A magical gesture by fairy godfather

A friend on mine, Kevin Hanley who, appropriately, sports a long, white beard, told me that some weeks ago when he was walking his dogs in Reen Wood near Castletownshend, west Cork, he came upon four of the mysterious ‘fairy houses’ as reported in the Irish Examiner.

Perhaps they are still there. They were 30cm tall, built into hollow tree trunks, with roofs and windows — some with a cat sitting inside — and front doors with knockers and letterboxes. They were, Hanley said, works of art. Praise to whoever had the imagination and love of children to create them.

On the Sunday following the Examiner story, Reen woods were full of parents with children. I can imagine how my daughters, and indeed, my sons, would have responded to these ‘fairy’ houses when they were children. I wished that I had a small grandchild or two handy so that we could go exploring, perhaps early in the morning or evening when there was nobody else about.