One of the most interesting people I’ve ever met is Will Millar. A founding member of the Irish Rovers folk music group, Will told me stories about “the wee folk” from his homeland.
It was common knowledge that “fairy places” were not to be damaged, and that harm would befall anyone who disturbed them. That’s why, when a new highway was being planned in Ballymena, its route was curved around, rather than bulldozing through a “fairy fort.”
But one man learned the hard way that sacred sites should be respected.
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.
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.
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…
The Laundry Girl and the Magic Ring
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.
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!
Shocked with fear, the girl made the sign of the cross. Instantly, the man disappeared into thin air.
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.
You Can Meet Jack Roberts And Ask Him About Lough Gur
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. “Enchanted Ireland, A Spiritual Travel Adventure In The Land of the Faery Faith” happens September 4-13, 2021, and spaces are still open for you.
In addition to enchanted Lough Gur, the group will also visit…
- Grange stone circle, where we’ll hold a Druid ceremony to honor the coming Autumn Equinox
- St. Brigid’s Holy Well and Cathedral in Kildare
- The Rock of Cashel
- Knockroe passage tomb
- Skellig Michael, with its World Heritage listed 11th century monastery and beehive huts (weather permitting)
- Dingle and the Ring of Kerry
- Newgrange, Knowth and the Hill of Tara
To see all the details of this spiritual Ireland tour, please visit THIS LINK.
Sacred Italy, Magdalene, Matilda and the Medicis
Another world-renowned storyteller is Kathleen McGowan, author of the best-selling historical novels in the Magdalene Line trilogy. Two of those books, The Book of Love and The Poet Prince, were inspired by locations in Italy’s Emilia Romagna region and events that happened there.
Kathleen calls the area “Matilda Country,” as it was the homeland of Matilda of Canossa, the powerful noblewoman who was a warrior for women’s rights, and who changed the face of Europe in the 11th century.
Kathleen will be leading a tour of Matilda Country this October, and – if you join the group – you will be in for some unforgettable experiences…
You’ll visit Matilda’s birth and burial places, as well as the sites of some of her greatest accomplishments. You’ll dine on some of the same regional dishes that were on Matilda’s table. And you’ll even be traveling with one of Matilda’s descendants from the Canossa family, Fausto Callagarini.
Plus…
- Visit the monastery built by Matilda’s grandfather
- See the life-sized crucifix believed to be carved by Nicodemus, who helped take Jesus’ body down from the cross
- Enter the crypt of the Basilica of St Andrew and St Longinus, which is not open to the public, with special permission to see the “Vials Altar” of Holy Blood, brought to Italy by saints
- And enjoy a private lunch in one of Italy’s finest restaurants, the Michelin two-star rated Ambasciata
Kathleen’s “Sacred Italy” tour dates are October 18 – 28, 2021, and there is also an optional extension to visit Assisi. See complete details at THIS LINK.
The illustration is from Donizo’s circa 1115 “Life of Matalda” in the Vatican Library. Matilda is seen on a throne under the kind of stone canopy reserved for the rank of rulers direct from God. Hugh of Cluny is on the left, while King Henry IV is in the formal supplication of a vassal with a bent knee. The caption: Rex rotat abbatem Mathildim supplicat atque translates to: “The king makes a request to the abbot and asks Matilda humbly.” Credit: Donizo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
