Sabhaircín

Guard the house with a string of primroses on the first three days of May. The fairies are said not to able to pass over or under this string. National Folklore Collection

The first sighting, tucked into the hedgerow, always a pleasing sight.

More work on Gobnait today and some serious sidetracking. St G started her journey on Inis Oirr which is the smallest of the Aran Islands. She had to come ashore to the mainland by  boat. Traditional boats are known as naomhógs (sort of pronounced nayvogue)  which rather wonderfully translates as little (female) saint. I then found an adventure involving a naomhóg named St Gobnait - four men, of an age where they should probably have known better, decided to do the Camino to Santiago del Compostela by one of the traditional routes - the sea, and built themselves a naomhóg. They were not particularly renowned for their sailing skills and were a boat builder, a musician, an artist and a philosopher! When they finally arrived in Santiago, after many adventures, they had to carry the boat to the cathedral and of course couldn't bring it in, so they drew out their instruments and processed in playing this -  Tonn Cliodhna - this version played by Brendan Begley who was the musician on the boat. Tonn Cliodhna means the Wave of Cliodhna.  There were originally Three Waves of Ireland ... maybe another time!
 more here about the adventure and a photo of the naomhóg and it's jolly crew.  And they made a film about it, here's the trailer