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Fairy Forts

Abstract: Story collected by Patrick Barden, a student at Poulfur school (Grange, Co. Wexford) (no informant identified).

Original reference: 0870/3/2

Loading...School Poulfur [Vol. 0870, Chapter 0003]

County The Schools' Manuscript Collection : County Wexford Schools

transcribed at

 

Fairy Forts [duchas:4998964]

Fairy Forts

There is a fairy fort in the townland of Ralph.  It is called ' The Ratheen', locally.  Its shape is circular.  On the outside there is a surrounding of bushes and briars, then a dyke, and a ditch.  The entrance is a gap between the bushes and briars.  They were supposed to have been built by the early races who came to Ireland as a protection against wild animals.
In after years during the penal days priests said mass in the raths.  There is a story told of a man who passed through the rath as he was coming from work.  He saw several soldiers on horseback.  He went home very frightened.  He went to bed and died some time after.  The people said the soldiers were the priest-hunters of the penal days he saw.
One day a few years ago a boy named Patrick Mernagh passed through the rath with a comrade.  He saw a little man.  He was wearing a little red coat and a green knee-breeches.  He told his comrade to look

Fairy Forts [duchas:4998965]

at the little man, but he did not see him.  When he turned and looked again, he was gone.  It was said that it was a fairy he saw.

Patrick Barden
Grange,
Fethard-on-Sea,
Co. Wexford.



Fairy Forts
Situated in an old lane and in the townland of Dungulph there is a rath.  It is a big circular mount covered on the outside by a furze and outside the furze there is a (big) large trench.  This rath is said to have been built by the people long ago to protect themselves from wild animals.  It is supposed to be inhabited now by fairies.
Long ago it is said a man went asleep on this rath and ever after that he was always

Origin information
Grange, Co. Wexford
Date created:
Type of Resource
text
Physical description
p. 233-234
Volume 0870
Note
Collected as part of the Schools' Folklore scheme, 1937-1938, under the supervision of teacher Pádraig Ó Niadh.
Languages
English  
Genre
Folktale
Subject
Ringforts   linked data (lcsh)
Fairy forts--Ráthanna
School location
GrangeAn GhráinseachGrangeFethardShelburneWexford
Location
https://doi.org/10.7925/drs1.duchas_5015049
Location
University College Dublin. National Folklore Collection UCD .

Original reference: 0870/3/2

Suggested credit
"Fairy Forts"in "The Schools' Manuscript Collection," held by University College Dublin, National Folklore Collection UCD. © University College Dublin. Digital content by: Glenbeigh Records Management, published by UCD Library, University College Dublin <https://doi.org/10.7925/drs1.duchas_5015049>
Note
Collected as part of the Schools' Folklore scheme, 1937-1938, under the supervision of teacher Pádraig Ó Niadh.
Funding
Supported by funding from the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Ireland), University College Dublin, and the National Folklore Foundation (Fondúireacht Bhéaloideas Éireann), 2014-2016.
Record source
Metadata creation date: 2014/2016 — Metadata created by Fiontar, Dublin City University, in collaboration with the National Folklore Collection UCD and UCD Library. Original Fiontar metadata converted into MODS by UCD Library.

Rights & Usage Conditions

Creative Commons License
Fairy Forts is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Copyright of the original resource: University College Dublin

To use for commercial purposes, please contact the National Folklore Collection, UCD - See: http://n2t.net/ark:/87925/h1cc0xm5