The Corrinchago Fairy

You see the lake down to the right, that was known as Corrinchago lake in the townland of the same name. This is probably the best fairy story I’ve heard in English as opposed to the Irish. I look forward to be corrected.

On the top of Corrinchago hill there is a fort called Corrinchago fort. The people who owned this farm often say that they still hear the fairies sing-and-dance to fairy music. Here is a story told by a woman who lives in the farm presently and who says she remembers the day of this happening. She is 80 years old on 1st Jan '38. Her father had about 3 acres of flax beside Corrinchago Lake. This day they had a boon of lovely boys-and-girls, pulling the flax. She was only a girl of 5 years of age at the time. Her mother and two neighbour women were cooking the dinner for the flax pullers which consisted at that time of a large pot of champ (mashed potatoes) oat cake made on the grid-iron and baked or roasted in front of a turf fire, along with a bowl of sweet milk. This meal was served at a large table in the middle of the floor like this. A large dish with champ piled up on it was placed in the middle of the table, in the centre of the champ a hole was made and about 1/2lb of butter was put into this hole. The workers each got a spoon and dipped each spoonful of champ in the butter, ate a piece of oat cake, and drank the sweet milk with it. No tea or second course was served. In those days a boon might consist of from 30 to 40 according to the popularity of the farmer who had his flax to pull, in the chance of a nice flax-pulling-dance taking place that night. On this special occasion there was to be a dance so this fact was partly responsible for 40 pullers. Needless to say the cooks were very busy and anxious about the dinner which was always due at 12 noon. About 11.30 am the cooks espied a very small woman coming up the boreen. She was dressed in a black skirt check apron with patch pockets and a red kerchief on her head. She carried a stick and a small white bag (size of a 1/4 stone paper bag) under her shawl. She knocked at the door and asked for some oat meal. The bean-a-tighe who was a Mrs Connolly (bhrian ardghail) went to her and told her they were very busy and to call back after the dinner. She would help her, as the meal by the way was out in a barn loft and it would take away too much of the woman's time to go up in the loft in it at the time. This little beggar woman "turned-on-her-heel" as is said around here and never spoke, but went her way. At the same moment the story goes that very strong gust of wind blew from the fort in the field where the flax pullers were and blew the flax, the beads, the bands in all directions through the country and also lifted in the air the prettiest girl in the boon, and flung her into the middle of Corrinchago Lake, and then formed circle within circle while she was going to the bottom of the lake. This girl was 17 years of age- the eldest girl of the lady of the house who refused the oaten meal to the wee beggar woman till after dinner. Needless to say, there was consternation among all and after a few minutes all realised what had happened and they got drags, chains, currachs & even tubs were used as boats to take the men to the middle of the lake to see if they could rescue her, but no trace of her was to be found.

Some old man in the district suggested that the woman (mother of the girl) who sent the "wee" woman off till after dinner should leave a bag of oaten meal at the fort, to see would the any result. And she did overnight. Next day a great gust of wind came, and a lovely man dressed as a king, in clothes of most brilliant colours, came riding on a grey steed down from the Corrinchago fort. He came into the field where the flax pulling boon was some days before, leaped straight into the air and down into the middle of the lake and at the same spot where the girl was blown into the lake.

All those present looked on in amazement, and as the horse and rider were going down, circle after circle was appearing on the surface of the water. After the lapse of a few seconds, the rider and horseman appeared again, and the lady who was taken away a few days before this, was seated on the grey steed behind the man who appeared as a King, and was afterwards described as King of the Fairies in Corrinchago Fort. The horse galloped in the flax field, the lady jumped off, and the horseman and horse galloped off up the hill in the direction of the fort, and disappeared underneath the ground. The girl returned to her parents unharmed, but refused to tell what had happened except to say she was in a lively home. * This story has been told to me [the Schoolmaster] in presence of the school children by Mrs Anne Connolly - Corrinchago - 81 years of age [in 1938]. She is the cousin to the lady who was carried away. She can tell the genealogical table of almost every family in the district. She crossed to America 13 times, has all her passports and is now in receipt of the old age pension. https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4723822/4716453/4937039 The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0936, Page 190 c/o National Folklore Collection The Connolly’s and their people still live in the area now.

Image https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/15703; The Photographic Collection, J012.06.00001Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD