Rathcroaghan is a huge mound just off the N5 after Tulsk in Co. Roscommon. There is a visitor centre in Tulsk based around the various cairns in the area. It is on the left hand side going north and there is a car-park and a small information board. The field it is in still has a bullocks in it so keep an eye on them.
Old people believe that at regular times during the year the fairies hold important horse fairs. One special 'fairy' man near this village relates how he was ordered to get up in the middle of the night to change horses from Mount Mary near the town of Ballygo down to Rathcroghan near Tulsk.
Hundred of horses with small 'mineen' riders galloped down across the country in the moonlight November Eve.
The great grandfather of the present blacksmith had his instructions to be always ready on Halloween night to put on shoes on the little travellers' horses.
One night he was dozing by the fire when a shout + tramp of horses wakened him. He was going to lift the horse's hind foot, when he noticed the animal had only three feet. "I can't shoe this horse" he said. "It's all right we will help you" said a score of little riders. The work was done and away went the fairy host, galloping like the wind, on their way to Rathcroghan for the great horse fair.
From the 1930s 'Schools Collection' of folklore, now being digitised at Duchas.ie. It seems like another one of those half-told tales (the three footed horse) where you are supposed to be in the know already and instinctively understand what it means from all the other three-legged animal tales you know. I'll have to work on it.
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Posted by bawn79
Posted by Rhiannon
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