Welcome to my weekly blog,  SATURDAY SESSIONS!         

In this blog, for the perusal of all our students, past, present and future, I include an extract from our interactive presentation Course, Ireland and its Culture.

If you wish to ask me any question about the text, by the way, just send me an e-mail at greg@bluefeather.ie

THE FAIRIES, PART 3

THE GROGOCH

          The Grogoch is known as the phynnodderee on the Isle of Man. They seem to have arrived here from Scotland where they are known as brownies. They look like an old man; nobody has ever seen a female Grogoch (like the leprechauns). They are naked, unkempt, covered in dirty fur and about the height of a small child.  They are benevolent and sociable creatures - so no need to worry if you meet one! They can also make themselves disappear at will.  They live in caves or even between two standing stones leaning against one another. They are very tough and can survive on very little without either sleep or food. They are also workaholics, helpful to a fault!         They help human farmers in remote areas or women in the kitchen, often getting in the way. They hate laziness and will often jump on people's beds on a Sunday morning beating them on the face. Farm labourers in the fields taking a break are often annoyed by Grogochs who appear out of nowhere to prod them back to work.  They work for no pay and if you even offer them a small present, you will never see them again. All he asks for is a jug of cream first thing in the morning.

THE GREY MAN

          This shapeless being, the fear liath,  is the most sinister of all in Irish folklore. It often appears as a thick fog but it can also be a moving shadow trailing grey mist behind it. In the north of Ireland he is like a giant on the horizon but in Kerry and Clare he takes the form of a grey man, living off smoke from the chimneys of houses. At sea, he causes shipwrecks and loss of life or on the land, he may obscure a road or a path so that a traveller may get lost or fall over a cliff to his death. In the house, milk turns sour, potatoes turn black and the sods of turf stay damp when he is around. In north Antrim (Northern Ireland), there is a rock bridge known as the Grey Man's Path which the fear liath uses regularly. Brace yourself if you come across the Grey Man. Take a deep breath. Do not be afraid. After all, the Grey Man is nothing but a shape of mist or smoke. Harm will come only to those who are careless, who are not mindful, but above all, to those who are afraid.