Fairy Bridge

Fairy Bridge might refer to one of two locations on the Isle of Man:

Castletown Road

The Fairy Bridge better known to tourists, is that in the parish of Malew on the A5 road from Douglas to Castletown just below Ballalonna Bridge in Ballalonna Glen on the Santon Burn.coord|54|06|52|N|4|35|43|W|display=inline,title|region:IM_type:landmark

A once-popular superstition on the Isle of Man is to greet the fairies when crossing the fairy bridge - it is supposedly unlucky not to. However, like many local superstitions on the Isle of Man, it is changing with the influx of new residents. It has always been a whimsical practice, never taken too seriously, despite food writer [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2104-1984163,00.html A.A. Gill's repetition in London newspaper "The Times" of an urban myth] that taxi drivers will stop if the passenger does not greet the fairies.

Motorcycle racers and spectators to the annual TT and Manx Grand Prix races tend to take the ritual seriously, in most cases making a point of visiting the bridge before setting up for practice and the races. Mishaps and crashes are readily attributeed to the fairies displeasure; likewise lucky escapes.

It has been suggested that the location was on the boundaries of the land of the nearby Rushen Abbey and the greeting is a folk memory of crossing oneself at the sight of the crucifix marking the boundary of the monastery's land.

Kewaigue

The original "Real Fairy Bridge" is located in the parish of Braddan across the Middle River near to the footpath from Oakhill to Kewaigue.coord|54|08|15|N|4|31|19|W|region:IM_type:landmark

Hopes and Wishes

In the last decade, with the growth of alternative belief systems, superstitious practices have changed to include [http://www.photographersdirect.com/buyers/stockphoto.asp?imageid=445286 placing notes and letters on the trees around the bridge] .

External links

* [http://www.manxparents.net/attractions/fairy.php The Real Fairy Bridge] Article and map of the Real Fairy Bridge