{"id":977,"date":"2021-06-03T13:37:49","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T13:37:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bodymindspiritjourneys.com\/news\/?p=977"},"modified":"2021-06-03T13:37:49","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T13:37:49","slug":"the-laundry-girl-and-the-magic-ring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/bodymindspiritjourneys.com\/news\/the-laundry-girl-and-the-magic-ring.html","title":{"rendered":"The Laundry Girl and the Magic Ring"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Lough
Lough Gur<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the most interesting people I\u2019ve ever met is Will Millar. A founding member of the Irish Rovers folk music group, Will told me stories about \u201cthe wee folk\u201d from his homeland.<\/p>\n

It was common knowledge that \u201cfairy places\u201d were not to be damaged, and that harm would befall anyone who disturbed them. That\u2019s why, when a new highway was being planned in Ballymena, its route was curved around, rather than bulldozing through a \u201cfairy fort.\u201d<\/p>\n

But one man learned the hard way that sacred sites should be respected.<\/p>\n

Mr. James McInerney was a rich landowner with a home on a cliff near Ballycastle. He wanted to plow a field for farming, but there was an ancient cromlech in the middle. He ordered his farmhands to tear down that old stack of stones. They refused, knowing the harm that might strike anyone who disturbed such a site.<\/p>\n

So old man McInerney did the deed himself. And sure enough, a few days later, when he was driving his cart on a cliff near where the cromlech had been, his horses spooked, the cart tipped over, and McInerney went over the cliff and was killed on the rocks below.<\/p>\n

The photo at the top is Lough Gur in County Limerick, and it would take hours to tell all the stories associated with this enchanted place. But one of the most often-told legends is the story about\u2026<\/p>\n

The Laundry Girl and the Magic Ring
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Once there was a young maiden who, on a fine spring morning, went down to the shore of Lough Gur to wash laundry. As she worked, she noticed a gentleman approaching. She had never seen him before, but he was quite well dressed and handsome. She assumed he had come from the grand house near the lough.<\/p>\n

He held out his hand, and in it was a golden ring. He said she could have the ring if she would come away with him. She told him she needed to finish her washing first, so he set the ring down on a stone. But it slipped and fell into the lough, where it turned into rings of blood!<\/p>\n

Shocked with fear, the girl made the sign of the cross. Instantly, the man disappeared into thin air.<\/p>\n

Who was that mysterious man at Lough Gur? He is a character who appears in many more folk tales, and someone who loves to tell and write about those stories is Jack Roberts.<\/p>\n

You Can Meet Jack Roberts And Ask Him About Lough Gur<\/h3>\n

Jack Roberts is the author of eight books about Irish folklore, and he will be a guest speaker in a small group tour of Ireland that Body Mind Spirit Journeys is now offering. \u201cEnchanted Ireland, A Spiritual Travel Adventure In The Land of the Faery Faith\u201d happens September 4-13, 2021, and spaces are still open for you.<\/p>\n

\"Druid
Linda Marson leads a Druid ceremony in Ireland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to enchanted Lough Gur, the group will also visit\u2026<\/p>\n