But though the lands of O’Donoghoe More have passed away from his race, he still retains possession of the waters: and, though dead himself corporeally, he still lives, and governs spiritually in his ancient principality. If, reader, you doubt the truth of our statement, ask the people of the lakes, and they will at once remove your scepticism. They will tell you that he frequently appears to them on May-day, on a milk-white horse, gliding over the glassy lake to the sound of unearthly music, and attended by troops of spirits scattering spring flowers. They differ, indeed, a good deal in their accounts of the appearance of their ancient lord. Derrick, in his amusing Letters on Killarney, written in 1760, tells us that he was assured, when O’Donoghoe revisits his friends, which is every May morning before sunrise, he is “attended by an incredible number of followers, wrestling, hurling, and playing football upon the surface of the lake, which affords them as sure footing as the solid earth.” And Derrick’s friend, Mr Ockenden, whose letters descriptive of Killarney are printed in the same volume, describes O’Donoghoe’s horse not as a white but a black one. As this gentleman’s account of O’Donoghoe’s visits is the most minute, as well as the earliest, that we have seen, we are tempted to give it in full. “There lived in the largest island (for there are several islands on the lake) many hundred years ago, a petty prince, named O’Donoghoe, who was lord of the whole lake, the surrounding shore, and a large district of neighbouring country. He manifested, during his stay upon earth, great munificence, great humanity, and great wisdom; for, by his profound knowledge in all the secret powers of nature, he wrought wonders as miraculous as any tradition has recorded of saints by the aid of angels, or of sorcerers by the assistance of demons; and among many other most astonishing performances he rendered his person immortal. After having continued a long time upon the surface of the globe without growing old, he one day, at Ross Castle (the place where he most usually resided), took leave of his friends, and rising from the floor, like some aërial existence, passed through the window, shot away horizontally to a considerable distance from the castle, and then descended. The water unfolding at his approach, gave him entrance down to the subaqueous regions, and then, to the inexpressible astonishment of all beholders, closed over his head, as they believed, for ever: but in this they were mistaken.