School: Lios Uí Bhigín (B.) (roll number 8791)

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1. The Druid Circle and Páirc an Aifrinn (continued)

   

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   The Druid Circle, Lissivigeen, Killarney.
   Related by John Moynihan, Lissivigeen Killarney, aged 61 years in the year 1906.
   " There was a high-druid there long ago who had great magic power. He was a bit of a tyrant in his own way, like many of the boyos of Landlords we had later on when there weren't any pagans in this country. This high druid lived near the river Flesk below but used to come up here to pray to his false gods in the oak wood below in the glen of the Auhunig. The greatest day of all in the eyes of these old pagans was Mayday and on the eve of that feast they had great gatherings of their druids and magicians. Well, the law was that nobody living should dare dance or enjoy himself at that time until May-eve had passed. The high druid came here to this very field to perform his magic rites but what did he and his fellow druids find but seven children dancing by the light of the moon and the parents looking proudly on! Filled with rage at this breach of the law he raised his magic wand and turned father, mother and the seven children to stone. In spite of his magic powers he could not compel them to remains always in that form so every May eve they regain their human form and the children dance round in the midnight air while their parents look on at their caperings." Before cock-crow they are back again in their forms of stone and you would not hear gíog nor míog out of them for the rest of the year"

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Location

   Lissyviggeen, Co. Kerry

   Collector

   Joe O' Reilly

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Lissyviggeen, Co. Kerry

   Informant

   John Moynihan

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   61

   Address

   Lissyviggeen, Co. Kerry