Overview
Erica’s Fairy Forest opened in October 2016, on what would have been Erica Ní Draighneain’s sixth birthday. Erica, who died of childhood cancer in 2016 at the age of six, had loved her visits to Cootehill and to her grandparents, the Fitzpatricks on Station Road, and after she died her parents Natasha and Ciarán worked with the town to turn that belief in fairies into something permanent. It is built and maintained by local volunteers, it is free, and it is open all day, every day.
The forest sits inside Halton’s Amenity & Forest Park, on the Cavan–Monaghan border just outside Cootehill, on the shore of Dromore Lough – an inter-drumlin lake fringed with wet woodland and reed beds. If you’re coming with small children, this is a genuinely good hour out. If you’re not, it’s a pleasant fifteen-minute walk in nice woodland and not much more; be honest with yourself about which trip you’re making.
The fairy trail
Handmade fairy doors, figures and small sculptures are set into the trees along a short woodland path – some up high on branches, some tucked into the roots, so children spend the walk hunting for the next one. There are storytelling spots along the way, and a few simple play features for younger kids. The makers are local people who give their time to it, which is why the place feels homemade rather than packaged.
One honest caveat on access: the car park and the main park walks are level and have been made easy for everyone, but the fairy forest itself is reached down a forest path with a slight incline and a loose gravel surface. You can see a lot of the figures from the path beside it, but a wheelchair or buggy won’t get the full run of it, and after rain that path turns muddy. Wear proper shoes.
When to go and seasonal events
Most visitors spend under an hour at the fairy trail itself, though the wider park has lakeside walks if you want to stretch it out. The community runs seasonal events worth timing a visit around – an Easter egg hunt, autumn lantern walks at dusk, and a Christmas fairy-light walk through the trees. Dates change each year, so check the Cootehill community pages before travelling.
Getting there and practical information
- Location: Halton’s Amenity & Forest Park, Fairgreen, Cootehill, County Cavan, on the Cavan–Monaghan border.
- From Cootehill Diamond: a 15–20 minute walk, or a short taxi (roughly €8–12).
- From Cavan town: take the N3 towards Belturbet, exit onto the R202 for Ballinagh, continue about 10 km, then turn onto the L1000 for Fairgreen, where the forest is signed.
- Parking: free, near the park entrance, with a short walk to the trail.
- Facilities: none at the trail itself. For a hot chocolate and a fairy bun afterwards, head into Cootehill.