King of the Fairies Hornpipe at Knockma Hill (Fairy Hill / Finvarra's Castle) in County Galway

Here's another clip filmed during my first trip to Ireland (on November 11, 2023 to be exact)!

After spending a night in Galway, my husband and I followed the kind recommendation of a friend (thanks, Rory!) and visited Knockma Hill, which was about a half hour drive North of Galway.

The park features a beautiful hiking trail leading up to a legendary location, now a pile of fallen stones which is said to have once been the castle of the infamous fairy king, Finvarra. Folklore has it that fairies were seen fighting over this location, and many believed that the potato famine was a result of this state of unrest in the fairy world.

Our journey to the top of the hill was like walking through a fairy tale! The hiking trail not only offers access to the ruins of an ancient castle (Castle Hackett) -- which looks straight from a storybook -- but the path is also lined with giant, moss-and vine-covered trees, as green as imaginable and perfectly fitting for the Emerald Isle.

Once at the summit, amidst the rubble of the fairy king's storied castle, we were treated to an incredible view of Galway and the surrounding countryside. Since I had my fiddle along, it seemed all too appropriate to play the tune "King of the Fairies" at this magical spot!

You can see more footage from our hike, as well as a lot more detail on the history and lore of this location, in Scott's video:
   • Irish legends, the Knockma Hill Fairy...  

Performance and musical accompaniment by Wendy Lynn Markus.
Special thanks to Scott Markus ‪@WhatsYourGhostStory‬ for filming!