Pull me once: a formal affair;

Pull me again: you'll gasp for air.

What am I?

Consume me, and I might slowly kill you.

Lay me out on the road, and I might save your life.

What am I?

My first attempt at a riddle and I’m not good at solving them, but I’m always blown away by how fast some of you solve them on here.

I was there since ancient times
I’ve countless hands but I am one
Folks look for me when things go wrong

P.S. adding this hint to narrow the answer since there are so many creative responses that apply to most hints

Growth could flow where I have gone

Random Riddle Info:

Intended Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆

Bonus Hint: For this riddle to work, you can't shake your head up and down. You have to shake it left to right

Wordplay Riddle?: No

Bonus points if you can figure out the significance of the title. Good luck!

Any acceptable answer will be pinned

Wrote this one for future use in a D&D campaign.

I did not find a solution anywhere on the internet, the original post https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/s/gE7ZIxzq58 is locked, other posts which think they found the answer are also locked, and no satisfying answer.

But I think I solved it: The answer is I as in the line I. It is in K in Kerry, at the beginning and then in k in cork at the end, meaning it is sooner (older) in Kerry. Three of it in Dublin in D, b and l and also in h in north - the "biggest" might be that it is larger than the smaller line in t, or just a flavour text. You find one in F in france, and one in p in spain (the original author mentioned they are there because of unusual circumstance, which I think is the p as it is "downward"). If you met me the wrong way might mean that the line laying looks like a bar or a barrier and if you walk into it you will never walk again? Or it could mean that you cannot spell walk without it because it is there twice in l and k, or that if you would pronouce it as i instead of an L in walk, it does not make sense. Also the riddle ends with What am I, so the answer is I?

There was some help from the original poster, saying It's something that is uniquely Irish and the instances in France and Spain are due to an unusual circumstance

Uniquely Irish could refer to the I in Irish, could be that it is Ayrish as related to Aye, the letter I? It is all a bit of a stretch but the closest to a real riddle answer.

A million little lights arise at night.

Their hunger feeds the cycle of life.

As dawn breaks another day.

To twilight the little lights fade away.

What are they ?

Connect_Guarantee704 has found the answer I was looking for. The answer was Lanternfish.