IN A hilly Galway field, carpeted with whitethorn trees, as well an ancient chieftain’s burial cairn, Celtic standing stones and a shimmering lake, a bearded farmer is leaning on a carved stick and telling me of the natural power and energy surrounding us.
This is Pat Noone, one of Ireland’s renowned Celtic healers, whose Kilconnell ‘fairy farm’ has long been a magnet for the inquisitive, the doubters but mostly countless true believers from across the globe looking to experience the wisdom and magic of the man and his unique realm.
Hailing from generations who combined farming with healing, he has been asked to bring his special words, dowsing rods and energetically-attuned copper wires to people across Ireland and the UK and even to the USA to invoke mystical healing to cure problems in land, houses, people and even animals.
As an authority on fairy history and culture, he has seen a reawakening of people, particularly the young, toward what he sees as the ancient roots of Ireland’s ‘love and respect for the land.’
Pat Noone pictured in his Fairy FieldSome have travelled for many days to sleep in a tent for a night in the field’s mysterious fairy fort whilst others - childless men and women - have ventured from afar to sit upon his fabled fertility stone in a bid to start a family (Pat says the success rate is between ‘60 and 70 per cent’.).
Such hope and belief are, perhaps, being enhanced by the pressures of modern life.
“We were never as prosperous in this country. But we never had less spirituality. We need to get the balance right.” said Pat.
“I have met the fairies here on numerous occasions, on this hill and around the fort and all around here,” Pat recounted.
“I spoke to them. I even drank whiskey with them, which you are not supposed to do, but that’s old wives’ tales.”
During two enlightening days spent in a hired Bunk campervan on his East Galway farm, father-of-four Pat talked long into the night about how some visitors wrote and told him of the healing they had experienced since arriving home; others spoke of seeing a White Lady; another had even mentioned he had smelled his late father’s pipe smoke.
Of course, scepticism is an easy bedfellow when it comes to the supernatural.
But the culture of hauntings, horror and fantasy in literature and films - that has risen exponentially across the world in recent decades - has been at the heart of much of Irish writing and culture for centuries.
Indeed, Yeats described the Irish connection to the supernatural perfectly when he wrote: “Everyone is a visionary, if you scratch him deep enough. But the Celt is a visionary without scratching.”
Geese inspect James and Sue's Bunk campervan at the Galway Fairy FarmAnd the distinguished Irish historian Professor Roy Foster (who wrote ‘Yeats, Faeries, and the Irish Occult Tradition’) has pointed out, Yeats was not alone.
“He is very much in a tradition of Irish writers who are preoccupied by, not only fairy lore, but also doublings, by mysterious disappearances, by lives lived in parallel with an occult and supernatural dimension," he wrote.
“Irish fairies are really very scary beings and what they are all about when you read the fairy stories – and this is very clear from Yeats’ collections, like ‘The Celtic Twilight’ – they are about explanations for incest, for anorexia, for child molestation, for unexplained death, for animal illnesses, for crop failure for all the everyday horrors of impoverished country life,” he added.
Throughout history, every era seems to have added to the nation’s cornucopia of otherworldly tales, beings and sites that are firmly embedded in the very DNA of the land and its people.
As a child born in England and holidaying in Ireland, I was enchanted – as well as, sometimes, scared witless – by some of these those ancient tales, told by evening visitors under the flickering light of a turf fire in my father and mother’s family cottages in Mayo or Leitrim.
Over several years, along with my partner and photographer Sue Mountjoy, on campervan road trips across the land, we have sought out the countless people and places where you can discover those links.
Everyone will have their own favourites. But here are some that we visited to on a recent road trip in a hired Bunk Campers motorhome:
Dublin’s treasure house of folklore
Beyond the busy streets, the capital is steeped in tales of mystery and sights to go with them, from the folklore evenings to walking tours and even a visit to the National Leprechaun Museum. An online search of Dublin folklore includes the detailed ‘Eventflare’ site if you want a good initial briefing
Hill of Tara – Seat of the High Kings
Sense the ancient magic at one of the country’s most mystical sites in County Meath, the ancient burial and ceremonial place of the High Kings of Ireland, where power and politics rise from the low green hills. Check out the lone fairy tree where people have tied ribbons of hope to the Sidhe (fairy people).
Hope ribbons on the Fairy Tree at Tara HillLoughcrew Megalithic Cemetery
This 5000-year-old mysterious creation is known as the Hills of the Witch, which have long been believed to be a portal to the underworld and contain some of the most beautiful Neolithic art in Ireland.
Newgrange
You can’t help feeling a connection to ancient mythology at another huge and remarkable Stone Age tomb and temple, also older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid of Giza, where a guided tour provides a sense of the ceremonies performed there alongside the exquisite artwork and carvings.
County Antrim’s Dark Hedges
This avenue of beech trees twist and bend and became famous in the TV series Game of Thrones. Locals say the ghost of Lady Grey glides silently among the trees. Arrive early in the morning or at dusk when the light filters through the branches, casting strange shadows on the ground.
The Dark Hedges in Co. AntrimGiant’s Causeway
One of Ireland’s most famous objects of folklore, these 40,000 interlocking basalt columns are said to have been formed by volcanic activity, but storytellers put them down to the building prowess of Irish giant Finn McCool who created them as a pathway to Scotland for his tussle with his Scottish foe Benandonner.
Donegal’s Fairy Glens
Drive west into Donegal’s magical coastline and hills and explore the lesser-known Fairy Glens scattered throughout this remote area. The county feels untouched by time, a place where the magic feels all around. The several Fairy Glens are well marked on maps, each filled with carpets of greenery, babbling brooks, and moss-covered rocks. Fairies abound!
Epicentre of these is at Glencolmcille Folk Village, a place steeped in folklore and known for its ancient stone monuments. Locals believe the fairies gather in these glens, and many still leave offerings of bread, milk, or flowers to appease them. Look out for fairy rings, small circular patterns in the grass said to be made by dancing fairies.
The Slieve League Trail in Co. DonegalThe Wild Atlantic Way – Warrior coast
Head south along the well-signposted Wild Atlantic Way and take in the rugged coastline at the towering Slieve League Cliffs, some of the highest sea cliffs in Europe and home to stories of Lugh, the Sun God, and his battles against the forces of darkness.
You can stop over in the evening at Glenfarne, in County Leitrim, for a traditional storytelling session. The locals will regale you with tales of selkies (seal people) and other mythical beings of the sea, weaving their magic into the fabric of the night.
Knocknarea Magical Mountain
Heading further south takes you to the mountain in County Sligo associated with Queen Maeve, the fierce and legendary warrior queen.
Climb to the summit for lovely views to find a large cairn thought to be her final resting place. Legend says Maeve was buried standing upright, facing her enemies in Ulster, spear in hand. Leave a rock as a mark of respect.
Prehistoric farmers in the ‘Wild West’
Heading south will take you to the remarkable exhibition centre at Céide Fields, in County Mayo, where you will find the oldest stone-walled fields in the world, dating back 6000 years, and packed with mystery and fascination about a period before history and religion were recorded.
Another mysterious Mayo icon is the Bellacorick Bridge over River Owenmore, which allows you to play a musical tune by tapping stones (supplied) on the top of its north parapet.
More darkly it is known for the 17th century curse by oracle Brian Rua Ó Cearbhain that anyone who laid the last stone on a bridge over the river would die soon after. Some have tried and, as predicted, have died – so it is claimed locally!
Fairy Farm
Head across to Pat Noone’s Green Hills Fairy Farm near Kilconnell for a trip around his renowned fairy field and some fascinating stories from the land healer. He may have camping available if you want to experience a shivering night of mystery.
Killarney’s Enchanted Forests
Heading south, arrive in Killarney town, surrounded by lush forests and stunning lakes. Visit Killarney National Park, where the shape-shifting Púca, is said to roam. Ancient oaks and mystical landscapes evoke feelings of enchantment.
Ring of Kerry – Legends on the Loop
The Gap of Dunloe in the Ring of KerryThis scenic drive offers breathtaking views and a plethora of folklore.
Watch out for the Dunloe Gap, where it’s said that the spirit of a lost warrior watches over travellers and stop top at Torc Waterfall, for tales of Fionn mac Cumhaill, another legendary giant, who is said to have created the waterfall with his mighty strength.
Ross Castle is also steeped in tales of love and war, and is said to be haunted by the spirit of a lady in white, eternally searching for her lost love.
Anyone who can add to our list for stories and places to visit, please drop an email to us at [email protected]
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Motorhome hire
We have regularly toured Ireland in motorhomes from Bunk Campers, Ireland’s largest campervan rental company which has depots in both Dublin and Belfast with a wide range of compact easy-to-drive vehicles. Prices for a two-berth camper start from £75 per night in the UK and €90 in Ireland. To book: www.bunkcampers.com or to call: 0800 0590 905.
Campsites
We have also regularly stopped overnight at Camping Ireland sites, which includes over 100 quality approved touring and holiday parks throughout the Island of Ireland. Sites offer touring pitches for caravans, motorhomes and tents as well as glamping and static mobile home hire.
For our most recent tour we stayed at the handy Camping Ireland folklore visit sites at Camac Valley, for Dublin, Lynders for Newgrange, the Hill of Tara and at Belleek Park for Mayo sites. For these and stacks of other site and country information go to www.campingireland.ie
Airport deals
For airport parking and hotels, Holiday Extras offer decent bargains
See More: Ireland
