The Fairy's Question At funerals in County Sligo, the spade and the shovel are left in the shape of a cross at the open grave. This is a custom that has been handed down from St. Patrick.
   The saint had a servant called Domhnaill, and one day he was collecting wood to make a fire. He collected such a large bundle that he was unable to lift it by himself.
   Suddenly, a small man — one of the Faery People — appeared, lifted the bundle and set it down where the fire was to be lit. Domhnaill thanked the little man, who declared that he must do him a favour in return.
   'Tomorrow', said the fairy, 'while St. Patrick is saying the mass, ask him what will become of the Little People on the Last Day of Judgement.'
   Domhnaill put the fairy's question to St. Patrick in the middle of the church service. The saint, surprised at the interruption, replied, 'They will be lost.' Afterwards, he asked his servant why he had put the question to him at such a time.
   Domhnaill explained that it had been the fairy's bargain, and that he must return next day with the reply.
   'I know that the Faery People will not be pleased with the answer,' he said, unhappily.
St Patrick was concerned for his servant's safety. "You must keep the bargain you have made with the fairy,' he said, 'but you must also protect yourself.' He told Domhnaill to dig a grave wide and deep enough to lie in, and to stay in it for one whole day.
   At the top of the grave, the spade and shovel must be placed in the form of a cross, to ward off evil spirits. The next day Domhnaill returned to the fairy, who asked the question: 'What will happen to the Little People on the Last Day?' 
   'They will be lost Domhnaill replied. Immediately, the shrieks and screams of millions of fairies were heard. A terrible storm broke out, lightning flashed and thunder rolled as it had never rolled before.
   The fairies were in a terrible, vengeful mood but Domhnaill remained safe beneath his cross in the ground.
Eventually, the fairies' cries became a plaintive wailing. Domhnaill staved in his grave for two days, and then emerged safely.
The crossed spade and shovel have been placed over newly dug graves ever since.

Hawk's Well

The Hawk's Well at Tullaghnan, on the slopes of the Ox Mountains, is one of the wonders of Ireland. Its origin, like that of the crossed spade and shovel, is attributed to St Patrick.
   The saint was on the peak of a mountain in County Mayo, which is now known as Croagh Patrick. There he banished all the serpents and demons out of Ireland and into the sea, where they drowned.
   However, one demon-serpent managed to escape. This demon was known as Caorthannach, sometimes called the Fire-Spitter, and it was even said that she was the devil's mother.
   The demon slid down the side of Ox Mountain thinking that she was unobserved. But St Patrick saw her, and was determined that no demon should remain in Ireland. At  the foot of the mountain, the fastest horse in County Mayo was brought for him to ride. The saint mounted, and set off in pursuit of Caorthannach, the Fire-Spitter.
  The demon sped northwards, spitting fire as she went. She knew that St Patrick would need water to quench his thirst, so she poisoned every well that she passed.
  The saint became more and more thirsty as he pursued the demon. But he knew he must not drink from the contaminated wells, and rode on. When he reached Tullaghan, in County Sligo, he was so desperately thirsty that he prayed for a drink.
  Suddenly, his horse stumbled on a rock and St Patrick was thrown to the ground. As he fell, his hand and back struck a stone - and where he landed, a well sprang up beside him.
  The water from (his well was fresh and safe to drink, and the saint drank from it until his thirst was quenched. Then he hid himself in a hollow beside Carraig-an-Seabhach - the Hawk's Rock - and waited for the Fire-Spitter.
  As the demon approached, St Patrick sprang out and banished her with one word. The Fire-Spitter drowned in the Atlantic Ocean, and the swell she created flowed into the well. It is now a healing well and ebbs and flows with the tide -containing first fresh, and then salt waiter.
  The mark of St Patrick's hand and back, where he fell from his horse, and the imprint of the horse's hoof can still be seen on the stones by the well.

St. Patrick's Visit   Coney Island, in the bay of Sligo, used to be known as Inis Coinin - the island of rabbits. When St Patrick visited the island, he hoped that one day it would be possible to build a church there.
   He was invited to dine with one of the island families. His hostess, however, was distressed because she had no rabbit available to cook. But when the meal was served the problem had obviously been resolved, for the main dish appeared to be a delicious rabbit stew.
   The saint blessed the food, and as he was about to eat it, a dog suddenly appeared. Immediately, a cat jumped up from St Patrick's plate and bounded out of the door.
   The saint rose to his feet in anger. He said that because of what had happened, no church should ever be built on the island. Then, seeing the people's dismay, he added that every Sunday it would be possible for them to cross the seas to a church on the mainland.
   So now Coney Islanders worship on Sundays without getting; their feet wet — either crossing by boat to Rosses Point, or walking across the sands to Strandhill at low tide.

The Druid’s Candle  Saint Patrick came one night to a farmer’s house, and there was a great candle shining in some place near, and three or four of the farmer’s sons had got their death through it for every one that would see it would get his death. 
  It was some evil thing that put it there, witchcraft that the Druids used to be doing at that time the way the Freemasons do it in England to this day. They do that, and they have a way of knowing each other if they would meet in a crowd. 
  But Saint Patrick went to where the candle was, and it did him no harm and he put it out, and it was never lighted again in Ireland.