pipers

"When I was a little girl about fifty years ago the belief in the fairies was very widespread in Termonfectin, the village where I was born.
My mother used to tell me that the Good People who welt all along the little river used to leave their haunts by the old mill and headed by the Fairy Bard would come through the village onto the Bridge which crosses the stream at our house. Further up the road they turned the corner by Belton's Hill while the pipers played the most enchanting music until they reached the hill where the ruins of the old Castle stand.
Here my mother said they used to stop and disport themselves in fun and frolic chasing each other round the Castle and riding Bulthrans which covered the hill.
Old Eoghan Crossane who used to be out late at night heard them one night and getting bewitched with the fairy music he used to come out every night and hide himself in the grass on the hill to listen.
Here he was discovered and my Mother told me they took him away and kept him with them for seven years.
I didn't know Eoghan myself but I knew his children who were very silent and dreamy and always fond of wandering around.""

(Duchas.ie, The Schools’ Collection)

Pipers
Acrylic sketch from my celtic sketchbook