Men and women who had acquired the reputation of being able to counter the malevolence of the fairies through incantations and herbs. Their remedies were usually applied to the cure of cattle. One of the most renowned, Teare of Ballawbane, told Train in 1833 that the malevolence of the fairies had caused the seed potatoes to become tainted in the ground, and that all the potatoes he had taken under his protection had vegetated vigorously. The fairy doctors occupied a recognised position in the community, mediating between the human and fairy worlds through knowledge passed down across generations.