Congratulations to Meabh Walters on her winning story – “How Lough Gur got it’s name”, please enjoy the story below.
How Lough Gur got its name
In the fairy village of Lough Gur they had a rather unusual holiday. Each year they celebrated horse day to be thankful for the horse that saved them from the goblins. However, who said the goblins were gone….
All the fairy’s gathered together to hear Queen Annalise tell the story of the giant horse who had saved them all…
It was a misty night and the goblins were winning, they had pushed us back to our final stand. We were just about to retreat again when we heard a tremendous neighing sound. We looked and saw a ginormous horse! It took a deep breath and blew. It blew ALL the goblins away and won us the war but when we rushed over to thank it… It was gone! All that was left was a giant hoofprint! Each year we celebrate the horse who won us the war!
“Wow!” whispered Dixi to her twin Nixi “No one tells it better than Queen Annalise.” Nixi nodded fervently. “For sure “she whispered back. Their mother Winkle poked them in the back. “Quiet” she hissed. But with everyone looking up at the Queen no one noticed goblins creeping out of the hoofprint… In fact no one noticed them until all at once all the fairies were grabbed from behind! “Let go!” squealed Daisy.”Ouch!”groaned Dewdrop. The fairies were bundled away into woven little cages.”Let me out!!” screeched Fifi. The goblins looked up at them with triumph.”Ha ha got you now!” the leader cackled. “No horsie now!” screeched another.
Little did they know that one fairy hadn’t been at the party…She had gone to visit her sister Tilly and that fairy was Gur. She arrived at the village center laden with new seeds and cakes but no one was there. Gur looked around in bewilderment wondering where everyone was. In the distance she saw a glowing light so she dropped her bags and flew towards the light. It was a big fire as she got closer she noticed it was not fairies dancing around it but goblins! She flew towards it and as she got closer she could hear the fairy babies crying. She looked into a cave the sound seemed to be coming from. When she saw all the fairies she instantly turned and flew to the Queen’s chamber. She grabbed the royal wand which was said to be the most powerful wand in Ireland and picked it up. Back she flew to the fairies. As soon as she arrived she chanted “Goblins come to me, fairies be free!” The cages disappeared and the fairies were free! A long rope of flowers emerged from the tip of the wand and caught all the goblins.”I banish ye to Echo Gate, Meath!” she cried. With a poof the goblins disappeared.
And as Gur listened to what happened she realised they must have come from the hoofprint. She waved the wand again and chanted “Shoe of a horse who made the goblins quake, now shall be a lake!” With another poof the hoofprint became full of water. “What shall we call it?”Gur asked. Nixi and Dixi looked at each other and nodded. “Lough Gur” they chorused. “No no.”stammered Gur in embarrassment. “Yes,” proclaimed the queen” Lough Gur.”
They went back to the village square and ate cake and celebrated. A week later all the new seeds were planted. “They’re called daisies.”explained Gur. The goblins never bothered them again and they lived happily ever after.
If you ever hear something on the 3rd of May at Lough Gur. Don’t worry it’s just the fairies celebrating Horse day! And when you see daisies there remember Gur and the goblins.
Written by Méabh Walters,
Aged 12
