School: Ballinalee (roll number 1174)

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1. Fairy Forts

   

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   Tommy McDowell's grandfather, Lawrence Reilly Kilshrewley Ballinalee told him that as he was returning from his ceilidhe one night about twelve oclock, he passed by the fort in Kilshrewley and he heard music.
   It was a bright night with the moon shining. He listened to the music for half an hour and then he started for home. The music followed him. He stopped and it stopped and when he went on the music followed.
   He went through a gap into a field, but could not get out again although he went round the field three times It was near morning when he got home, and he said he did not go to a ceilidhe for six months afterwards. Between half past seven and eight oclock at night a light is seen travelling from the fort in Aughnashannagh to the fort in Drumnahara.
   In the townland of Cavan there are two forts, in Drumeel two, in Whitehill five, in Moatfarrell, five in Listrahee one, in Lisameen one and in Currygrane three. All these are in the parish of Clonbroney.
   Two men were led astray by the fairies at different times on the same night near Cavan fort. They had to turn their coats inside out, and remain until dawn before they could find the way home.
   A story is also told of a man who cut bushes in a fort and when he wakened next morning he had lost all the hair from his head..
   Forts were built by the Tuatha De Dannann, or by the

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. place-space-environment
      1. legendary and spiritual places (~158)
         1. fairy forts (~5,616)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Tommy Mc Dowell

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Lawrence Reilly

   Relation

   Grandparent

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Kilshruley, Co. Longford