from Co. Roscommon, where there is a Lake Urlaur, or Loch Árlár

In times long ago there was a House of Friars on the edge of Loch Urlaur, but there is nothing in it now except the old walls, with the water of the lake beating up against them when the wind blows from the south. Whilst the friars were living in that house there was happiness in Ireland, and many is the youth who got good instruction from the friars in that house, who is now a saint in heaven.

But there was a change to come and it came heavy. Some evil spirit found out its way to Loch Urlaur. It came at first in the shape of a black boar, with tusks on it as long as a pike, and as sharp as the point of a needle. The friars did not know what was in it, but they were not long in doubt about it; for it let a screech out of it that was heard seven miles on each side of it; it rose up then on its hind feet and was there screeching and dancing for a couple of hours. Then it leaped into the loch, and no sooner did it do that than there rose an awful storm. Furious waves rose upon the loch; then came the lightning and the thunder, and everybody thought that it was the end of the world that was in it. There was fear and astonishment on the friars, and they did not know what they ought to do.

When the storm departed they went to the edge of the loch. There was a chair cut out of the rock about twenty feet from the edge, and they saw the black boar sitting in the stone chair that was cut out in the rock.
"Get me my curragh," said the Father Superior [these were Dominicans, so no abbot], and I'll banish the thief." They got him holy water and his curragh, and two of them got in with him. But as soon as they came near to the black boar, he leaped into the water, the storm and the waves arose, and the curragh and the three who were in it were thrown high upon the land with broken bones.

They sent for a doctor and for the bishop. When they told the story to the bishop he said, "There is a limb of the devil in the shape of the friar amongst you, but I'll find him out without delay." Friar Lucas turned out to be the friar they were seeking for; he flung down a cross that he had round his neck, smote his foot on it, burst into a great laugh, turned on his heel, and made for the stone chair. When the rogue got that far, he whipped off his friar's habit and flung it out into the loch. When he stripped himself, the brothers saw that there was hair on him from the sole of his foot to the top of his head, as long as a goat's beard. He was not long alone; from the bottom of the loch, the black boar came to him, and they began romping and dancing on the rock.
(to be continued)