In 1999, when Ireland was upgrading its national freeway system linking Limerick and Galway, a £100 million highway bypass was planned five miles north of Shannon airport to bypass Newmarket-on-Fergus and Ennis. But there was problem. A fairy tree was in the way.
The Hawthorn bush, according to local legend, was especially significant to the Daoine Sidhe (Fairies). It was feared that if the tree were damaged, the fair folk might take revenge not only on construction workers but also on motorists driving through. Ultimately, the county engineer, Mr Tom Carey, found a work-around, incorporating the fairy bush into the landscaping of the bypass, so it would not be affected by any earth-moving.
Although there are fairy trees all around Ireland, some of the most famous ones are located near ancient holy sites, such as St. Brigid’s Well in County Kildare.
Brigid, in Irish mythology, was the goddess of fire, poetry, childbirth and healing. At her holy well, some visitors will dip a piece of cloth, known as a clootie, into the water, wash themselves with it, and then tie the rag to a nearby tree. Just be careful not to disturb the fairy tree. It is believed you may be granted good luck for being respectful.
Close by St. Brigid’s Well is another place associated with good luck. It is a wishing stone alongside St. Brigid’s Cathedral. Tradition holds that good fortune may be granted to people who make a wish while putting their arms through the hole in the stone.
Small Group Tour of Enchanted Ireland
The Saint Brigid’s Well and Cathedral area is just one of the many picturesque stops in our “Enchanted Ireland” tour April 29 – May 8, 2023. This small group will also visit…
- Grange stone circle, where we’ll do a Druid ceremony
- The Boyne Valley, featuring Newgrange
- Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry
- Skellig Michael with its ancient monastery and beehive huts
Co-hosting the tour will be the renowned storyteller and practicing Druid Eimear Burke, and Jack Roberts, author of several books on Irish history and traditions. If you want to know more about the “wee folk,” Eimear and Jack will be there to answer your questions.
Click Here For Enchanted Ireland Tour Details
Photo credits:
Fairy tree image courtesy of http://www.irelandinpicture.net/
Saint Brigid’s Well by: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons