Irish Folklore - The Monstrous Dobhar-chú
Ireland has a great many monsters haunting its mist shrouded shores, but few are as dangerous as the man-eating Dobhar-chú. A terrifying beastie said to occupy the lakes, and rivers throughout Ireland. The name Dobhar-chú (pronounced do-war coo) translates to Water Hound, though it is sometimes called The King Otter, and is described as part otter, part dog.
Those people who have survived an encounter with this monster tell of a thing about five times the size of a regular otter - nearly 5 meters long - with a white pelt, black tips on its ears, and a dark cross on its back. Some varieties, that dwell in murkier, peat stained waters are said to have darker fur. There are few written accounts of the Dobhar-chú, most of the stories about it have been passed down through oral tradition.
Killing a Dobhar-chú is extremely hard, they live in mating pairs, which often attack together, and are as swift on land as they are in the water. As if this were not bad enough, whoever kills the beast will find themselves cursed, and doomed to die within twenty four hours. Anyone stumbling across the scene of all this slaughter could find themselves in possession of the creature’s pelt which is thought to have magical properties.
The Legend of the Headstone
A church yard in County Leitrim, in the north of Ireland, contains a headstone (picture in gallery above) with a gruesome tale attached to it.
In the year 1722 Grace McGloighlin known locally by her maiden name Grace Connolly, lived in the town of Creevelea, near to Glenade Lough (Lake.) One afternoon she went down to the lough to wash some clothes. When she failed to return that evening her husband, Terrance, went looking for her and discovered her mutilated body by the water, a Dobhar-chú sleeping on top of her. He ran home, collected his knife, and crept up on the beast, slaying it. As the thing died it let out a whistling yell to its mate, who soon rose from the lough, and chased after poor Terrance. In desperation he sought the aid of a friend, and fortifying a local farm house, they fought and eventually killed the second beast.
More Sightings
On 1st May 1968, two local men spotted a Dobhar-chú swimming in Loch Sraheen on Achill Island, they wisely left the area before it spotted them.
British folklorist Dr Katherine Briggs, also found a reported sighting of a Dobhar-chú at Dhu-Hill. Witnesses said it was accompanied by a host of normal otters.
In 2000, Irish artist Sean Corcoran claimed to have seen a Dobhar Chu in a lake on Omey Island in Connemara, County Galway. Corcoran describes it as large, dark, and with orange flippers, it swam the width of the lake from west to east, finally leaping onto a huge boulder before disappearing with a haunting screech. He drew a picture of his sighting, which can be seen in the gallery above.
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Until next time, stay spooky.
