are more numerous on that coast than at any other coast around Ireland. Fish were also very plentiful around these parts and the old fishermen say it is all due to their protection of the seals.