School: Abbeylara

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1. Fairy Forts (continued)

   

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   in shape. They are all within a half a mile of each other. There is no entrance hole in any of these forts. The people long ago built these forts for protection against wild animals.

   There is half a ring of a fort in Higgins' field. St. Patrick built a monastery in the other half. The Parish of Abbeylara gets it name from the fort, Mainistir Leartha - Monastery of the half fort.

   There is a story about a woman who broke branches from the trees growing around Kelly's fort.

   There is a long bush convenient to the fort and near this bush there is a large stone. The story goes that a house was built where this stone it. An old woman lived in this house and one day she cut some branches from the trees growing around the fort.
   That night, the fairies came to the house and started to rob it. She got frightened and ran outside, she then saw a little red man. She went to where he stood and he told her to go in and tell the fairies that their fort was on fire and when she would get them out, to turn the lock in the door and turn the noggins up side down on the dresser and put the tongs in the fire. She went in and told the fairies

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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

   Michael Mulvey

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Hugh Kelly

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   73

   Address

   Ballyboy, Co. Longford