Friday, June 11, 2010

Fairies do exist

Ireland is an ancient Island...everything about it seems mystical and magical... There is something about this Island that is special, and can't be replicated anywhere else. From how the clouds creep, climb and hover over a mountain top, to the rippling sea of tall green grass by the seaside - the oldness and magic of this land can be felt everywhere. When we were in Bonane Parish on Wednesday, we learned how fairies were consulted in all major decisions. When looking for a place to build a house, potential settlers set up a series of rocks in a triangular position, and left the rocks for 3 days. If the rocks were undisturbed, then the fairies were OK with you building a house there. Fairies were mischievous creatures that were to be taken seriously.

There are sacred Druid areas around Bonane...I am sure around all of Ireland. Intertwined with the Druid religion and the Fairy world, it is believed that sites were chosen based on the consent of the fairies. They were sacred ground. But during the famine, even sacred ground was desecrated. You will see a picture of a Ring Fort, which was sacred ground for centuries. In this Ring Fort, that was to be protected by Fairies, you will see the remains of a potato field in the middle of the field. Despair overtook some townsfolk and they tilled the ground in the hopes that the blight wouldn't touch the potatoes in the sacred ring...that was not to be the case.

Back in Kinsale last night, we took a Ghost Tour of the town. Though the tour was a satirical view on tragic events in the past that explain certain ghosts of the town, deeply embedded in this tour was the respect for the stories and legends of the past.

Walking the streets, beaches, ancient structures and homes, you get the feeling that you are not alone here...people and fairies of the past walk with you. And their presence enhances your experience.

Noel

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