- The Naming of the Fairy Water: Near Omagh in County Tyrone, a small stream flowing into the River Strule is known as the Fairy Water. Long ago, a couple lived on its banks with a troublesome baby that cried incessantly. A neighbour suggested it might be a fairy changeling and advised placing it on a shovel held over the fire. When the parents did so, the child suddenly vanished. The next morning, fairy music was heard outside, revealing the stream’s supernatural connection and giving it its name.
- The Mysterious Woman on the Tyrone Mountains: About seventy-five years before the 1930s, a strange woman appeared on the mountains of Tyrone, wearing a blue dress and a hat that changed colour repeatedly—blue one moment, green or another shade the next. Locals were terrified. One day, a brave young man encountered her while searching for sheep. She warned him not to reveal their conversation or she would kill him in his bed, but promised a gift if he returned the next morning before eating. He agreed, and she instructed him to push back a rock, implying treasure or reward beneath.
- The Birch Flag and the Lord of Tyrone: In a humorous traditional rhyme from the Main Manuscript Collection, a storyteller claims fantastical sightings, including “a birch flag making hay for the Lord of Tyrone.” This refers to an impossible vision of a birch branch or flag personified, labouring in the fields for the historic Lord of Tyrone (likely evoking the powerful O’Neill chieftains), blending exaggeration with echoes of ancient noble traditions in the county.
- The Changing Hat Apparition: Tied to the mysterious woman on the Tyrone mountains, her hat’s constant colour-shifting—appearing blue, green, or other hues in quick succession—heightened local fear. This supernatural detail marked her as otherworldly, contributing to tales of ghostly or fairy-like figures haunting the upland areas of the county.
- The Disappearing Changeling: In the tale behind the Fairy Water near Omagh, the suspected fairy child’s sudden disappearance from the shovel over the fire left the parents astonished. The subsequent sounds of fairy music the following morning confirmed the changeling swap, a common motif in Tyrone folklore warning of fairy interference in human homes. $$$Waterford
Folklore
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County Tyrone:
Ireland’s county Tyrone is a county of rolling landscapes and historic sites, with the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh offering a fascinating look at emigration history through recreated villages. The Sperrin Mountains provide hiking trails with panoramic views, while the Beaghmore Stone Circles add ancient intrigue. Other attractions include the historic town of Dungannon and its castle ruins. Tyrone is Ireland’s seventh largest county by size (3,263 square km) and 11th largest by population (188,383). Population peaked at 312,956 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 127,586 in 1936. In terms of hospitality, Tyrone is Ireland’s 24th most visited tourist county with around 68,000 international visitors per year.
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