Fairy rings

DJ98

What are peoples thoughts on these, have a fairly overgrown piece of land thst has neve been touched or grazed due to it being occupied by fairies, I would like to clean up this area and use it for grazing but am told that it would be very unlucky to do so, any thoughts?

tabby aspreme

Is it a protected structure

TooOldBoots

Don't do it, it's not worth it. Why upset the fairy folk

ganmo

Ah on the plus side you can blame anything that goes wrong on the fairies

Cavanjack

I’d Leave it the way it is. Hardly that much land in it? The fairy’s have to live too.

DJ98

Cavanjack wrote: »

I’d Leave it the way it is. Hardly that much land in it? The fairy’s have to live too.

2 to 2.5 acres

uck51js9zml2yt

There are only fairy forts if you think they are. They are however ring forts of some description and protected.

mikeymouse

DJ98 wrote: »

What are peoples thoughts on these, have a fairly overgrown piece of land thst has neve been touched or grazed due to it being occupied by fairies, I would like to clean up this area and use it for grazing but am told that it would be very unlucky to do so, any thoughts?

If it's marked on this map i'd leave it alone

Rows Grower

DJ98 wrote: »

2 to 2.5 acres

That's a lot of fairies, they're only like daffodils.

Dinzee Conlee

In reality, 2 acres is feck all nowadays...

50 or 100 years ago, 2 acres was a lot of land. But even then - they left these places alone...

I’d be if the opinion to leave it alone, not cos of the fairies, but more cos of the history. I wouldn’t like to be the one in a line of people that tore the place up...

patsy_mccabe

We've one on our land and my Grandmother warned us as kids to not go near it. My father wasn't as superstitious but would still say 'it's better not to touch it'.

kk.man

Sean Quinn moved on for a quarry. I wouldn't go near it.

flossy1

I would leave it alone , small things will start to go wrong. For your own peace of mind

BarryD2

DJ98 wrote: »

2 to 2.5 acres

What do you mean by 'fairy ring'? There are raths or ringforts and these are normally national monuments and protected but they would normally be about 30-50 yards or so in diameter so nowhere near 2+ acres. The only enclosures that size are the large hilltop forts and the like and these are most defitinely protected monuments. But sometimes people refer to fairy rings as places where you get patterns of fungi and sometimes they are places associated with burials. Most townlands had cillíns in them, places where you could bury infants that died during childbirth or very young before baptism etc.

In general as regards raths and cillíns, they are associated with human habitation and burial respectively and I think that is why the tradition of not disturbing them exists. Just out of respect for those that have gone before us.

Bonzo Delaney

mikeymouse wrote: »

If it's marked on this map i'd leave it alone

Just checked that map and I've one on my own land
Looked at it on Google maps taken during the dry spell last year and yep perfect dark green ciircle about 200 ft across never knew of it before and the father never knew of it as his father never mentioned it either .
At least now I can put any of the family's unfortunate happenings down to tilling that the last 70 years .

DJ98

BarryD2 wrote: »

What do you mean by 'fairy ring'? There are raths or ringforts and these are normally national monuments and protected but they would normally be about 30-50 yards or so in diameter so nowhere near 2+ acres. The only enclosures that size are the large hilltop forts and the like and these are most defitinely protected monuments. But sometimes people refer to fairy rings as places where you get patterns of fungi and sometimes they are places associated with burials. Most townlands had cillíns in them, places where you could bury infants that died during childbirth or very young before baptism etc.

In general as regards raths and cillíns, they are associated with human habitation and burial respectively and I think that is why the tradition of not disturbing them exists. Just out of respect for those that have gone before us.

It is said that in this piece of ground that there was a fariy ring, and that it would be unlucky to touch anything with in it or around it, i think it's just a wise old tale

Atlantic Dawn

I know a family who interfered with one and got unexplained ultra incredible bad luck, no way to explain it in normal stats where members of their family died in crazy circumstances. Normally I think away with the fairies but I'd not touch one now.

Say my name

BarryD2 wrote: »

What do you mean by 'fairy ring'? There are raths or ringforts and these are normally national monuments and protected but they would normally be about 30-50 yards or so in diameter so nowhere near 2+ acres. The only enclosures that size are the large hilltop forts and the like and these are most defitinely protected monuments. But sometimes people refer to fairy rings as places where you get patterns of fungi and sometimes they are places associated with burials. Most townlands had cillíns in them, places where you could bury infants that died during childbirth or very young before baptism etc.

In general as regards raths and cillíns, they are associated with human habitation and burial respectively and I think that is why the tradition of not disturbing them exists. Just out of respect for those that have gone before us.

I was passing by a Rath today that was 6 acres in area enclosed by a double ditch. In the Norman times a house was built inside with a circular high wall then built around the perimeter of the Rath. They also had the highest flagpole in the country till recent times to communicate with ships.

In that same area there looks to be a Neolithic circler monument with numerous rings. According to Google maps there seems to have been an archaeological dig on a part of it.
I wouldn't have had a clue about the monument only I was looking at Google maps to see where I was after travelling when I got home. It only seems to have survived because it was in a remote area not really suited much to farming up till nowadays.

Even in my own locality Raths could go and went to nearly 2 acres. But there's been huge destruction of these down through the years.

Edit: on that 6 acre Rath. The link provided on this thread. States that it could be a fort built by Danes or an important Roman era/ Celtic Druidic place of worship. I suppose it's no harm to say the location is Ballytrent house.

148multi

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

I know a family who interfered with one and got unexplained ultra incredible bad luck, no way to explain it in normal stats where members of their family died in crazy circumstances. Normally I think away with the fairies but I'd not touch one now.

Think they're protected within 70 meters, wasn't there a farmer in meath that got fined 23,000 for leveling one.
a man down here tidyed up around a monument, a square of 6 x 4 of stone walls, roof gone years ago and was leveled. But it was marked as part of the monument. Hefty Court fine in the circuit court, 3 years 100 % farm payment, he was getting over 70,000. Its believed it cost him over 300,000 altogether. They are a signature of previous generations,

jfh

mikeymouse wrote: »

If it's marked on this map i'd leave it alone

Jesus, there's some amount of forts on that. I see some marked in our land that I've never known existed.

NIMAN

Are people saying 'leave well alone' doing it tongue in cheek?

Surely adults aren't putting any store in such nonsense.

ganmo

NIMAN wrote: »

Are people saying 'leave well alone' doing it tongue in cheek?

Surely adults aren't putting any store in such nonsense.

No, superstition is very much alive

893bet

NIMAN wrote: »

Are people saying 'leave well alone' doing it tongue in cheek?

Surely adults aren't putting any store in such nonsense.

X 2

And surely a happy medium can be reached between leaving it as it stands and destroying it entirely.

Say my name

ganmo wrote: »

No, superstition is very much alive

A fella told me the fairies turned him into a frog!!! :eek:

NIMAN

Unbelievable.
In the 21st century too!

gozunda

NIMAN wrote: »

Unbelievable.
In the 21st century too!

There are also fines and penalties for impacting listed archaeological features and they are very much part of the 21st century ...

o1s1n

I'm actually glad people believe in this superstitious nonsense, it's acted as a protection on national monuments.

NIMAN

gozunda wrote: »

There are also fines and penalties for impacting listed archaeological features and they are very much part of the 21st century ...

I'm not talking about archaeological sites, if that's what they are.

But 'fairy rings'.

If the former, of course leave well alone.

If the latter, catch yourself on

Dinzee Conlee

NIMAN wrote: »

I'm not talking about archaeological sites, if that's what they are.

But 'fairy rings'.

If the former, of course leave well alone.

If the latter, catch yourself on

What’s the difference, like, how could I tell between the former and latter?

Say my name

NIMAN wrote: »

Unbelievable.
In the 21st century too!

Your thinking is not a new phenomenon.

The early Christian missionaries in this country set up churches and monasteries in places formally occupied by the druids in a bid to wipe out any trace of their existence and bring the country into the 5th century.

ganmo

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

What’s the difference, like, how could I tell between the former and latter?

By checking the map in one of the posts above

Bonzo Delaney

NIMAN wrote: »

Unbelievable.
In the 21st century too!

I'd agree it's a bit mad, in this day and age of scientific knowledge that a fairy fort or ring or tree would still put doubts and caution in to people's heads.
Is there a scientific reason for the green circles
An unusall one is in the parents place for about 30 yrs there was a perfect ring about 30ft across bridging the back field and the back lawn only stud fencing between more visible in summer time . Thing is about 4 years ago it disappeared altogether, most unusual .

gozunda

NIMAN wrote: »

I'm not talking about archaeological sites, if that's what they are.

But 'fairy rings'.

If the former, of course leave well alone.

If the latter, catch yourself on

Right back at you -
What are referred to as 'fairy' rings or 'forts' are in many incidences actually historical circular mounds and ring forts or the impression of where they once were. The term 'fairy' fort or ring is what they later became known and superstition grew up around them. Ask many older people and tell them it's just an archaeological feature and they will tell you otherwise.

Steer55

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

I know a family who interfered with one and got unexplained ultra incredible bad luck, no way to explain it in normal stats where members of their family died in crazy circumstances. Normally I think away with the fairies but I'd not touch one now.

As a child growing up in the country, I often heard of bad misfortune happening to people who interfered with fairy rings. We were simple told never to go near them and we didn't. The years have rolled on, and a lot of the younger generation today just laugh and scoff at such beliefs. hard to say who is right or who is wrong but I do think they should be left alone so the assumed magic surrounding them can be passed down to future generations.

Dinzee Conlee

ganmo wrote: »

By checking the map in one of the posts above

But I wonder in a lot of cases - are they one and the same?

gozunda

Bonzo Delaney wrote: »

I'd agree it's a bit mad, in this day and age of scientific knowledge that a fairy fort or ring or tree would still put doubts and caution in to people's heads.
Is there a scientific reason for the green circles
An unusall one is in the parents place for about 30 yrs there was a perfect ring about 30ft across bridging the back field and the back lawn only stud fencing between more visible in summer time . Thing is about 4 years ago it disappeared altogether, most unusual .

Not particularly unusual. New circular enclosures appeared as 'crop' mark's in fields in the Boyne valley during last years drought. The shallower or organic rich soil causes different growth rates depending on weather conditions. Again older people would have called these fairy forts and attributed their magical appearance to the wee folk. Archaeology has provided new knowledge of many of these sites that they are previously undiscovered historical manmade features which have otherwise disappeared.

gozunda

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

But I wonder in a lot of cases - are they one and the same?

Yes. Around here the older people would refer to such features as fairy forts or rings. Most of those are on the map linked above as historic features.

BarryD2

Worth noting too that not all these features are on maps. They only appear in the national monument records maps if some official adds them.

But local people usually know far more about their own land than government officials and word will have been passed down the generations about particular spots, usually for some good reason.

Say my name

ganmo wrote: »

By checking the map in one of the posts above

Not all archaeological 'interests' are listed on it though.
I mean how could they, there's still unknown sites being discovered.

The record of history was never the greatest in this country. Thankfully superstition did save some sites though. Especially compared to our heathen neighbours across the water who lost most of their ancient monuments to agricultural landscaping bar the biggie monuments e.g Stonehenge.

Birdnuts

BarryD2 wrote: »

Worth noting too that not all these features are on maps. They only appear in the national monument records maps if some official adds them.

But local people usually know far more about their own land than government officials and word will have been passed down the generations about particular spots, usually for some good reason.

Indeed - I have famine potatoe ridges and graves on my place in North Mayo that have remained untouched for over 170 years.

Steer55

Birdnuts wrote: »

Indeed - I have famine potatoe ridges and graves on my place in North Mayo that have remained untouched for over 170 years.

very sad

gozunda

Steer55 wrote: »

very sad

It's something that is not really talked about imo. But of those who died of starvation were reported to have died in diches and by the side of the road and bodies were not necessarily found imo. The same of mud walled cottages which fell in and became the last resting places of those that died there or who were buried without a funeral. There are a lot of people who died - not all were buried in famine pits. Even many of those are unmarked.

o1s1n

Steer55 wrote: »

As a child growing up in the country, I often heard of bad misfortune happening to people who interfered with fairy rings. We were simple told never to go near them and we didn't. The years have rolled on, and a lot of the younger generation today just laugh and scoff at such beliefs. hard to say who is right or who is wrong but I do think they should be left alone so the assumed magic surrounding them can be passed down to future generations.

The younger generation 'laugh and scoff' at such beliefs as they are ridiculous.

The cause of them is known, they're historical ring forts. Simple as that. No magic. Nothing supernatural. Ring forts. Old structures.

Now these magic beans I have for sale on the other hand...

Say my name

gozunda wrote: »

It's something that is not really talked about imo. But of those who died of starvation were reported to have died in diches and by the side of the toad and imo bodies were not necessarily found imo. The same of mud walled cottages which fell in and became the last resting places of those that died there or who were buried without a funeral. There are a lot of people who died - not all were buried in famine pits. Even many of those are unmarked.

A bit off topic. But imo they may start to review these modern cemeteries on the edge of towns.
Fairly soon the cemeteries will be bigger than the towns.
It's one extreme to the other.

I read somewhere that the idea of building the ditches in raths was a direct action against plague in the 600's. It'd be like a scene from "The Walking Dead".
Just when Christianity came into the country.

yagan

Years ago I was working on a road widening project in the surveying side of things and had arranged to meet someone at a local pub. So while I was waiting I overheard two auld local lads chatting at the bar and one asks the other what was going on up the road, to which the other said they were widening the road and going into to the fairy fort on the hill. The other lad gives a hoot and says they'll find plenty buried there!

As it turned out they were right, there were unmarked burials there. Someone else mentioned they were traditionally used for stillborns and unchristened infants if there were near a cemetery. I guess that would explain why people would make up stories about fairies to keep kids from digging around in them. Infant mortality was high in Ireland up until the 1960s.

cameramonkey

yagan wrote: »

Years ago I was working on a road widening project in the surveying side of things and had arranged to meet someone at a local pub. So while I was waiting I overheard two auld local lads chatting at the bar and one asks the other what was going on up the road, to which the other said they were widening the road and going into to the fairy fort on the hill. The other lad gives a hoot and says they'll find plenty buried there!

As it turned out they were right, there were unmarked burials there. Someone else mentioned they were traditionally used for stillborns and unchristened infants if there were near a cemetery. I guess that would explain why people would make up stories about fairies to keep kids from digging around in them. Infant mortality was high in Ireland up until the 1960s.

When a child was not christened they were not allowed to be buried in Catholic cemeteries. The tradition in some places was to bury those children at places where certain townlands met. I know of one such location, it is of course not used anymore but I presume there are many children buried there. The parents buried their dead infants in the dead of night, digging the grave and hiding their sorrow in the darkness. Such sad and cruel times.

IAMAMORON

Leave it well alone, it is not worth it. Do not go there.

Mooooo

Whatever about the fairies, if it's a ringfort or whatever and protected you'll get a fair wallop of a fine. Land bought round here had a road put thru one and fine followed, dunno if sfp was hit as well

patsy_mccabe

Ring Forts and Cilin (second i has a fada) are different things. Forts were basically enclosed raised areas where people lived. We have both within metres of us.

Figerty

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Ring Forts and Cilin (second i has a fada) are different things. Forts were basically enclosed raised areas where people lived. We have both within metres of us.

I was digging a few rocks out of meadowing last week that had come up with the dry weather last year. I noticed that when I pulled up one small rock there were more there. I have a feeling that there is a ring there as the ground is slightly elevated. in a circle or a dry piece of ground about 10 meters in diameter. This is low ground in a small valley. On the top of the hill there are two ring forts and about 40 in the area.

Funny thing is this. about 10 years ago there was a lightning strike which hit the ground right in the middle of this circle. It's a very low point between two hills with no conductor or trees.
Never thought anything about it until last week. On google earth there is faint circle, but you have to look for it,,ad it might be just me looking for something.

The lightning strike was odd before, and even odder now.

FishOnABike

NIMAN wrote: »

Are people saying 'leave well alone' doing it tongue in cheek?

Surely adults aren't putting any store in such nonsense.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/icrime/farmer-fined-25000-for-destruction-of-ring-fort-185865.html

Good reason to leave well alone.