Dubad (Dowth)
Dubad, whence the name? Not hard to say. A king held sway
over Erin, Bressal bó-dibad by name. In his time a murrain
came upon the kine of Erin, until there was left in it but
seven cows and a bull. All the men of Erin were gathered
from every quarter to Bressal, to build them a tower after
the likeness of the Tower of Nimrod, that they might go by
it to Heaven.
His sister came to him, and told him that she would stay
the sun's course in the vault of heaven, so that they might
have an endless day to accomplish their task. The maiden
went apart to work her magic. Bressal followed her and had
union with her: so that place is called Ferta Cuile from
the incest that was committed there. Night came upon them
then, for the maiden's magic was spolit.
'Let us go hence,' say the men of Erin, 'for we only
pledged ourselves to spend one day a-making this hill, and
since darkness has fallen upon our work, and night has come
on and the day is gone, let each depart to his place.'
'Dubad (darkness) shall be the name of this place for
ever', said the maiden. So hence are Dubad and Cnoc Dubada
named.
Source:
Metrical
Dindshenchas. ed and
trans. Edward Gwynn. 1925. Dublin: Dublin Institute for
Advanced Studies: 1991.