‘I know you don’t believe in fairies. I don’t believe in them myself. Though they’re there. Just the same!
One night I was coming home from my ceile, a bit later than usual – about two o’clock. I was coming up Sean Con Jonny’s Loanan. Some of you might know it – and I heard a noise. I stopped to listen, seeing a bulk (group) coming to meet me. I stepped out of sight, into the side of the Loanan. A crowd of Wee People passed by. There was twenty or more of them and they were carrying a wee coffin. When they passed where I was I stepped out to look after them and a few who were coming after the funeral caught me. I didn’t know what to do. I often heared it said if you don’t interfere with them, they won’t touch you, so I just went along with them. They made me carry the coffin and indeed it wasn’t too heavy. They were chattering amongst themselves and I couldn’t make out a word that they were saying.
They went around Drumintee going through the fields and lanes, keeping well away from the main roads. They niver stopped till they arrived at Killeavey Old Church and I can tell you that I was very tired after my long walk. But my trouble was not over.
They made me dig a wee grave and when I had it finished they put in the wee coffin and to my great surprise they put a crock full of gold coins at the head of the wee coffin. I just couldn’t believe my eyes. They all gathered around the grave and held some sort of a service but again. I couldn’t make out one word they were saying. I had to cover the wee grave for them and when I had it finished I slipped away whilst they were still gathered around the grave.
I hid behind some bushes and when they were all away it was beginning to get bright. There was a full moon around about five o’clock. I got the spade and I begun to dig up the grave that I was only after covering and it wasn’t long until I came to the crock of gold coins. I was over-excited by my good luck so I got down on my knees to lift it out.
And…’
The man beside me was very excited by this tale and he says to me,
‘And what did you do?’
‘I woke up.
‘I forgot to tell you at the start that I was on my ceile and we were just telling stories, just to pass the time.
You know we had no radio or television in those days’.