The Dragon of Navan

County Armagh

A famous king of Ulster once heard of a scheme to rob him of all his jewels. He immediately locked them away for safe keeping. The king's wise men lacked any ideas to advise the King on what he should do next, hence the king became angry.

From a distance outside the palace, suddenly came the sound of beautiful and calming pipe music. The King sent a servant to fetch this gifted piper.

The musician bowed in front of the king. He was similar to fairy in size and stature, and carried a splendid set of pipes in his hand. He had come to Armagh because it had come to his attention of the king's troubles, and he thought he had the answer to solve the king's problems.

He asked the king if he had ever heard of China, the king replied no. "The land of dragons, Your Majesty." The king had never heard of a dragon. The musician explained it was fierce and menacing, and it would look after the king's jewels. The king would be special in that he would be the only one in all of Ireland to have the services of a guard dragon.

The musician would have to travel to China to beg a dragon from the emperor, therefore the king made a boat ready for the voyage. When the musician returned from his voyage, he presented to the king, a beautiful and fierce looking dragon. As soon as the dragon was released, it jumped straight into the lake behind the palace and disappeared from view.

As expected the king was upset, but the musician exclaimed this is the ideal place the dragon should be. "It will only come out of the lake when it hears my pipes. We will tie the jewels round the dragon's neck, and when Your Majesty wants them I will pipe the dragon out of the lake." Otherwise the dragon will remain at the bottom of the lake guarding the jewels.

The plan was working a treat until the piper died suddenly of old age. He slipped off a stone while having a nap by the water, and sank to the bottom of the lake, taking the pipes with him.

Try as the might, no other piper could coerce the dragon out of the lake, and there the dragon remains with the jewels intact. The king named the lake Loughnashade ~ "the lake of the jewels".