THE FAIRY FORT AT BALLYCASTLE.

In the grounds of the Manor House, the residence of the Boyd
family, is the old Fort of Dun-a-Mallaght, on the eastern slope
of Glentow, where it opens on the coast surrounded by trees, and
from which there is a delightful view of the Glen as it winds along
the base of Knocklayde.

About the beginning of the last century the young men of the
town arranged to have a ceilidh or social gathering on the evening
of Easter Tuesday or the fair day in the large ball-room of Roger
O'Carroll's tavern in Ann Street. Everything passed off merrily,
and there were songs, jigs, and reels until the early morning.
About an hour before their departure a group of four girls and
two of the men were chatting and laughing pleasantly together
and tired after the night's dancing and well pleased with the
amusement. In some way their gossip turned on the belief in
fairies, and one of the men 'said that he disbelieved in these stories,
as he often passed at night some of the old Raths when trapping
hares and rabbits and had never noticed the a slightest trace of
fairies on any of these places.
One of the girls said that she had heard that there were fairies
to be seen on the old  Fort at Dun-a-Mallaght  and dancing, especially
on May Eve.
At length, after some discussion. it was arranged that the four
girls should go there on May Eve blindfolded and dance on the
Fort for an hour at midnight. The two men were to accompany
them and place bandages over their eyes on the bank of the Tow
stream and then lead them across the bridge to about 50 yards from
the Fort. The men were then to retire to a position about 100 yards
from the Fort and from where they had an uninterrupted view of
everything that might take place. If the fairies appeared then
Daniel M`Curdy, the doubter, was to purchase for each of the girls
a silver watch.
It was a clear moonlight night, and the six repaired to the
Fort about ten o'clock. For about half-an-hour they could hear
the girls laughing and chanting occasionally the following words :
" This is a home of the fairies;' this is a home of the fairies."
Suddenly they heard, as it were, the sound of many wings fluttering,
 and looking along the Glen there appeared slowly advancing
 a pale and luminous yellow light floating in the air. And when
it approached overhead there were to be seen a number of little figures
 of a human form as they passed onward to the Fort.
In a few minutes the light became brighter, and they could
distinctly see that one of the little figures had taken a seat on the
top of the Fort and the rest were dancing around in a circle repeating
a soft and low musical sound with a strange and mysterious
rhythm. And some of these figures were soon on the branches of
the trees with wands in their hands and mischievously dropping
twigs on the dancers.

They could neither see any sign of the four girls nor hear their
voices. Four attempts were made to reach the Fort, and on each
occasion a strange and a very dense darkness arose between them
and the Fort. At the fourth attempt a weird sound arose from the
Rath, and they lost all trace of themselves, and when they awoke
from the trance each found himself lying undressed in his own bed.
They told none of their friends of the midnight adventure, but
in the afternoon they learned that none of the four girls had re-
turned home. Without mentioning to any person where they were
going they immediately departed for the Fort, and on their arrival
were astonished to find that only three of the girls were there, and
lying apparently asleep with their hair flowing loosely and their
hands still clasped together.
M'Curdy approached and gently touched each forehead with
his finger, and in a few seconds there was a slight tremor of the
eyelids and the eyes opened. Gazing fixedly at the sky overhead,
each arose and for five minutes stood without uttering a word.
The men then slowly and gently led them by the hand to the
bridge, and after crossing it the girls asked where their young
companion was and if she had gone home before them. In reply,
the men told of their night's experience and that she was still absent
 from home.
Naturally the three girls were astonished when they heard this
news, and they explained that at the very moment the fairies arrived
on the Fort a desire to sleep came upon them, and lying down
they heard a a strange and soft melodious sound like the purr of a
cat when she is being caressed and pleased with herself. Then after
a time two of the girls felt that the hands of their youngest companion
 were being gently unclasped and that her hair, which had
become entangled with theirs, was being unraveled.

And from that night their youngest companion was never seen
again. But it is said that on every May Eve at midnight there are
six gentle knocks on the door of the house in the Milltown where
she lived and that the form of a girl clad in a white ethereal garment
walks six times in front of the house and a little above the
ground, and laughing in a low and pleasant manner.

May the leprechauns be near you, 
To spread luck along your way. 
And may all the Irish angels, 
Smile upon you on St. Patrick’s Day.