Description
Ballyness Bay, Falcarragh, County Donegal, Ireland
I’ve often sighted the odd seal here and there on my outings across Ireland but never seen more than a few together at any one time. Last weekend on a visit to Ballyness bay I was greeted by this full colony of seals! It was a very warm balmy day and this herd of 14 various coloured seals were loving life resting on a giant sandbank island and facing an oncoming sea breeze to keep cool. It sent my mind into deep thought again, this time on the old Irish folklore of the Seal People or the Selkies….
The legend of the Selkie is Ireland’s vision of a Mermaid. They are half fish and half human. In the water they are seals, however on dry land they have the magical ability to instantly shed their skin and take on human form. It is believed in this shapeshifted human form (often as women) they are irresistible to us real humans who fall madly in love with these beautiful seal people known as Selkies.
Legend has it that in order for a Selkie to come ashore they must first shed their skin. And if you manage to find that skin and hide it away, the seal person cannot return to the sea. Irish folklore is littered with tales of men and women (usually men) finding a selkie skin and hiding it. After the Selkie fails to find it they are forced to spend the rest of their life on dry land. The man then marries the selkie and they both live happily together forever…
I had a look around but did not find any seal shed skins, nor was I approached by a beautiful woman trying to steal my heart…. I guess they knew I was already taken
I’ve often sighted the odd seal here and there on my outings across Ireland but never seen more than a few together at any one time. Last weekend on a visit to Ballyness bay I was greeted by this full colony of seals! It was a very warm balmy day and this herd of 14 various coloured seals were loving life resting on a giant sandbank island and facing an oncoming sea breeze to keep cool. It sent my mind into deep thought again, this time on the old Irish folklore of the Seal People or the Selkies….
The legend of the Selkie is Ireland’s vision of a Mermaid. They are half fish and half human. In the water they are seals, however on dry land they have the magical ability to instantly shed their skin and take on human form. It is believed in this shapeshifted human form (often as women) they are irresistible to us real humans who fall madly in love with these beautiful seal people known as Selkies.
Legend has it that in order for a Selkie to come ashore they must first shed their skin. And if you manage to find that skin and hide it away, the seal person cannot return to the sea. Irish folklore is littered with tales of men and women (usually men) finding a selkie skin and hiding it. After the Selkie fails to find it they are forced to spend the rest of their life on dry land. The man then marries the selkie and they both live happily together forever…
I had a look around but did not find any seal shed skins, nor was I approached by a beautiful woman trying to steal my heart…. I guess they knew I was already taken
