The author would like to thank the Head of the Department of Irish Folklore, University College Dublin for permission to use material from IFC S 575: 172–356 in the section on Lough Muskry. Thanks are due also to the staff of the Department, the staff of the National Library, UCD Library and Dublin City Library Service for their assistance during the research for this project. The staff at O’Brien Press and, in particular, Susan Houlden have my gratitude for their support during the making of LegendaryIreland.
I would like to thank the following people for their hospitality: Frances Crickard, and Davy and Leon Mc Govan in Antrim; the Murphy family in Cork; the Poole family in Donegal and Maureen Massey and Johnnie Doyle in Kerry. Thanks are also due to those who accompanied us on various site visits: Maura Leahy, Catherine Groves, Conall Mac Riocard, and Maureen, William and Donal Massey. I would also like to thank all those unknown people who assisted us on our travels during the past year. We encountered nothing but kindness from Tory Island to Béara. A special thank you is due to Michael Lavelle, and Michael James Gaughan and crew, for getting us to Inis Glora when we thought the cause was lost.
Finally, I would like to thank my sister Fidelma Massey for her perceptive comments on the introduction, and indeed all my family and friends, who helped us out with everything from advice and encouragement to dog-minding during the time this book was written.