Do you believe in Fairies?

For hundreds of years, the belief in fairies and the danger of displeasing the fairies was so strong in Ireland that roads had to be re-routed because workmen refused to build through a fairy fort.

In Ireland fairies were considered to be fallen angels. The most common way that fairies would be seen to interfere with daily life was if people disrupted the fairy forts and passes.

There were about 45,000 ring forts, where the fairies were said to live that had to be taken into consideration. It was thought that if a house or cow shed was built on a fairy fort of fairy pass that this would not last very long – that the fairies would find some way of showing their displeasure.

One way of safeguarding yourself in the building of a new structure was to build four little piles of stones in the four corners of the planned building and leave them overnight. If they remained untouched, then the fairies would not be offended or disturbed and it was safe to build a house or cow shed on that site.

This documentary looks at the strong Irish belief in these magical - and sometimes angry - characters.

Produced by Padraic Dolan

First broadcast 12th May 1984

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