The Stranger from the Lough

County Antrim

An old woman called Mary McAnulty made her living by gathering seaweed (dulse) below Fair Head. She always used Grey Man's Path on the headland as an entrance, hence it became known as "Mary McAnulty's Hall Door".

At dusk one evening, she was returning home with a bag of seaweed on her back, where she met a man near her "hall door". The man walked with up to her usual resting place, the banks of Lough Dhu.

It was then she noticed that the man's hair was green. The man explained this was so because he had lived beneath the waters of the Lough for many years.

Again they walked and took a rest. However, this time the man put his tiresome head on Mary's lap and fell asleep. As he slept, Mary noticed his cloven (broken) hoof, and quietly slipped away as quickly as she possible could.

When the stranger awoke, he found that Mary had gone. The stranger was in fact a devil-horse. He immediately changed into his correct identity, and bellowed a frightening neigh that could be heard for miles. Mary had a lucky escape!

The devil-horse returned to his dwelling in Lough Dhu, where to this very day it is likely he still lives.