Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Metrical Dindshenchas (Author: [unknown])

poem/story 4

LOCH GILE

  1. Bright Gile, Romra's daughter, to whom every harbour was known, the broad lake bears her name to denote its outbreak of yore.
  2. The maiden went, on an errand of pride that has hushed the noble hosts, to bathe in the spray by the clear sand-strewn spring.
  3. While the modest maiden was washing in the unruffled water of the pool, she sees on the plain tall Omra as it were an oak, lusty and rude.
  4. Seeing her lover draw near, the noble maid was stricken with shame: she plunged her head under the spring yonder: the nimble maid was drowned.
  5. Her nurse came and bent over her body and sat her down yonder in the spring: as she keened for Gile vehemently, she fell in a frenzy for the girl.
  6. As flowed the tears in sore grief for the maiden, the mighty spring rose over her, till it was a vast and stormy lake.
  7. Loch Gile is named from that encounter after Gile, daughter of Romra: there Omra got his death from stout and lusty Romra.
  8. Romra died outright of his sorrow on the fair hill-side: from him is lordly Carn Romra called, and Carn Omra from Omra, the shame-faced.

    9. p.15


  9. [gap: extent: two lines]
    Loch Gile here is named from Gile, Romra's daughter.