However, worse still were their representations of dances at the ancient crossroads by young men and maidens years in their graves, long funeral processions of the dead at night through certain roads in which a living companion of the dead would pretend to see and recognize some of his dead neighbors and at the same time he would order those in his company who could see nothing wrong to step aside and let the dead pass. The least objectionable fables are the mermaids and their enchanted capes and the enchanted music of the dead, how St. Patrick tricked the snakes and serpents, the appearance of strange and mysterious ships at sea leading sailors and fishermen to their doom, the Broack-an-rubber, Feon Macoal, Diamond and Grana, chieftains clad in white armor riding on horses shod with gold shoes galloping through the country every May morning and serpents in lake. Pagan wells, too, were deemed sacred because old Druids washed and dressed the wounds of soldiers and persons injured in them. _Patron Days._--These are held where Christian churches were erected, consecrated and dedicated to that particular saint whose festival falls on or about the day on which the patron is held. It was so very hard to overthrow pagan celebrations, which continued for a long time after the dawn of Christianity in Ireland, the clergy, and wise Christians, too, admonished the people to abandon the custom of attending pagan meetings in mountains and other like places and started sports on patron days close to their churches, and in this manner completely exterminated the adoration of idols. In the middle of the last century, excessive drinking and an occasional street fight tended to degrade them. Long ago they served their purpose and at present no objection could be held against them if they were held completely dry.[16] _Penitent Pilgrims of the Cat-Brack._--Catholics attending Protestant Bible classes, reading their literature or listening to a funeral service during the fearful religious quarrels of what is known as the "Souper campaign," as a part of their penance had to go from Dingle to Killarney, a distance of over forty miles. Some very old men did the journey on foot. Amongst the reasons for taking exception to a funeral service was that Protestant writers, in boasting of the success of their mission, classed Roman Catholics standing around the coffin while the funeral service was read at the graveside as "converts" to Protestantism. The result was that Catholics attending the funeral of a Protestant neighbor or relative would accompany the corpse no further than the gate to the graveyard or burial ground or keep a reasonable distance away until the religious services were ended. _Racing at Weddings._--The custom of men riding saddle horses, racing with each other to see who would be the first to reach the newly married girl to bring her home to the wedding, is now almost dead and gone, but the spirit survives.