As well as dipping in and out of the large pile of ufological books that currently sit beside my bed, I'm also (when time permits) ploughing through Eddie Lenihan's In Search of Biddy Early (Mericer Press: Dublin, 1987).

I've long been fascinated by Clare's most famous bean feasa¹ - and Eddie's book is positively stuffed to the gills with colourful (otherworldly) tales about her. I'll probably post one or two of these after I finish reading, but a surprising detail regarding one of Biddy's pets² (told to Eddie by a Mrs. Sheehan) warrants a quick mention:

"That fellow Castro, that's in charge of Cuba, Biddy's dog had the same name as him".³

While Galway has happily claimed Che Guevara (or at least his Great-Great-something-or-other), Clare, it seems, has yet to fully embrace its own four-legged, 19th Century, revolutionary mongrel.

1. "Wise Woman". [back]
2. Certain clergy members might prefer the term "familiars"… [back]
3. Lenihan, p. 42. [back]