I wrote about the dullahan in a previous blog, titled Coincidences? The dullahan is a mythical Irish creature, often described as a headless horseman. My husband and I recently returned from a memorable trip to Ireland with our two oldest granddaughters, who are fifteen and sixteen. We started the week with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin and traveled to nearby Kildaire, Dundalk, and Carlingford to meet with Jack’s family. It was lovely to spend a week with the girls, who couldn’t have been better traveling companions.
One of the most magical times was spent at the National Leprechaun Museum in Dublin. The storyteller was engaging as he talked about legends, fairies, and elves with warnings that leprechauns are very feisty and will use trickery to keep their gold. He also spoke about the dullahan, and that people thought he was the harbinger of death. He also mentioned that the dullahan was the inspiration for the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I think he made that connection because just about everyone on the tour was American. In a funny moment, Jack asked the storyteller what it was like to meet a dullahan in person. He smiled and said, “It’s certainly surprising!”
‘Til next time,
Barbara
