EireLandings ~ Part Four

Mystical Highway Hawthorn Tree

        To say Irish Superstition is surely uttering a redundancy.  There is a wee bit of folklore to cover nearly every moment of life, a remedy for all unfortunate events, a plethora of blessings and curses to call forth the bounty or mischief of the fairy folk and other magical creatures like leprechauns, pookas, selkies, and more.
       Of course no one in the world of rational thought believes any of the myths and legends, or at least, willingly admits to it.  Most of us claim "just in case" when we throw the salt over our shoulders, avoid walking under ladders, and shy away from black cats.  The Irish, rational and modern though they be, take "just in case" to an interesting level. 

       It seems that the hawthorn tree has roots in the lore of many cultures for its sacred properties.  The Irish, only some of them of course, believe that the hawthorn tree is a "fairy bush" and is inhabited by fairy spirits.  It is considered extremely bad luck to cut or damage it in any way or the fairies might be offended and no one, rational or otherwise, wants to contend with offended fairy spirits!  So it makes perfect rational sense that when confronted by a lone hawthorn tree interfering with the path of a major highway, the construction team refused to remove the tree.  Naturally, the entire highway project changed course in order to protect the tree.  It lies between two stretches of the road within a fence around it.  Presumably, the fairy spirits approve.
      

View from Ennis hotel window

       The sun shone again in a day that brought sun, wind, rain, and even two hailstorms!  We arrived in the town of Ennis in County Clare on the River Fergus.  With medieval beginnings, Ennis and its environs are replete with monastic ruins, even our hotel had once been part of a friary.  The view from our hotel room window was one of the more interesting I've ever had. There seems to be quite a "churchy" feel to it, but it could just be my imagination. 
       
       Favorite Oldest and Favorite Youngest Daughters and I took a stroll around the town and managed to find some treasures in the shops.  With gifts for others and ourselves in hand, we found our way back to the hotel to get ready for our dinner experience.  Was it only this morning that we visited the Irish National Stud, motored on to the Rock of Cashel and through Tipperary and Limerick?  Yes! And then we get back on the bus again for a 20 minute ride to Bunratty Castle for a taste of the past.
       
       The current castle dates to the 15th century and sits near the site of a Norman castle that was destroyed by the MacNamaras (those pesky Normans!).  Left derelict in the 19th century, it was restored beginning in the 1950s by Lord Gort who then gave it to "the People of Ireland."  Now famous for its Medieval Dinners, we enjoyed the hospitality of the evening's Lord and Lady with a festive meal and entertainment as befitted guests of the Great Earl on a night in the early 1600s.

Bunratty Castle

Bunratty Entrrance Hall

       We entered the castle to the airs of madrigal singers, a harpist, and a violinist, and, at the time of toasting with free flowing mead, the Master of Ceremonies gave us the protocols of the castle.  We climbed many spiral stairs up to the entry hall and then many down to the banquet hall - a little treacherous given the amount of mead....
        Much singing, drinking of wine, and an excellent meal - albeit with only a knife to stab the food!  We sent one person to the dungeon but he was reprieved if he could sing a song.  The American "prisoner" launched into the first strains of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at which time a hundred or so of the rest of us joined in loudly to finish it off.  There were some strange glances by those other hundred non-Americans among us who had no clue what that was about!     


The Elusive Irish Banshee?

     
       On the way back to the bus, there was enough daylight to take more photos of the Bunratty Folkpark filled with period cottages that in the summer season boasts a cast of costumed villagers.   As I was taking a photo, I discovered that my camera was suddenly inhabited by another mythical creature - the Irish Banshee!  NOT A MYTH, I know now for certain.  She curiously resembles Favorite Youngest Daughter and the shriek is unmistakable!  Hopefully this was not a foretelling of an omnious occurrence - perhaps even the Banshee takes a night off to party with the best of us!
     
      It was a fun night with wine, song, great food and hilarity.  Off to the hotel and to sleep.  Only Day Two, wow.....at least we stay in the same hotel again so no early luggage call though breakfast is still at 7 with an 8 am departure for the next adventure.

Here are more pix from the picturesque Folk Park



       Fairy Raths or Forts, cairns, circled trees or stones are seen all over the countryside.  Among the thousand or so mythical prescriptions for life, it is said that to build a house, one must dig in and put a post at the four corners of the potential house site.  If the posts are still standing the next morning, the fairies have given you ease to build.  If there's a problem with one of them,  you are well advised NOT to proceed!