Every summer something magical happens at Brigit's Garden on Elves and Fairies Day.

This year on Sunday, August 15th the day brought a record turn-out of Elves and Fairies, making perhaps the most exciting day ever!

The Fairy Queen stopped by to sprinkle late summer magic all over the gardens and made them glitter.  A record turn-out of young elves and fairies joined her for a special day of fairy fun. Children and their families found gold at the end of the rainbow on a treasure hunt, and enjoyed other fairy activities like crown-making and face-painting. ‘Piparella and the Lost Colours’, a delightful children’s show with Pipa the Elf entertained all in the marquee and was followed by a fairy parade through the gardens.

Elves and fairies of all ages brought colour and sparkle to the gardens with their fantastic costumes and many prizes were won, from Littlest Fairy and Best Young Fairy to Best Adult Fairy.

 Click here to see a photo album of the event.

Did you know that Brigit's Garden has its very own  fairy fort - a place where fairies are thought to call home?

In Irish folklore the fairy folk are thought to be the Tuatha de Danaan, a mythical non-human race who were the children of the goddess Danu and inhabited Ireland thousands of years ago. Mythology holds that the Tuatha de Danaan lost Ireland in battle to the invading Milesians (humans). Upon their defeat, instead of leaving Ireland as agreed, they retreated to live in the thousands of ring forts that are found across Ireland. That is how the term fairy forts came to be.

Historically, ring forts or raths are circular enclosures surrounded by an earthen or stone bank and were used as protective homesteads during the iron age from about 500 to 1200 AD. Archaeologists have found evidence of everyday activities such as cooking, the grinding of grain and pottery making at these ancient dwelling sites. It is estimated that upwards of 40,000 ring forts can still be seen dotting the Irish countryside.

Through the years it was considered bad luck to disturb these ancient ring forts for fear of retribution from the fairies. Ironically, those beliefs help keep many of the ancient sites in Ireland preserved. To this day many people try to avoid the fairies, but at Brigit's Garden we welcome them, especially on Elves and Fairies day!