[PW] ? "fethal"

[Williams, Lesley A.]

I'm posting a question o behalf of a patron:
 
hello Dear Librarian,
I was wondering if you could help me with the term "fethal?" My understanding is that it
was a mask worn by Irish women during the Middle Ages. Supposedly, they were worn
while attending banquets. I've found only one reference for the term: Joyce, P. W.
(Patrick Weston), 1827-1914. Social history of ancient Ireland.

Unfortunately, the entry gives no details and I'm at a loss where to look next.

Any suggestions or information you might have will be greatly appreciated.

 
I found 2 brief references to "fethal" by using Google book search. Both  _English as We Speak it In Ireland_  by P. W. Joyce, 1910 and  _Beverages, Past and Present_, by Edward Emerson, 1908 mention the term, but neither gives much detail or describes what a "fethal" would look like.
 
I've checked our historic costume collections, books on daily life in ancient Ireland,  the _Oxford English Dictionary_, the _Illustrated Dictionary of Little Known Words_ and all of our periodical indexes, but found nothing else.
 
Any Celtic specialists who could shed some light?
 
Lesley Williams  
Head, Information Services 
Evanston Public Library    
1703 Orrington Avenue    
Evanston IL  60201 
 
tel: 847-448-8646
fax: 847-866-0319
 
lawilliams at cityofevanston.org