Irish fairy trees must be my favourite trees in the world! Most of the time it is a hawthorn tree and they are a huge part of Irish folklore. These trees are taken so seriously that these (sacred to the fairies) are considered not to be messed with or damaged. To many visitors to Ireland, it might just be this random wishing tree covered with ribbons that brighten up the place. But to paint a picture, motorways have been re-routed because of a single tree standing in the way.
Near ancient sites, they mostly stand out. There is no ignoring of the many objects that people leave behind to get their wish granted. It goes beyond just ribbons. Things you could find are photos, toys, balloons, pieces of paper, etc. They might contain a prayer or are just a gift. And ask any Irish person about the fairy trees. I bet they all have a story of someone getting their wish granted. Or someone trying to cut it down ending up with bad luck.
In this photo, the tree is rather empty. I took the photo before the season started and so there are hardly any ribbons in it. You can still see a few, though!
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