Irish planning commission must make allowance for fairies

[snopes]

Comment: I've been told by various people that in Ireland, it's possible for
planning permission to be denied due to the land being 'Fairy land' i.e.
Land for fairies, especially on the West side of Ireland.

And also the Cadbury's factory in Coolock, tried to extend but couldn't
due to part of the land containing a 'fairy mound'.

Is there any truth in this?

[Skeptic]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: I've been told by various people that in Ireland, it's possible for
planning permission to be denied due to the land being 'Fairy land' i.e.
Land for fairies, especially on the West side of Ireland.
Is there any truth in this?

I don't think it's quite this simple. Ireland now has very strict archealogical protection laws, and it could protect a site if there was some sort of previous alteration of the landscape. It's this that is potentially protected, not some sort of belief in the fairies.

I've known people who have had to go to quite a lot of trouble and expense to prove that there are no ancient relics or sites on their land before planning permission is granted.

[Nick Theodorakis]

Perhaps the writer in the OP meant Iceland, rather than Ireland, where the belief in various mythological folk ("huldufolk") is widespread:

Highway engineers in recent years have been forced to reroute roads around supposed elf dwellings. Similarly, builders of the country's first shopping mall took care to lay electrical cables and other underground installations well away from suspected abodes of gnomes and fairies. Couples planning a new house will sometimes hire "elf-spotters" to ensure the lot is free of spirit folk.

Although I don't see any indication that this was the result of any governmental planning commission rather than just popular belief.

Nick

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Nick Theodorakis

Perhaps the writer in the OP meant Iceland, rather than Ireland, where the belief in various mythological folk ("huldufolk") is widespread:



Although I don't see any indication that this was the result of any governmental planning commission rather than just popular belief.

Nick

Michael Lewis mentioned this in his Vanity Fair article on the economic troubles of Iceland:

Alcoa, the biggest aluminum company in the country, encountered two problems peculiar to Iceland when, in 2004, it set about erecting its giant smelting plant. The first was the so-called “hidden people”—or, to put it more plainly, elves—in whom some large number of Icelanders, steeped long and thoroughly in their rich folkloric culture, sincerely believe. Before Alcoa could build its smelter it had to defer to a government expert to scour the enclosed plant site and certify that no elves were on or under it. It was a delicate corporate situation, an Alcoa spokesman told me, because they had to pay hard cash to declare the site elf-free but, as he put it, “we couldn’t as a company be in a position of acknowledging the existence of hidden people.”

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/f...urrentPage=all

But it's been disputed:

Right. I’ve heard the elf thing mentioned in tired travel articles (normally wedged between paragraphs on the beauty of waterfalls and tips for eating ram testicles), but I personally know no one on this island who believes in elves. Not one. As for Alcoa, their rep believes Lewis is likely referring to a law regarding environmental-impact assessments. The assessment includes an archaeological survey to ensure no important artifacts or ruins are destroyed, and the site’s history is also surveyed to see if it was ever named in any Icelandic folklore. And yes, some of that folklore involves elves. But if you’re going to introduce the notion that some kind of Ministry of Elf Inspection exists within the ranks of the Icelandic government, you might as well also note that we take the Hogwart’s Express to the office every day.

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/03...fairs_fis.html

And on page four of the comments in the link above, Vanity Fair responds:

A 2007 University of Iceland poll found that, while few people will go on the record to say they believe in elves, 54 percent of the Icelandic population will not deny that they exist. The information concerning Alcoa and elves was related to Lewis by an Alcoa executive. As he is quoted in the piece as saying, "We can't be in the position as a corporation..." is it any surprise that the Alcoa spokesperson Mr. Moody reached will not confirm the story?

[Blatherskite]

This is one area where I feel morally and intellectual torn as an atheist and basically a sceptic, but also as a fan and supporter of traditional customs and traditions. I do believe that certain areas should be protected out of mythical and folkloric interest, but I find it hard to justify those beliefs when I don't feel that modern and mainstream religion is a stable basis for interference in governmental or business issues.

If I have to justify it to myself, I believe that it is the antiqueness of the folkloric belief that I cherish. While a person might not believe in cruel and unusual punishment, they may treasure the continued existence of the town stocks. I believe that it should be remembered that people believed, or at least imagined, even if I don't believe in such things myself. I think that historic mentalities and sensibilities are a valuable source of intrigue and should never be bulldozed on a whim, no more than a place should be totalled when it harbours a rare moss or beetle. More than that, I think some ridiculous myths are the foundations of some smaller village and town societies, and although I value scepticism and a proveable reality, I value a functioning community even more. That's why I believe that while there's no fairy at Janet's Foss in the Dales where I sometimes go walking (I know - I've checked), the myth is more significant than the reality and it would be a tragedy if Janet's Foss were turned into a Little Chef.

Sorry, I went into a bit of a rant there.

[Dropbear]

From Steve's Vanity Fair response

As he is quoted in the piece as saying, "We can't be in the position as a corporation..." is it any surprise that the Alcoa spokesperson Mr. Moody reached will not confirm the story?

I love the logic here - more commonly associated with believers in Area 51 conspiracies -: "They denied there was a coverup- that proves that there is a coverup, because otherwise they wouldn't deny it."

Dropbear

[jw]

Originally Posted by snopes

And also the Cadbury's factory in Coolock, tried to extend but couldn't
due to part of the land containing a 'fairy mound'.

Is there any truth in this?

I don't recall such an incident. It's in the middle of an industrial estate and there are factories all around it. If planning was refused it was more likely because they ran out of room.

[snopes]

Comment: I have heard that from very unreliable sources a surprisingly
consistant rumor, that in Iceland if one is to breakground on new
construction she must first have a GOVERNMENT offical certify that the
land is not occupied by any "Hidden People" namely elves. This rumor shows
up on wikipedia and other parts of the internet, I assume there must be an
actual government body that can confirm or deny this pretty easily but I
have not seen such evidence. Icelanders love their elves but are they
engrained to such a degree that there is government procedures for them?

[Ana Ng]

I can personally attest to in my travels meeting many people young and old who not only held such beliefs but also acted differently because of them. Even friends of mine in Dublin that mocked my "culchie" boyfriend swore they'd heard banshees at one time or another, or wouldn't keep Ouija boards in the house. Normally, I'd chalk it up to f*cking with Americans (a national hobby) but I gathered these boys were somewhat serious. (As an aside, Stephen once snapped at my barrage of irish gaelic linguistic prodding and was like, "No! It doesn't exist! It's just something we pretend to speak to f*ck with ye yanks."

[Brad from Georgia]

I always thought Irish fairies were quaint until they got their tiny hands on C-4 plastic explosive.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by Ana Ng

. . . or wouldn't keep Ouija boards in the house.

Plenty of USians won't do that, for religious reasons.

Originally Posted by Brad from Georgia

I always thought Irish fairies were quaint until they got their tiny hands on C-4 plastic explosive.

Bad Brad!

[Dara bhur gCara]

Originally Posted by Brad from Georgia

I always thought Irish fairies were quaint until they got their tiny hands on C-4 plastic explosive.

Technically, the plastic explosive used by Irish fairies is Semtex, which is RDX-based, and comes from the former Czechoslovakia. C-4 apparently smells too strong for Irish fairies to smuggle it through US customs in their pots o' gold.