In 1983, the quiet village of Ardagh, Co. Longford found itself on national television. Local man Jim Sweeney was interviewed by Mike Murphy for RTÉ’s The Live Mike, standing beside a solitary, weather-worn tree on his land.

Jim explained that the tree was no ordinary bush. Locals regarded it as a fairy tree, and the family tradition was stark: when the tree falls, the last of the Sweeneys will die. By 1983, Jim was the last of his line, and he worked tirelessly to keep the tree alive — propping its failing branches, supporting its trunk, determined to hold death at bay.

The story captured imaginations across Ireland. Viewers saw a man tending a fading hawthorn, bound by faith and fear to its survival.

What became of the tree afterwards is less clear. Some say Jim lived until the late 1980s; others claim the fairy tree stood for years beyond. But the tale remains a striking reminder of how seriously such traditions were held, even into modern times.