There are fairy forts dotted all over the Irish landscape. Disrespecting these ancient Iron Age structures can have dire consequences.
Sometimes people ask whether the belief in fairies remains in today’s Ireland. Often the answer is something like, it’s better to err on the side of caution in case they are there.
In many remote parts of Ireland, fairy trees and fairy forts are still avoided in farming and construction. One of those cases where if you’re wrong, and they are around, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Fairies are not necessarily small, winged people as in popular imagination. They are powerful and take a variety of forms. Ireland’s history is also littered with examples of people who did not heed the traditional warnings and paid for it. Here are five times someone messed with a fairy fort and lived to regret it.
5. Séan Quinn and the megalithic tomb – the loss of a business empire
Séan Quinn was once Ireland’s richest man. In County Cavan, he wanted to expand his quarry business, and destroyed a megalithic tomb despite warnings from locals.
Quinn’s business empire was lost in the 2008 crash and he also went to prison for a short time. Locals view this as an example of fairy retribution.
4. The N22 road bumps – repercussions for roadbuilding
Politican Danny Healy-Rae made the news in 2017 when he claimed that persistent dips in the road were caused by a previous destruction of fairy forts when building the road. Despite being told about complex subsoil and geotechnical issues by the local council, he remained firm in his view.
3. The Lundy family – a cautionary tale about clearing land
Earlier than these other examples, the Lundy family discovered the dangers of angering the fair folk back in the 1930s.
Richard Lundy wanted to clear space on his land and levelled a fairy fort to do so. The family suffered catastrophic illness, livestock losses, and unexpected deaths, eventually causing them to leave the area.
2. The farmer in Fermanagh – the dangers of shortcuts
A farmer in Belcoo grew tired of ploughing around the fairy fort on his land. He brought in a heavy tractor to level the earth banks. It inexplicably exploded, burning his legs. He then hired a contractor with a bulldozer.
The bulldozer’s hydraulics snapped violently when it first touched the edge of the fort. The farmer, recognising the pattern, put a halt to the work. He remained with a limp throughout his life, and the half-disturbed fort remains untouched.
1. The Sligo piper – a lesson in hubris
One example from Irish history and tradition is the tale of the Sligo piper. A piper in County Sligo confidently walked into a cave at the base of a fairy fort to prove their was nothing to fear. Although the onlookers could still hear the music, and the pipes were echoing for hours, the music suddenly stopped.
The piper was never seen again. Many believe that he is still playing the pipes for the feasts of the Tuatha Dé Danann in the Otherworld.
Irish fairy forts and trees today – endlessly fascinating
Across the Irish landscape, you can still see fairy forts and fairy trees. In fact, the Latoon Fairy Bush was the reason the road was rerouted back in 1999, as no Irish worker was willing to cut it down. Most people wish to preserve the harmony of the modern day with the inhabitants of the Otherworld.
These stories often acted as early warning systems. For example, if a herd of livestock was struck with an illness like anthrax, a farmer often buried the cattle deep in the ringfort.
Therefore, if someone dug it up, and their livestock subsequently died, they told the story that disturbing these structures would upset the fairies. However, as anthrax remains in the soil for a long time, it was dangerous, and a warning not to disturb these areas served more than one purpose.
Hawthorn trees were valuable in multiple ways, and preserving them was important for everyday reasons too. In its own way, these folkloric stories acted as cultural and heritage preservation.
Whether you believe it is the Aos Sí or an innovative early warning system against over-harvesting and disease, it remains clear that disturbing a fairy fort is an unwise idea.
The landscape of Ireland is endlessly fascinating, and the history and lore of the land is woven throughout even the views and the sites of interest.
Next time on your travels throughout the country, see if you can recognise these ancient structures and the lone trees standing sentinel, as a living monument to another time.
