Restless Sídhe of Keeraun Hill
Photo: Tomás Ó Cárthaigh (c) 2012
Keeraun Hill is a fairy fort, or ring fort, or Danish fort, call it what you will outside Banagher in County Offaly in Ireland. A mast is erected on it, due to its commanding of the area, which is probably why it was situated their originally for defense reasons. However… Irish folklore records that metal and metal structures should never be built on these sites…
They sleep not in peace and quiet
As they did in days of old
Forgotten by us modern folk
Who tell tales of pots of gold
To gullible Americans
Who believe stories that they are told
By folk who count greedily the cash
From the souvenirs they have sold.
Folk who know know well and tell
That metal should never be
No fencing nor gates, never mind masts
Around the homes of the Sídhe.
And yet fools who believe in modern gods
Call fools folk like me
Wonder how luck foul follows them
And of it rare are free…