this juxtaiposition., for there was 1a garrison·1at Strabane ,as weli as 1at Lifford, and the King's judges and sheriff wouLd have adequate protection there. It is doubtful if they would have had equal 1protection els€1where in the land of the O'Donnens. In the Jacobite wars of 1688, Strabane was giatrrisoned for the Williamites, but in Alpril of that year it fell into the hands of the Ja cobites and James II. arriv,ed in person, .and :having passed the ford to Lifford proceeded to Derry. Having witnessed the slow, ineffectual siege he returned to the castle of Strabane. Presumably James was the only EngHsh king who stood on Tirconnell territory. Finally we come to the SwiHy. Whether it hurts our focal pride or not we must accept the fact that under the Tudims the O'Donnells were only too ready to alccept English overlordship. No doubt there was the underlying motive of secwring support against their old opponents, the O'Neills. This fact gives us the back-ground for the battle that was fought at Farsetmore below Letterkenny. Shane O"Neill "The Proud", aftdr his victory over the Antrim Scots at Glenshesk .near Ballycastle on May 2nd 1565, turned against the O'Donnells, whose chief, Calvagih, he defeated and captured. Calvagh on his release .for a second ti\me acknowledged the English Queen, but he died that saime year, 1566. The English Govdrnment determined to support Calvag1h's brother, Hugh Duff, who succeeded Calvagh. Shane 0'1.N" eill 1a1gain marched into Tirconnell and got adross the Swilly at Farsetmore. He did not expect the hot reception he got. Befure the day was over, Shane's troops were fleeing in 1confusion 1a!cross the tricky ford whePre many who had survived the sword, perished in the tide. Further up the river near NewmiHs thare is another f1ord, Scarifflholis. We find it referred to, in the Annals of the Four Masters, under the date "A.D. 1580. The son of O'Donnell (Caffer, the son of Miagnus). Tanist of Tivconnell, a man of bounteous, munifocent and truly hospitable cha1racter, and a man greatly ·in esteem rwith the distressed and l~arned of the North of Ireland, died in his own castle of Sgairb Sholas, ion the 15th of October, and was interred at Donegal". It would appear that this :fard was considered of sufficent importance to have a castle to defend it. There was no O'Donnell by the ford of Scariffholis on thrat June day in 1651, when the blood-thirsty Coote pursued the remnants of the UlstEtr army, under Heber Mac Mahon sparing none. Even after the battle a1gainst all the conventions of civilised warfare, Coote ordered the murder of Owen Roe's only son, Henry, who had been taken prisoner. When Heber was taken lhe !Was hanged in Enniskiillen. These few incidents that link some of ornr Donegal fords with the history of our country are but one :fla\C·et of the many-sided contacts bet1\Ve·en our fords and the life of the people. Many a story is told, for example, at ,cheerful firesides on wint€1r .nights about ~he innhi1ity of ghosts 1:rnrl demons to ciioss water. Some of this should he collected. Then sheebeens, foriges ? The Folklore Commission issues a most interesting questionnaire dealing !With nearly every 307
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