Some orphaned Irish girls would be institutionalized when they came of age because their beauty predisposed them to be "in danger of sin."
Cathal Pendred, who plays Michael Cleary lives in Dublin, Ireland. He is a retired MMA fighter and is a supporter anti-domestic violence groups.
Irish folklore states that young boys were preferable to supernatural kidnappers so parents would sometimes dress young boys as girls to make them less appealing to the fairies.
Michael Cleary was found guilty of manslaughter and served 15 years in prison. After his sentence, he moved to Montreal, Canada.
In Switzerland, Cretans, or people who develop mental retardation and/or become deformed were thought be good luck. The presence of a cretan meant God was focusing all of his wrath on a single individual, therefore sparing the village.