First off, let me be honest, this legend has nothing to do with the actual Cliffs. It could have happened anywhere else that is close to the Sea. Someone must have come up with the idea, let’s call the Mermaid in this legend “The Mermaid of Moher”! She could have been the Mermaid of the Causeway, the Mermaid of the Carrick-a-Rede in my opinion.
Anyway, to get back to the legend.
Long time ago, close to where the Cliffs are, a local fisherman (immediately in my head Theon Greyjoy’s image pops up) saw a mermaid, whose name was, of course, “The Mermaid of Moher”.
Like Theon before he became Reek, this fisherman could only think of one thing when he saw this beautiful mermaid (think mermaids are always portrayed as gorgeously-looking woman, except for those in Harry Potter’s world). He approached the mermaid and tried to start a conversation.
“Hi Miss Mermaid, How are you? You know what, I wish you were my pinky toe.”
Instead of the usual “Why?”, the Mermaid of Moher replied, “What is a toe? Can it be blue? I like blue more than pink.”
Well, not the best pick-up line for a creature without toes I guess…
They continued talking anyway. A while later, the fisherman noticed a magical cloak next to the Mermaid of Moher. After knowing that the Mermaid of Moher would need the cloak in order to get back into the sea, the fisherman decided to steal it so he could keep the mermaid with him forever. He grabbed the cloak and ran back to his house to hide the cloak.
She followed but could not find the cloak as it was well hidden. She then agreed to marry the fisherman (What?). They had a son and a daughter after marriage (WHAT??).
(I know what you are thinking. I, too, have many questions in my head. Why would she agree to marry the fisherman? How did they make babies? The two children, what are they? But then, come on, it’s a legend after all…)
Few years later, one day, when the fisherman was out fishing, The Mermaid of Moher found her cloak! Woohoo! Without a goodbye, she went back to the sea. The fisherman and the two children never saw her again.
The end.
See? I told you. It could have happened to a fisherman up at the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge as well. In that case, that would be a Salmon Mermaid I assume.
Written by: Susan K.
*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Finn McCools Tours.
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