The cache is located in Conwell Cemetery.
This graveyard holds the grave of Grace Connolly who is said to
have been killed by the Dobhar-chú.
The legend is about a woman who is killed by a beast called the
Dobhar-chú at Glencar Lough at the beginning of the 18th
century.
Dobhar-chú or 'water hound' is the Irish word for otter. It is
said to resemble both a dog and an otter though sometimes is
described as half dog, half fish. Although some descriptions about
it appear far fetched, the existence of the dobhar chu cannot
easily be disregarded.
The Dobhar-chú is also known as the king of all otters, & said
to be the seventh cub of an ordinary otter. It is thought to be
around 6 to 7ft. in length. It has a completly white pelt, with
only black ears, tail tuft and a black cruciform mark along its
back. The king of all otters is so magical that an inch of its fur
will protect a man from being killed by gunshot, stop a boat from
sinking or stop a horse from being injured. The Dobhar-chú is also
often said to be accompained by a court of ordinary otters & is
said to never sleep.
So goes the story,.....
Grace Connelly lived near Glenade
with her husband Terence McLoghlin. When washing clothes at the
lake one day (some say she was bathing), she was attacked and
killed by a beast called the Dobhar-chú.
When she failed to return home, her husband went to look for her
& found her body lying by the lakeside with the creature lying
asleep on top of her.
McLoghlin went home to get his dagger, then crept up on the
Dobhar-chú and killed it. The dying creature cried out in agony and
a similar beast sprung out of the lake and Terence fled from the
valley on horseback in the direction of Sligo.
It chased him cross country as far as Cashelgarron, just north of
Drumcliffe. Terence's horse became exhausted from the chase so he
laid his horse across the entrance of a stone cashel to protect
himself.
The avenging Dobhar-chú is described as having a single horn in the
centre of its forehead and it pierced the body of the horse with
it. McLoghlin seized this opportunity to kill the creature by
stabbing it through its heart.
In many respects it is a tale as tall as Nessie or Bigfoot &
If it were not for the gravestone in conwell cemetery, it would be
easy to write this off as another tale of Irish folklore.
The gravestone image is of a dog-like creature with its head
turned backwards and a human right hand is depicted to the right of
the beast holding a weapon which has entered the base of the neck.
Barely legible on the tomb stone are the words "______ __ODY OF
GRACE CONN/Y WIFE TO TER MACLOGHLIN WHO DYD 7BER THE 24TH ANN DMI
MDCCXXII". The date of the gravestone is September 24, 1722, a time
that fits in well with the folklore account of Grace's death.
The above information was taken from angelfire.com
Dobhar Chu Illustration by Simon Morris Winheld
Gravestone Image by Dave Walsh
______________________________________________________________________
Not that this should need to be said, but, as this cache is in
the grounds of a graveyard, PLEASE respect the dead by not
walking on their gravestones. There isn't a need, to be able to
retrieve the cache.
Initial Cache Contents:
Log Book & Pen
First To Find prize of FTF Badge
Sml. deck of playing cards
Sml. book of Irish facts
Pencil
King Kong badge
Connect 4 pce.
Ruler
Playing Card
Pack of Lightning McQueen Crayons
Compass