School: Achadh Conaire (roll number 4487)

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1. Giants and Fairies

   

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   Giants and Fairies 11-5- ’38

   In Ireland long ago some people were supposed to possess an art called magic and by this change things to something else. There are many stories relating to such people and also to giants and fairies. There is a story told locally about a giant who lived in the time of St. Finian.
   When St Finian founded his church in achonry he was persecuted by a wild bull who use to come and attempt to throw it. There lived a giant who came from Scotland near the church and the saint asked him to guard it against the bull and he agreed. One night the bull came to destroy the church but the giant beat it off and ran after it. After some time he captured the bull and killed it and then eat some of the flesh.
   St. Finian heard the bull was killed and went to where the giant was and asked him why he ate the flesh and he said “ah hungry” and it is supposed that it was from these two words the name achonry was derived.
   There are many stories told about fairies but the most interesting is one about a man who attempted to catch one. The man was one day working on his farm and he saw as he thought a small boy come into the field and go again very quickly. That night he related what he saw to an

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. supernatural and legendary beings (~14,864)
         1. giants (~518)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Kevin Burke

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Achonry, Co. Sligo