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Around Ireland Troubled fairy tales

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Patrick Markey

Don’t touch our fairies!

At least that’s the message from one of Ireland’s most renowned folklore experts, who is worried the construction of a new road could damage a so-called fairy gathering spot and cause trouble for travelers, reports the Clare Champion.

The destruction of a fairy thorn bush to make way for Clare County Council’s £100 million bypass road between Newmarketon-Fergus and Ennis could result in misfortune and, in some cases, death for those traveling the proposed new road, claims folklorist Eddie Lenihan.

Lenihan, one of the nation’s leading folklore experts, appealed to the Council not to destroy the fairy bush, or "sceach," located at Latoon opposite the Clare Inn Hotel, two miles from Newmarket-on-Fergus.

According to Lenihan, the bush is a marker in a fairy path, a congregating point for Kerry fairies on their way to do battle with the Connacht fairies. Lenihan claims the Kerry fairies would regroup under the bush to consult on the best tactics in battle.

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Lenihan warns of terrible consequences if the bush is destroyed. In fact, he says that in 10 to 15 years the site may have a higher-than-usual traffic casualty list, including fatalities.

Lenihan, who has lectured throughout the world in 25 years of collecting Irish folklore, also warned of possible consequences for those workers who would cut down the tree.

"There have been lots of stories of people who got a thorn in a finger from cutting down such trees and have lost limbs after the cut going gangrenous," he said. "I’m not afraid at being laughed at. In other parts of the world, I wouldn’t be laughed at."

Clare County Engineer Tom Carey said the bush will probably not be affected by the current phase of works, but would certainly be affected by the continuation of the bypass program to Ennis. In response to Lenihan’s concerns, Carey said that if possible the bush would be incorporated into the road design.

Man’s best friend

Nuala O’Shea certainly knows the truth of the adage a dog is man’s best friend.

O’Shea, a 50-year-old Askeaton resident who suffers from arthritis, was awakened at 3 a.m. recently by the barking of her pet elkhound, Prince, which sleeps outside. A fire had ignited inside her home and the attentive pooch roused his mistress from her slumber, the Irish Times reported.

"He saved my life," she said. The house had two smoke alarms, but they were downstairs and did not detect the smoke from the upstairs fire.

O’Shea dialed the fire brigade and, with her two other dogs, Max and Skippy, made her way to the yard. Her house was destroyed.

Surprisingly, this is the second time Prince has alerted O’Shea to danger. Last November, a fire broke out in her garage and the dog saved the day then, too.

Student schemers

As money-making schemes go, it has to be one of the easiest. All they had to do was wait

The Irish Independent reports that enterprising students in Dundalk, Co. Louth, are earning £50 a day queuing for wannabe home buyers.

Recently more than 30 people had joined a queue for new homes near the town. But the three-bedroom terrace, mid-terrace and semi-detached houses, which start at £79,500, were not to be released for sale until three days later.

That left some working folk with a dilemma.

One student, though, was happy to line up. "I got a call from a friend in Dundalk this morning to get out of bed and come up. I am getting paid for this for the next four days, it doesn’t bother me to sit in the sun all day."

Fifty houses were to be released in the first phase of the development at Castle Ross, on the Castletown Road.

May 26-June 1, 1999

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