was visible. And it was said also that beautiful flowers grew on her grave,
though no hand planted them there, and shadowy forms used to gather in
the moonlight and sing a low chant over the place where she was laid.
The fairies can assume all forms when they have special ends in view,
such as to carry off a handsome girl to Fairyland. For this purpose they
sometimes appear at the village festivities as tall, dark, noble-looking
gentlemen, and they wile away the young girls as partners in the dance by
their grand air and the grace of their dancing. And ever after the young girl
who has danced with them moves and dances with a special fairy grace,
though sometimes she pines away and seems to die, but every one knows
that her soul has been carried off to the Tir-na-oge, where she will be made
the bride of the fairy king and live in luxury and splendour evermore.
Yet, though the fairies are fond of pleasure, they are temperate in their
mode of living, and are besides honest in their dealings and faithful to their
promises. If they borrow wine from the gentry they always repay it in
blessings, and never indulge much in eating or drinking. But they have no
objection to offer to mortals the subtle red wine at the fairy banquets, which
lulls the soul to sleep and makes the reason powerless. The young men that
they beguile into their fairy palaces become their bond-slaves, and are set to
hard tasks. One man said he had marched with Finvarra's men all the way
from Mayo to Cork, but there they had to leave him as they were going to
Spain and could not take him across the sea on their white horses.
They also much desire the aid of a powerful mortal hand to assist them
in their fairy wars, for they have often disputes and battles amongst
themselves for the possession of some coveted rath or dancing ground.
Once a fairy prince came to a great chieftain of Connaught, one of the
Kirwans, and begged for aid against a hostile fairy tribe that had invaded
his territories. The required aid being given, the fairies and their mortal
auxiliaries plunged into the lake and fought the enemy and conquered; after
which the Connaught men returned to shore laden with rich presents of
silver and gold and crystal wine-cups as the expression of gratitude from
the fairy prince.
It is said that Kirwan of Castle Hackett, the great Connaught chief, also
received a beautiful fairy bride on that occasion, and it Is certain that all the
female descendants of the family are noted for their beauty, their grace in
dancing, and their sweet voices in speaking. Lady Cloncurry, mother of the
present Lord Cloncurry, was of this race, and in her youth was the
acknowledged leading beauty of the Irish Court and celebrated for the rare
fascination of her manner and voice.
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