I often hear nocturnal noises that are beyond the sleeping room, as if my ears are parked behind the door and so the other night I was awoken in the early hours by a shrill noise coming from the front garden. As I became fully conscious I heard a scratching at the front door followed by a thump and then low snores.
I awoke her Ladyship to tell her what I had heard, together we opened the front door and peered out. Her Ladyship on seeing the sight that was before us, said
“I think I’ll get the camera, this is worth recording!”
After she had taken the photo I very carefully picked him up and brought him into the warmth of our home.
“Well, Hazel what have you been up to ?” I asked him the following morning.
After a moment he spoke …
“ I was so thrilled to get a new suit of clothes that I took myself off to the river to bathe. While I was there the water sprites told me there was to be hurling match at Sheean, between our lads and the Redcaps from Cornwall, followed by a Ceilidh.
So I crept home, put on me gear and went up to the match. It was a fierce do altogether, for the hurls of both sides were flailing like swords at a battle and it was more than the puc (ball) that was the target!
On they went up and down pitch, as one player was flailed, another took his place. I kept meself well to the rear, the last thing I wanted was to ruin me new clothes. Then all of a sudden a cock crowed and the game stopped.
I interrupted Hazel to ask him “ Who won the match ? ”
“ I knew you would ask that. Nobody won the match. You see for us it is all about playing the game which is important - not winning or losing” he replied.
Then Hazel continued his story.
“We all went down under the rath for the ceilidh. It was some party, the fiddlers started first and later we danced jigs and reels. Then pipers and bodhran players started up. When they rested singers, chanters and poets took over. There was plenty of food with gallons of whisky for all. Too soon it was time for the Cornish to return home. As I stood, I tripped and fell on the ley line, only to awake up inside a much larger rath!
There was another party going on but I said to myself “ never mind, I’m with friends.” So I carried on enjoying meself.
I was dancing away with my lively companions, when one of them said “Why hello Hazel, my darling, it’s so good to see you again after all these years. You do remember me don’t you ? I’m Parsley.”
Well, she had caught me on the hop. I scratched me old head trying to recall who Parsley was … then the penny dropped.
“Ah Parsley yes of course, how could I ever forget you?”
“It’s well for you that you have returned Hazel.
I think now is the time for you to take your responsibility seriously”
replied Parsley.
“After a few days of partying in the Hurlers’ Rath I decided that it was time to return to Ireland and that a slower journey would be better. So meself and Parsley made our way over to Boscastle where we used a slow, little used ley line over to Lundy Island. There we met with old friends and it was on the island that I took up my responsibility. Parsley and I finally said our goodbyes and I returned home.”
“So” finished Hazel, taking a deep breath, “here we are.”
I said “Pardon me, Hazel, you said ‘We’. So who else is with you ?”
Hazel went to the widow and pointed to the garden as we peered out.
“ That is my daughter Catkin ” he said proudly.
I awoke her Ladyship to tell her what I had heard, together we opened the front door and peered out. Her Ladyship on seeing the sight that was before us, said
“I think I’ll get the camera, this is worth recording!”
A very relaxed Hazel
“Well, Hazel what have you been up to ?” I asked him the following morning.
After a moment he spoke …
“ I was so thrilled to get a new suit of clothes that I took myself off to the river to bathe. While I was there the water sprites told me there was to be hurling match at Sheean, between our lads and the Redcaps from Cornwall, followed by a Ceilidh.
So I crept home, put on me gear and went up to the match. It was a fierce do altogether, for the hurls of both sides were flailing like swords at a battle and it was more than the puc (ball) that was the target!
On they went up and down pitch, as one player was flailed, another took his place. I kept meself well to the rear, the last thing I wanted was to ruin me new clothes. Then all of a sudden a cock crowed and the game stopped.
I interrupted Hazel to ask him “ Who won the match ? ”
“ I knew you would ask that. Nobody won the match. You see for us it is all about playing the game which is important - not winning or losing” he replied.
Then Hazel continued his story.
The Faery Mound Sheean
There was another party going on but I said to myself “ never mind, I’m with friends.” So I carried on enjoying meself.
I was dancing away with my lively companions, when one of them said “Why hello Hazel, my darling, it’s so good to see you again after all these years. You do remember me don’t you ? I’m Parsley.”
Well, she had caught me on the hop. I scratched me old head trying to recall who Parsley was … then the penny dropped.
“Ah Parsley yes of course, how could I ever forget you?”
“It’s well for you that you have returned Hazel.
I think now is the time for you to take your responsibility seriously”
replied Parsley.
Hazel at The Hurler Stones, Cornwall
“So” finished Hazel, taking a deep breath, “here we are.”
I said “Pardon me, Hazel, you said ‘We’. So who else is with you ?”
Hazel went to the widow and pointed to the garden as we peered out.
“ That is my daughter Catkin ” he said proudly.
Catkin
