Leprechauns and fairies?

There is no such thing as Leprechauns in Ireland, so apologies to any of you would-be believers in magical crocks of gold at the end of a rainbow, they don't exist or at least I haven't found one yet ! The whole notion of Leprechauns was much more of a Disney invention that came along with the likes of bad ‘oirish’ accents in films, such as ‘Darby O’Gill’. But the Little People or Fairies, well they do exist and here in Ireland we do not mess with the fairies, ever. They are known to live in very special places called fairy forts or fairy rings which are those raised circular mounds of earth, that you will see all over Ireland, we have some 40,000 in all, so you can't miss them....

Ballyalban Fairy Fort, Ballyvaughan, County Clare

You are very welcome to visit them, walk around them, make a wish by all means...But it is thought to be very bad luck to interfere with these mounds. I heard a story once of a digger driver who attempted to make an opening in one down in Cork and was dead by night fall, God Rest him, but there are plenty of other stories just like that. Certain trees are revered too, especially hawthorns and holly bushes which country people will never ever chop down or remove for fear of disturbing the fairies who often live underneath and who are likely to wreak havoc if disturbed, they will sour milk, cause crops to fail and animals to sicken and die....

So, don’t say you haven’t been warned ! In fact down in Clare where I live, the construction of a new motorway had to be diverted to avoid an important fairy tree on the ancient boundaries of Munster and Connacht only 20 years ago and that my friends is a true story.... 

Disney styled leprechaun

No one knows more about fairies in Ireland then Eddie Lenihan a gifted story teller or seanchaí (in Irish) who also lives Clare, who has collected his stories from all over Ireland, this is one of his best....

We have a private Story Telling Session with renowned Seannachí Eddie Lenihan on my Guided Tour of Ireland's Hidden Gems

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Tour Scotland in 2024 with Susan Byron