Local Story

transcribed at

A Local Story  [duchas:4374391]

A man named Tom Syron was coming home from Crossmolina about twenty years ago when he was overtaken by a horse-man near Derryhillagh.   It was then late at night.   The horse-man asked him if he would take a seat behind him on the horse.   Syron did not know who his friend was as he never saw him before.   They were then within a mile of Syron's home, but the stranger told him to remain on the horse's back a few minutes longer, when to Syron's great surprise he found himself crossing over the mountains towards Ballycroy.    The stranger then told him he was a messenger from the fairies and he wanted him to act a part at the house of a wedding party in Ballycroy.   When they arrived near the house they met other strange friends who told Syron what they wanted him to do.  As soon as the

A Local Story  [duchas:4374392]

people inside the house would be at supper about twelve o'clock at night    he Syron was to climb to the top of the house and there remain until he would hear the bride sneeze three times to be careful to keep his mouth shut.   After the first two sneezes  Syron forgot the advice, and at the third sneeze he said "God bless us".    He then found the roof of the house going from under him.   The result was he fell down on the table amidst jugs and glasses where the whole wedding party was seated.   The people jumped up in amazement, most of them ran out, others fainted under the table.   The bride was saved from the fairies.   When the wedding party recovered from the shock, and heard the whole story they kept Syron for a week, treated him like a prine and sent him home in a carriage.