Short Fiction · Chapter
II: The Fairies in the Castle explained
After the failed Rebellion of '45, Ultor de Lacy is attainted and his estate forfeited.
What happens
After the failed Rebellion of '45, Ultor de Lacy is attainted and his estate forfeited. His daughters, Alice and Una, are forced to take refuge in a ruined tower of the old castle with two loyal servants. Local boys mistake their light for a fairy's and one boy, Shaeen Mull Ryan, is caught and brought before the ladies, who playfully pretend to be fairies before releasing him with a warning.
Themes in this chapter
Folklore and Local Tradition
The local boys believe the castle is haunted by the Phooka, and the ladies exploit fairy folklore to frighten the captured child.
Social Class and Decay
The de Lacy family, once proud, now reduced to living in a ruined tower with only two servants and a small annuity.
Characters to notice
- Ultor de Lacy
Implicated in the Rebellion of '45, attainted, estate forfeited; directs his daughters to take shelter in the old castle.
- Una
Younger daughter, playful and beautiful, pretends to be a fairy queen and frightens the captured boy before releasing him.
- Ally Moran
Elder daughter (Alice), described as dark-haired and grave, writes at the table and tends to the boy's wound.
- Tom Chuff
Old servant in a dingy white coat, referred to as 'Larry'; captures the boy and later escorts him away.
Key passages
“The Rebellion of ’45 came, and Ultor de Lacy was one of the few Irishmen implicated treasonably in that daring and romantic insurrection.”
Ultor de Lacy was among the Irish who took part in the 1745 Jacobite rebellion.
Establishes the historical backdrop and Ultor's treason.
“In due course he was attainted, and his little estate forfeited.”
He was declared a traitor and lost his property.
Shows the legal and financial ruin of the family.
“Little Shaeen Mull Ryan, the last of the panic rout, screaming to his mates to wait for him—saw a whitish figure emerge from the thicket...”
The boy Shaeen, fleeing with his friends, was caught by a pale figure in the dark.
Introduces the boy's capture and the fairy-like atmosphere.
“Do you know who I am, my little man? Well, I’m the fairy Una, and this is my palace...”
Una pretends to be a fairy queen to scare the boy.
Highlights the playful deception and folkloric theme.