In Irish mythology, fairy was a broad term used to describe magical creatures. There are two types of fairy classifications, namely the Aos Sí (good fairies) and lone fairies. The Aos Sídhe were actually descendants of the Ancient Gods of Celtic Ireland, known as the tribe of Danu or the Tuatha de Danann.
The story goes that the people of Ireland descend from a race called Milesians. Milesians were once part of the Gaels tribe, but they had left Ireland and travelled the world for centuries. They eventually returned to Ireland to reclaim their home from the Gods at power. According to legend the Tuatha de Danann could make prophecies (The Morrigan had the gift of foresight for example) and knew they would not win this war, so they agreed to reside underground in the Otherworld while our ancestors remained above ground.
Over time the Gods became the Aos Sídhe (which means people of the fairy mound) and were known as fairies. They retained their human features for the most part and were creative and generally kind beings.
Alternatively, Irish mythical monsters more commonly derive from the lone fairy category. This classification has many more sub categories but in general, these fairies or Irish monsters are smaller, with less humanoid features and are generally more mischievous than the Aos Sídhe. Lone fairies include everything from Leprechauns to the Dullahan. Fairy Trees (lone Hawthorn trees), burial grounds and water were some of the ways for fairies to travel between our world and the Other world.
When Celtic Christianity was formed (by merging Celtic customs with Christian ideals) some things were easy to adapt as they were positive, but more myths and creatures were either left out of Irish folklore altogether or portrayed as purely evil. Magical creatures for example were either phased out of beliefs systems or presented as evil.
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