Tullybrack, County Cavan

There are stories of the bean Sí every-where around. She cries for the McGoldricks always.
Ned McGoldrick used to be in our house often. He saw and heard her. He and Francy Michael were coming from rambling one night and they were coming down the glen. Suddenly they heard '' the cries. ''
They knew immediately it was the bean Sí. They looked up the glen and she was coming on towards them.'' A small wee woman all in white and every cry out of her that would make your hair stand on end. Panic seized them and they ran as fast as they could and still the cries were behind them. On getting home they heard no more. An old member of the McGoldricks was dying at the time.I have met a great many of the old men who were quite sure of having heard the bean Sí and just a few who saw her. All the stories were much the same as the above. None of the men had talked with the fairy nor had any of them waited to get a close view of her. This seems a pity, but it can't be helped. The belief in the bean Sí still persists.

Just two more accounts of her:
One of them is from my brother Rev. J.J. Maguire C.S.S.p. Pittsburg. He did his studies in America- Ferndale.
There was another girl student there and the student's mother was ill away at home in Ireland. They were walking round the grounds one Winter's evening and the student suddenly asked my brother '' Did you hear it? ''.
But my brother had heard nothing.'' It was the bean Sí said the student and that means my mother has
just died.When the news came from Ireland it was just so.The second story is only of yesterday. Around Christmas 1936. John Francis heard the in Derryvella. It was
late at night.
Joe Pat and Tommy Owen were coming home late the same night or the next night and they heard her too. This is their description. They heard the cries and were afraid it was a small child that had got lost. They knew all the fields and went towards the cries. When they reached the place the cries were in another place-they went there and then the cries were back to where they heard them first. Again they went to make a good search, and on reaching the place the cries started in the place where the boys had been on first hearing the cries. Then they connected it with the bean Sí and went on home. Next day one of the family died-a family for whom the bean Sí cries.

From the National Folklore Collection, UCD. 


Maguires' Chair is the name given to a great rock and rock formation along the road which leads from Bawnboy to Glengevlin. It is in the townland of Altachullen about four perch from where the road from Swanlinbar joins the main road.
There is an old tradition about how it got its name.This is the story. Once when there was a war on between Mcgovern and Maguire clans the Maguire marched with his men along the mountains and called a halt at this place.The army had lunch there, the clansmen sat on the rocks all around while the Maguire sat on
''the chair'' and since then it has been called Maguires' chair.

There is somewhat the shadow of an older tradition. The rock was an altar in pagan times, and ever since the fairies and the bean sidhe have their homes among the rocks.

All the neighbours would be sorry if it were broken up for road material.

Maguire's Chair - dimensions
Length 30' Breadth 12' Height 9'

From the National Folklore Collection, UCD.