The Stray Sod
Anyone who happens to stand on the 'sod' immediately loses his way and cannot find his way further. He must keep on travelling until daybreak and sometimes after hours of travelling finds himself back at the place he started. At other times the person may find himself a long distance from the place he lost his way. If a person happens on a 'stray sod' and cannot find his way it is said that if the person takes off his coat and turns it inside out and sits down on it and also turns his cap inside out the spell is broken and he is then able to continue on his journey.
Altacullion, Co.Cavan
NFCS 0966: 060
A Story
15th Nov; 1937
One day an old woman was coming home from the town after shopping. As it was rather late in the evening she thought it best to take a short cut across the fields to her home.
When she was about half way through the fields she walked upon a "stray sod" so called because it belonged to the fairies, immediately she was in their grip, and she could hear them dancing and singing.
She stood still, and wondered what she should do, so she took off her coat and turned it, but still of no use, and taking off her boots she turned her stockings and soon escaped from them.
When she reached home it was two o'clock in the morning, and she was feeling very tired and sleepy. Needless to say did not attempt crossing the fields again late at night, but went by another way.
Granard, Co.Longford
NFCS 0763: 185-186
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Fairy Forts
There is a stray sod in a field in Rosemount, Co. Meath, and many people went astray in it. It is said that if you turn your coat inside out you'd find your way home, or if you'd go on 'til you'd meet water it would send you the right way home.
Cormeen, Co.Meath
NFCS 0707: 277
A Story
15th Nov; 1937
One day an old woman was coming home from the town after shopping. As it was rather late in the evening she thought it best to take a short cut across the fields to her home.
When she was about half way through the fields she walked upon a "stray sod" so called because it belonged to the fairies, immediately she was in their grip, and she could hear them dancing and singing.
She stood still, and wondered what she should do, so she took off her coat and turned it, but still of no use, and taking off her boots she turned her stockings and soon escaped from them.
When she reached home it was two o'clock in the morning, and she was feeling very tired and sleepy. Needless to say did not attempt crossing the fields again late at night, but went by another way.
Granard, Co.Longford
NFCS 0763: 185-186
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Fairy Forts
There is a stray sod in a field in Rosemount, Co. Meath, and many people went astray in it. It is said that if you turn your coat inside out you'd find your way home, or if you'd go on 'til you'd meet water it would send you the right way home.
Cormeen, Co.Meath
NFCS 0707: 277
A Stray Sod
1. There are certain fields in this district that containes a stray sod and has a lot of storys connected with them. One of Byrnes fields of the Cavan contains a stray sod. If you were so unluckly to be crossing that field at twelve oclock at night when the faires are coming they would be there till the next morning going round the field looking for the gate. When you would be coming near the gate you would see it but when you would come up to, the gate would disappear out of your sight.
2. Once upon a time an old woman named Mrs Onews was coming home from the Cavan. On her way home she had to cross one of Byres fields whice the call the big meadow. She was so unlucky to stand on the certain sod that she went round the field for the whole night. At lenth she saw the gate she also saw a white woman standing on it. When the woman disappeared out of sight Mrs Ownes saw the gate and got out of the field.
3. There are two ways to get out of astray sod in the night. First is to sit down in the field then take out a fag and smoke it. Second is to close your eyes keep them closed for about ten minutes the you can see the gate and can get out.
4. There are two kinds of stray sods. There is a hungry sod also. There is a hungry sod up near Drogheda. My Uncle and James Mc Geough was coming home from one night all of a sudden they got really hungry. They went back to Drogheda to get something to eat.
Tinure, Co. Louth
NFCS 0674: 292
A Stray Sod.
There is said to be a stray sod in Tom Lee's hill in Derreen. Several people went astray on it. One night Mick Winters was coming home late and he went astray on it. After he had walked for hours he said to himself he would sit down. And when he did so a crowd of little red men came and got him to play cards. At the dawn of day they all disappeared and he got home alright. He said he must have walked on a fairies pass.
Crummy, Co.Leitrim
NFCS 0211: 321
There are featured in tradition preemptive practices that attempt to safeguard individuals from the magical influences of specific places or spirits, in particular bread was seen as being an antidote to the power of supernatural or malign interference, it being carried in the pocket of an individual who was going to embark on a journey. An account from Pádraig Ó Flaithbheartaigh of Cathair Boilg, Co.Kerry describes this practice while adding an additional detail suggesting bread alone is insufficient to protect one from the fairy host, stating one shouldn't take a piece of bread with them quote without having something tied around it, for if you took it on its own you'd be the worst for it as you wouldn't reach the house til you threw it from you for as long as you'd be carrying it the good people would be putting you astray
Folklore Fragments Podcast Episode 30: The Stray Sod (Blúiríní Béaloidis)
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The Stray Sod of Bellewstown
There is a stray sod on Bellewstown Hill Many people have been rambling all night over this sod Old People say that the rosary is the only remedy to get off it...
Bellewstown, Co.Meath
NFCS 0685: 042
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The Stray Sod
In some fields there is a part of ground called the stray sod. If anybody is crossing the field during the night and they stand on the stray sod they will not be able to get out of that field until daybreak. One night a woman was going to a shop. She stood on the stray sod and she was going around the field and she could not get out. The postman was going down the road and he had a light on his bicycle and she followed the light and she got out of the field. If she had not seen the postman's light she would not get out of the field until the next morning.
Drogheda, Co.Louth
NFCS 0679: 071-072
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Hidden Treasure
Treasure, buried gold is supposed to be buried in Rann Dun, a Danish Fort about 1 1/2 miles south of Castlepollard. the fort was the head quarters of Turgeis the great Danish chief.
The gold was that collected from the people as tax by the Danes. It is under a circular mound a few feet in diameter with a tree growing in the centre. Local tradition says that it is guarded by a dog tied by a chain. Here is a story. A poor man going to Castlepollard sat down to rest. After a while a black cat came out of the fort bringing a gold coin in her mouth. she kept on carrying out the coins till she had a heap collected. She then began to carry them back one by one and that the man seized the heap and the story says he was rich ever afterwards.
Several people have searched for the treasure. They dug around the fort but the next day on coming to dig again they always found that every trace of their work had disappeared.
Great balls of light have been seen several times going from the fort to Lough Lene which is a mile or so to the east of it. these lights were very bright and resembled balls of fire. they seemed to disappear into the lake and travelled at a very rapid pace.
The fort is supposed to be enchanted. One woman told me the following story. She went to milk goats which were always grazing on the hill of Rann Du. She usually went about 3 o'clock in the evening. She went as usual this one evening and milked the goats. while milking she noticed that they were very frightened and restless. As she started for home she found she had lost her way. she was walking walking and ditched and hedges seemed to be rising in front of her. She seemed to have walked for at least two hours and being worn out with fatigue sat down. As she sat down she spilled the milk and immediately all was clear before her and she was able to get home though weak and nervous. She says herself that she stood on a "stray sod" and that the spirits in Rann Dun wanted the milk and she spilled it at the beginning she would not have gone astray.
this story was told to me by Mrs Ellen Egan 80 yrs, Loughpark, Castlepollard to whom it happened.
Castlepollard, Co.Westmeath
NFCS 0721: 131-133
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The Stray Sod
Some 30 years ago with moters and buses were unknown and people had to travel about mostly on foot dirty needless to say every available shortcut was made to use of. One dark winter night a certain young man working and living in Clonsilla went on a visit to Lucan passing through luttrellstown demense for short he lost his way and found himself walking around and around and could not find his way out. Beads of perspiration gathered on his forehead.
When he beheld himself he was being followed by a lady in grey. After a while he found himself following the lady. The lady moved away off the circle and he followed her and soon found himself at the gate entrance.
Afterwards he learned that there were many stray sods on the estate and the lady was a world known harmless ghost. She had married one of the bad luttrels and lead a most unhappy life. The man to his dying day after told of his gratitude to the ghost (the grey lady) of Luttrelstown Castle Clonsilla for getting him away from the stray sod.
Clonsilla, Co.Dublin
NFCS 0790: 21
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Fairy Forts
About a mile from here there are two forts in the townland of Rooe, Co. Cavan. One of them is in the South end on the land of Mr. Charles McLaughlin and the other in the North end on Mr. John Dolan's land.
The fort in Mr. McLaughlin's land is not very high and is mostley composed of stones. It is now all covered with whin bushes.
The one in John Dolan's land is six or seven feet high. It is a nice green mound. Long ago it must have been a great hight. There is a great view from it. Both of these forts are beside the same river and it looks as if the people who built those mounds first wanted to be near the water. It is supposed that fairies lived in those forts long ago and people who lived about eighty years ago could tell that they often saw lights in those forts and often saw them going from one fort to the other. Strange to say there is always a beaten pass between the two forts. Although there is no traffic of people or any thing else on it the same pass remains always there. Some place between these forts there is what is called a stray sod. People often went a stray and were hours and hours walking about before they could find their way. About twenty years ago a woman went astray in this place in the middle of the day. She was taking a near cut home across this way and she says although she came on sight of her own house several times she could'ent believe that she ever saw that house before. When she reached her home she thought she never felt so tired.
Men often went astray here too. Some of them say that the only thing to do when this happens is to sit down and rest and take off your coat and put it on you in side out. You could then see your way clearly.
Brockagh Lower, Co.Leitrim
NFCS 0198 410-411
