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Creepy Ireland
Today's episode is on Creepy Ireland. To kick it off right, we wanted to say "top of the mornin' to ye '’' but seeing as how that's just a silly Hollywood invention, we are instead going to say "A hundred thousand welcomes."
Before we get into the meat and potatoes of this episode, I reached out to a friend of ours, Katie, who’s father is directly from Ireland. I asked her to see if he had any sort of creepy interactions over there. She also reached out to a cousin who lives over there and I received this message, this morning:
Oh boy I hit the jackpot reaching out to my cousins in Ireland I had no idea about this but here’s her message.
Ohhh some that I've heard, well as it happens 😅 Our cousin Sibeal, your cousin too (Shib-ale) her dad is part of PSI Ireland, Paranormal Study Investigations they have a whole Facebook/Tiktok following so he could have some good stuff
Yes, they have a website and everyone should go check it out and tell them we sent you. It’s http://psiireland.com/
Oh, and the response from Katie’s father:
(From her mother)
Dad said he can’t think of anything. I asked him about the fairies and the bancheez and he said he never saw any of them. The only thing we can think of was when they had to break his dead great uncles legs to get him in his coffin because they died at home and rigor mortis set in.
Amazing.
Well, it's not much like the Irish or us to beat around the bush, so if you don't like that then, "Fuck off while you still got the legs to carry ya."
First off, let's do what we do and talk about the country of Ireland and its history.
Ireland is a beautiful, lavishly green island in the North Atlantic. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth. The first is Greenland. Pretty impressive. By the way, the name "St George's Channel" is said to be recorded in 1578 in Martin Frobisher's record of his second voyage. It derives from a legend that Saint George had voyaged to Roman Britain from the Byzantine Empire, approaching Britain via the channel that bears his name. The name was popularized by English settlers in Ireland after the Plantations.
Funny story about Martin Frobisher; He was a privateer that used to rob French ships. Frobisher also found what he thought was gold ore and carried 200 tons of it home on three ships. They initially determined it to be worth a profit of £5.20 per ton (Roughly $7 U.S. Dollars), Which today would equate to around $237 per ton, making the haul worth approximately $47,400. Encouraged by his newfound wealth, Frobisher returned to Canada with an extensive fleet and dug several mines around Frobisher Bay. He carried 1,350 tons (approximately $319,950 today) of the ore back to England, where, after years and years of smelting, they realized that the ore was an utterly worthless rock called hornblende, which is typically dark green and shows how dumb people were back in the 16th Century.
Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom. In 2011, the population of Ireland was about 6.6 million, ranking it the second-most populous island in Europe after Great Britain. As of 2016, 4.8 million people lived in the Republic of Ireland, and 1.8 million in Northern Ireland.
Ireland has low-lying mountains surrounding a central plain, with several rivers extending inland. Its lush vegetation is a product of its mild but changeable climate, free of extremes in temperature. Not too hot, not too cold. Sounds nice. Much of Ireland was primarily forests until the end of the Middle Ages. Today, woodland makes up about 10% of the island, compared with a European average of over 33%. There are twenty-six land mammal species native to Ireland; this includes the Red Deer, which is believed to have been present in Ireland for at least 12,000 years. The mighty red deer is Ireland's most significant land mammal and the only current species of deer considered "native" to the country. The Irish climate is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and thus very moderate, and winters are milder than expected for such a northern area. However, summers are cooler than those in continental Europe. Rainfall and cloud cover are abundant. Like, a lot.
Gaelic Ireland had emerged by the 1st century AD. The island was Christianised from the 5th Century forward. Following the 12th century Anglo-Norman invasion, England claimed supreme power over Ireland. However, English rule did not extend over the entire island until the 16th–17th century Tudor conquest, which led to colonization by settlers from Logan and my distant relatives, the Brits. In the 1690s, a system of Protestant English rule was designed to materially screw over the Catholic majority and Protestant protesters and was extended during the 18th Century. Finally, with the Acts of Union in 1801, Ireland became a part of the United Kingdom. In the early 20th Century, the island's partition followed a war of independence, thus creating the Irish Free State, which became increasingly on its own over the following decades, and Northern Ireland, which remained a part of the United Kingdom.
Ok, that is a little history on the country of Ireland, and just a little side note, the wife and I are actually looking into going over to Ireland with my best pal and Patreon POOPR, Bill Birch, to visit his girlfriend's awesome family!
Now, let's get into the CREEPY side of Ireland.
What would a creepy episode be without a haunted castle or two or 30,000? Yes, there is approximately 30,000 muffin farmin' castles in Ireland, and, HELL NO, we're not talking about them all.
Loftus Hall, County Wexford. Known as the most haunted house in Ireland and said to be haunted by the Devil himself, the fate of Loftus Hall as one of the most haunted places in Ireland was perhaps set in stone due to its construction in 1350 during the time of the Black Death. (head back and listen to that episode) However, the legend of Loftus Hall actually dates from the 18th Century, when a mysterious stranger came calling on the Tottenham family, who occupied the house at the time. Legend has it that the Tottenham daughter, Anne, soon realized that this mysterious stranger was none other than the mother fuckin Devil due to the apparent fact that he had a cloven hoof in place of his foot. Good catch, Anne. Soon after, the mysterious stranger disappeared when he flew up and through the roof. Having disgraced the family due to her supposed hysterics, Anne was subsequently locked away in her room, where she died several years later. Psilocybin, anyone? Odd side note, in 2006, Minister for Health Mary Harney banned the sale and possession of magic mushrooms containing psilocybin following the tragic death of a 33-year-old Dublin man who jumped from a balcony while hallucinating. Oof It is said that mushroom Anne actually haunts Loftus Hall, which is said to be a hive of poltergeist activity, even today. That sonofabitch Devil also left his mark on Loftus Hall, where he left a mysterious mark on the roof, which visitors could view via a pre-booked guided tour of the hall if it were still functioning as a ghost trap. Yep, as far as I know, it's still for sale. As with most ghost stories, especially ones from forever ago, there are always variations to the story, and, of course, I found one.
One evening Charles was resting in his home in 1775 with his second wife and daughter from his first marriage, Anne, while the Loftus family were away on business. A ship unexpectedly arrived at the Hook Peninsula during a storm, where the mansion was located. A young man was welcomed into the mansion. Anne and the young man became very close. One night, the family and the mysterious man were in the Game Room playing cards. Each player received 3 cards apart from Anne, who was only dealt 2 by the mystery man in the game. A butler serving the Tottenham family at the table was just about to question the man when Anne bent down to pick another card from the floor, which she must have dropped. It is said that when Anne bent over to pick up the card, she looked beneath the table to see that the mysterious man had a cloven foot.
It was then that Anne stood up and said to the man: "You have a cloven foot!" So the man went up through the roof, leaving behind a large hole in the ceiling. Soon Anne became mentally ill. It is believed that the family was ashamed of Anne and locked her away in her favorite room, where she would be happy, yet out of everyone's view, which was known as the Tapestry Room. Anne refused food and drink and sat with her knees under her chin, looking out the Tapestry Room window across the sea to where Dunmore East is today, waiting for her mysterious stranger to return until Anne died in the Tapestry Room in 1775. It is said that when she died, they could not straighten her body, as her muscles had seized, and she was buried in the same sitting position in which she had died.
Ballygally Castle, County Antrim. Said to be one of the most haunted places in all of Ulster, the picturesque Ballygally Castle, which sits on the coast, is haunted by several different ghosts. The most well-known of these entities is the ghost of Lady Isabella Shaw. This so-called 'Ghost of Ballygally' has a penchant for knocking on bedroom doors in the dead of night. Though restless, Lady Isabella is a friendly ghost who roams the halls looking for the child taken from her at birth by her cruel husband, Lord James. Once in possession of his child, legend has it that Lord of buttholes James locked his wife away in a tower, where she fell –or was pushed – to her death sometime later. Today, visitors can climb a spiral staircase to view the 'Ghost Room' where Lady Isabella lived her tragic final days. In 2003, manager Olga Henry mentioned that after spending time in the hotel, "I'm sort of very skeptical about the whole supernatural Thing and ghosts. But the more I stay here and work here, the more I think there's definitely something in this hotel." According to Olga, a guest was staying in one of the rooms, located in the tower beneath the "Ghost Room." In the middle of the night, he awoke, half asleep, believing he was at home and that one of his children had laid their tiny hands on his back. He woke up, realizing where he was, and said that he could hear a child running about the room and laughing, but nothing could be seen, so he ran into the lobby wearing nothing but his boxers, scared to shit. In December 2003, Olga had set up the "Dungeon Room" in the tower, as they were expecting guests and requested that the table be neatly prepared for dinner service. She locked the room and later checked on it. The table was a complete mess with unfolded napkins glasses with an unusual scum around them and was now arranged on the table in a circle. Mediums spending the night at the castle have often reported that they've detected more active ghosts than guests actually staying at the hotel.
Ross Castle is now run as a B&B and was initially built in 1536 by local ruling clan the O'Donoghues Mór (Ross), though ownership changed hands during the Second Desmond Rebellion of the 1580s to the MacCarthy Mór. He then leased the castle and the lands to Sir Valentine Browne, ancestor of the Earls of Kenmare. The castle was the last to surrender to Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads during the Irish Confederate Wars. It was only taken when a boat brought artillery via the River Laune. Lord Muskerry held the castle against Edmund Ludlow, who marched to Ross with 4,000-foot soldiers and 200 horses; however, it was by water that he attacked the stronghold. The Irish had a prophecy that Ross could never be taken until a warship could swim on the lake, an unbelievable prospect.
"Ross may all assault disdain. Till on Lough Lein strange ship shall sail."
Guests often wake at night hearing voices and doors banging and shutting on their own. Paranormal believers say the spirit of an English lord's daughter haunts the castle. So does the ghost of Myles "The Slasher" O'Reilly, the Irish chieftain folk hero, spent his last night here before dying in battle in 1644.
Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin
More than 1.5 million people are buried in Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery, none arguably more prominent than Michael Collins, the nationalist leader killed in the Irish Civil War in 1922, among the most visited sites in Glasnevin. At least 183 soldiers of the Irish Free State were buried around him. In 1967 their names were recorded on a memorial around Collin's grave.
In 1993, a mass grave containing the remains of 155 women was uncovered at the site of a "Magdalene laundry" in High Park, Drumcondra. "Magdalene laundries" were institutions used to house "fallen women" (primarily referring to prostitutes). The Sisters from the Convent arranged to have the remains cremated and reburied in a mass grave at Glasnevin Cemetery, splitting the cost of the reburial with the developer who had bought the land.
The cemetery also offers a view of the changing style of death monuments in Ireland over the last 200 years: from the austere, simple, high stone erections of the period up until the 1860s, to the elaborate Celtic crosses of the nationalistic revival from the 1860s to the 1960s, to the plain Italian marble of the late 20th Century.
So, obviously, tales of ghosts and paranormal happenings shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. But it's the story of one Newfoundland dog that seems to get the most notice. When his master died, the faithful canine companion refused to leave the gravesite, eventually starving to death. Sad as fuck. But! The dog's apparition has been spotted at the tombstone.
Loughcrew, Neolithic Cemetery
The Loughcrew Cairns are passage tombs. 32 of them, in fact, were built over 5,000 years ago, and no one knows who made them. The Irish name for the cairns is Sliabh na Cailli, or "the Hills of the Witch." Legend has it that a witch built them by jumping from one hill to the next, dropping stones from her apron to form the cairns.
Castle Leslie, County Monaghan
Built in 1870, Castle Leslie's Red Room is supposedly inhabited by Norman Leslie, who died abroad in 1914 and returned to the castle as a ghost.
This actually comes from their official website:
"The Red Room has been at the centre of family life at Castle Leslie Estate for centuries – a doorway in and out of this life, so to speak. Anita Leslie King gave birth to her daughter Leonie in this room.
Norman Leslie was seen by Lady Marjorie Leslie beside the chest of drawers in 1914, a few weeks after he had been killed on the battlefields of France. He appeared as if in a cloud of light, reading through some of his letters as if he was searching for one in particular. Lady Marjorie sat up in bed with a start and said, `Why Norman – what are you doing here?' He simply turned to her and smiled, then faded away.
Lady Marjorie held court and received visitors in the Red Room until her death in 1951. At the very moment of her departure, she appeared in Desmond Leslie's London flat where his son Sean, then a baby, was dying of a poisoned mastoid. She came up the corridor in a gust of wind touched Sean, who suddenly said, "pain gone." He was perfectly cured.
About the same time, Desmond's mother-in-law, Emmy Bernauer, had a vision of Marjorie pointing across the lake to a fantastic palace glowing in the sky. Marjorie said to her, `Look where I am going to live now.'"
Castle Leslie gained media attention in 2002 when Sir Paul McCartney married Heather Mills in the family church located on the estate.
The Hell Fire Club, County Dublin Montpelier Hill, or the Hell Fire Club, is an old hunting lodge set in the Dublin mountains, with an extraordinary past indeed. Founded in the 18th Century by Richard Parsons, a Freemason and the first Earle of Rosse, the Hell Fire Club invited its members to deviate from the social norms of the day and take a walk on the wild side of life. If the Hell-Fire Club had a motto, it was probably 'Anything Goes.' From debauched behavior to satanic rituals, it seems that nothing was off-limits for members of the Hell Fire Club. Indeed, it is said that the ultimate aim for members of the Hell Fire Club was to summon Satan to their meetings. To this effect, members of the club, led by their president 'The King of Hell,' dabbled in black magic and conducted black masses. If legend is to be believed, the Hell Fire Club also sacrificed animals and even dabbled in cannibalism, offering and then consuming a servant girl in their quest to summon the Dark Lord.
One pretty creepy tale refers to a young man, a visitor to a local farmhouse. Hearing stories about it, he goes to investigate the club's activities. The following day he is found dead. His host and the local priest, believing him to have been murdered, go to the club to investigate. The priest enters only to see a banquet laid out and a black cat prowling the room. But this is no ordinary cat. It's friggin huge, and the priest notices that its ears are shaped like horns. Having a small bottle of holy water in his pocket, as one does, the priest decides to attempt an exorcism. The result tears the beast apart. Outside, the young man's host is found lying on the ground, his face and neck deeply scratched by strong claws.
Leamaneh Castle, County Clare There are a lot of haunted castles in Ireland; however, Leamaneh Castle in County Clare might be the castle with the most popular dark history of all. Red Mary, known for her flaming locks and fiery temper, ruled Leamaneh Castle with her husband and an iron fist. She often hung servant girls from the windows by their hair until they died. Married at least twenty-five times, it's said that one of Mary's many (and possibly last) husbands met an untimely end when she kicked him in the stomach until he died. Not surprisingly, Mary made a shit load of enemies, some of whom eventually captured the ginger widow, throwing her into a hollowed-out tree, where she ultimately starved to death. Today, Red Mary is said to haunt the ruins of Leamaneh Castle with her tormented screams and sightings of a fiery red-headed apparition stalking the area.
Hill of Tara
Yes, the Hill of Tara is a hill and an ancient ceremonial burial site near Skryne in County Meath, in Ireland. The Hill of Tara is one of the most important ancient sites in Europe and an important symbolic and mystical landscape in Ireland itself. It's believed the site was first used for burials around 3200 BC: the oldest passage tomb dates back to this point. An additional 33 Bronze Age burial sites have been discovered, and all were used for high-status individuals.
The Iron Age is when Tara became truly important. By early Christianity, it was the site of over 100 coronations of High Kings of Ireland: all roads in Ireland led back to Tara in this period of its prominence. The Lia Fáil, or Stone of Destiny, reportedly would let out a roar when it was touched by the rightful king. They say it still emits a vibration to this day.
St Patrick is said to have visited the site, and evidence suggests that by the 11th Century, a church had been built on the site.
Early 20th century Israelites came to Tara to unearth the Ark of the Covenant, which they were convinced was buried on this famous site. Digging in the Mound of the Synods, their unsuccessful efforts (shocker) found only some Roman coins. An official archeological dig in the 1950s revealed circles of post holes that indicated the construction of substantial buildings there. A new theory has arisen that Tara was, you ready for it? The ancient capital of the lost kingdom of Atlantis and that Atlantis was actually Ireland.
Charleville Castle, County Offaly
A Gothic-style castle (meaning it wears all black, loves Morrisey, and most likely has Daddy issues), it is located in County Offaly, Ireland, bordering the town of Tullamore, near the River Clodiagh. It is considered one of the finest of its type in the country. The castle itself has been claimed to be the most haunted building and grounds in Europe, appearing on Living TV's Most Haunted and Fox's Scariest Places on Earth. The most famous of these ghosts is a little girl called Harriet, who died after a fall on a staircase in 1961. She's been heard Singing in the middle of the night, screaming and laughing -- this strange mix of sounds has been reported by numerous visitors to the castle. It has also been visited by multiple paranormal investigators and psychics. The castle was photographed by Sir Simon Marsden. It also appeared on Ghost Hunters International. It was also used as a filming location for Becoming Jane (2007), Northanger Abbey (2007), and The Green Knight (2020).
Wicklow Gaol, County Wicklow
Is a former prison, now a museum. There has been a prison on the site since the late eighteenth Century. Prisoners were held at Wicklow Gaol during the 1798 Rebellion, the Great Famine, and many were held there before penal transportation. I just put that last bit in there because of the word "penal." When a paranormal group visited and broadcast their investigation on TV, Wicklow Gaol became known as one of the most haunted places in Ireland. Some of the strange unexplained events and encounters reported include:
- A man walked in front of the bars to the holding cell/dayroom on the ground floor.
- A woman in a full-length black velvet cloak with the hood up has been seen walking towards the two rooms on the ground level.
- A smell of roses or, at other times, bad smells sometimes emanate from Cell 5.
- A green mist floating around the main floor.
- A man was seen walking from cell 19 to the end of the walkway. Some people have commented that he held his hands behind his back.
- A man has been seen standing in the far corner of the ship's upper deck.
- Some women have reported feeling extremely uneasy on the upper deck, experiencing a sense of fear or apprehension.
- On the lower deck, people often report seeing shadows out of the corner of their eye.
- Some visitors have reported seeing or hearing children crying on the top floor.
Leap Castle
Probably the most popular one thus far, fierce family squabbles have plagued this castle, built in the 15th-century. First, brother turned against brother; one was killed as he held Mass in the chapel. Then, centuries later, a gruesome discovery was uncovered: a dungeon filled with human bones – the remains of those imprisoned and executed in the castle. Today, several apparitions have been reported. Among them is "It," a small gray human figure with a skeletal face.
Of the many haunted castles in Ireland, Leap Castle, with a history steeped in betrayal and murder, is possibly the most notorious. However, the castle is also one of the most well-known symbols of haunted Ireland, having achieved fame the world over due to appearances in TV shows such as 'Ghost Adventures' and 'Most Haunted.' From the 'Red Lady' who roams the castle clutching a blade (yikes! This one has a knife!) to the discovery of hundreds of skeletal remains, this is a building with a past that is really high up on the "Nah, I'm good" list.
One of the most unsettling tales is the story of brothers Thaddeus and Teighe O' Connell. Following their father's death, the two brothers found themselves locked in a battle to determine the leadership of their clan. Thaddeus, the older brother, and a priest, was saying Mass when Teighe entered the chapel and fatally stabbed him, thus inheriting the title of Chief. From that day on, the chapel where Thaddeus was brutally slain has been known as the Bloody Chapel, with Thaddeus haunting the creepy-ass building.
Surprisingly, Musician Sean Ryan, who bought Ireland's most haunted castle in the 1990s, still lives there today. We may not have any idea who this dude is, but the fact that he lives there with his family is pretty badass.
Here's a little story from a woman who used to live in the castle:
"On the November 25th, 1915 two of our servants, knowing the 'master' would be late and that I was driving that afternoon, had invited 'friends' two soldiers from the Barracks at Birr distant the other side six miles. They came rather late and my husband came home early so the visitors had to be kept out of his sight in the lower regions of one of the wings (the Priests House) and were unable to be shown the centre tower – the very lofty hall. At 7:15 my husband and I went up to dress for dinner, my room in the extremity of the house from the kitchens, his dressing room next door to me.
"Whilst dressing I was startled by a loud yell of terror stricken male and female voices coming apparently from the hall — and ran out to see the cause. My husband was out ahead of me at his heels. I passed through the corridor of the wing and onto the gallery …. On the gallery leaning with 'hands' resting on its rail I saw the Thing – the Elemental and smelt it only too well. At the same moment my husband pulled up sharply about ten feet from the Thing, and half turning let fly a volley of abuse at me ending up 'Dressing up a thing like that to try and make a fool of me. And now you'll say I've seen something and I have not seen anything and there is nothing to see, or ever was.' This last speech without a pause, begun waving one hand at the Thing and ended up stalking back to his dressing room still abusing me for trying to give him a fright. As he was speaking the Elemental grew fainter and fainter in its outlines until it disappeared. He never made any enquiry as to the yell that called us both out, and from that day to this has not mentioned the incident to me.
I heard from our servants that when we went to dress for dinner they had brought their friends just to show them the hall, when all four had suddenly seen and smelt the Elemental looking down at them from the gallery. They all got such a turn, they couldn't help letting out a bawl then fled to servants quarters where all four were very sick."
Athcarne Castle
Six miles from this 16th-century castle, the tortured cries of soldiers once rose up: At the Battle of Boyne, 1,500 men -- and King James -- died in a bloody sectarian conflict. Athcarne was built for William Bathe in 1590. The Bathe family produced many well-known legal and political personalities around the 16th and 17th centuries. It originally consisted of an Elizabethan tower house, a three-storied mansion, and a corner turret but was renovated around 1830 with a sizeable three-story turret. It lies just six miles from the Battle of the Boyne site, and it is said that James II stayed here on the night before the event in 1690. The last occupant was James Gernon, who lived there until the 1950's when the building was partly demolished. It has stayed in a state of dangerous ruin since. Legends about the castle include cries of dying soldiers heard at night and the specter of a hanged soldier on the great oak tree adjacent. A recent disturbing tale told by a local worker claims to have seen the face of "a demented girl with blood-covered hands."
Kilmainham Jail, Dublin
Opened in 1796 as Dublin's new county jail. It was modern for its time, but conditions were appalling. Prisoners included women and children, crammed into tiny cells, sometimes five at a time. Men could have an iron bed, but women and children slept on straw pallets. A candle had to last two weeks, and there were no windows or heat. However, during the Irish Potato Famine of 1845-1852, people would commit crimes to be jailed—at least it was a roof over their heads. In 1960, the Kilmainham Gaol Restoration Committee was formed, and workers immediately encountered paranormal phenomena.
Governor Dan McGill lived at Kilmainham in the old warden's quarters, overseeing the restorations. One night he looked out the window and saw the old chapel lights on—which was weird because he had just turned them off. When the Govna investigated, the chapel was empty. So he turned the lights off again and went back to his room. When he looked out the window, the lights were on. He went back and forth with the lights and finally said, "fuck you, ghost!" and gave up.
The most famous ghostly visitation took place around the same time. A volunteer was painting the dungeon area. Suddenly, an unseen force blew him across the room and pinned him against the far wall. The man had to fight to free himself and escape the dungeon. He refused to go back.
Other restoration stories include a man who was renewing the Echoing Corridor. He heard footsteps climbing the stone stairs and walking the hall behind him. The footsteps would stop and then start again throughout the day. Another worker heard footsteps approaching and as he looked up, didn't see anyone, but felt an icy chill. Footsteps trudging along the corridor, echoing with the sound of a soldier's brigade, were also familiar and creepy as shit.
Alright, now it's time for our infamous "quick hitters." When I say “infamous”, of course I mean more than famous.
Drink, fuckers
Ghost River
Home to the first-ever witch trial in Ireland, Kilkenny is no stranger to the supernatural. During a great flood in 1763, a crowd was crossing John's Bridge when it collapsed, drowning 16 people in the swollen Nore below. Ever since, locals and visitors tell of mysterious ghostly figures in the river, scratching at the banks, leaning where the current structure stands, and rising on the morning mist.
The White Lady
Charles Fort, an impressive star-shaped garrison in Cork, has seen its share of bloodshed. But despite the battles, sieges, and rebellions embedded in its walls, the story of the White Lady is the one that really chills the blood. The daughter of the fort's commander was set to wed an officer stationed there, but when her father shot her betrothed, the bride-to-be threw herself into the ocean. Her lost soul continues to wander the grounds, wedding dress and all.
Bishop Higgins' Grave
Don't disturb the dead – unless you want to be haunted. Such was the case at St Columb's Cathedral when renovations in 1867 upset the grave of former bishop William Higgins. His tomb was moved inside the cathedral, and that's when things started to get weird. Workers began hearing footsteps in the locked gallery, apparitions appeared in photographs, the organ would sound without a soul near it, and the light echoes of flatulence could be heard bellowing from inside.
A Jester's Curse
Y'all like clowns?? How about a murdered jester. Just look at Malahide Castle, a medieval fortress on Dublin's coast, where the spirit of one of these sons of bitches can be seen roaming the grounds. Puck was his name, and stories say he'd fallen in love with one of Malahide's prisoners, Lady Elenora Fitzgerald. Puck was found out, stabbed in the heart and with his last breath, swore to haunt the castle.
Hangman's Noose
Crumlin Road Gaol is a historic Victorian-era prison that once held some of Belfast's most notorious characters. It also happens to be one of Northern Ireland's most haunted places. Here, tortured souls of deceased inmates pace the wrought iron walkways and wail in the night. One was an American executed for a crime he didn't commit, another a teenager who took his own life to avoid the hangman's noose.
This last one is something Logan found that isn't so much creepy as sad.
Miscarriage of Justice
While Ireland was part of the United Kingdom, a highly controversial trial took place over the death of a local family in Maamtrasna, which is on the border of County Mayo and County Galway. It was believed that the reason for the murders was over sheep rustling and the Land War.
The Land War was a debacle between 1879 and 1882. It began during a downward spiral due to economic depression, so to speak. This pretty much halted the post-famine economic progress of many of Ireland's farmers and increased the worries of lower-class families and people that resided under landlords. As a result, some Irish farmers started a movement to "fix" so-called landlordism in Ireland.
In short, due to the famine, many people who were starting to get their lives back in order afterward were not making enough to adjust to the rise in living costs. Some were being forced out of the homes they didn't directly own or were blatantly abandoned to deal with the crappy living conditions they were forced to deal with.
Known as the Maamtrasna Murders, which took place in August of 1882, a family was found slaughtered in a mountainside cottage In Maamtrasna. Unfortunately, John Joyce, his wife Bridget, his daughter Peigi, and his Mother Margaret were found murdered. His son Michael had survived only to perish the next day from his injuries. Two others had survived the murders. One was there when it happened, and the other was absent from their home. Patsy was injured but did survive, and Martin was at service in Clonbur during the family's demise.
Several men were arrested and charged, one of which being the prime suspect and the most prominent person in the murders, Maolra Seoighe. (Malra Soy). Otherwise known as Myles Joyce in English. The men were as follows, Myles' brothers Martin and Paidin, his nephew Tom; Pat Michael and John Casey, Pat Joyce and Tom Casey. Sadly most of these men only spoke Irish but were tried in a court before a judge and jury without any of them knowing or understanding Irish. During the trials, two men were afraid for their lives and became informants, giving information and evidence on their neighbors and friends.
Myles Joyce was one of the first three men tried and sentenced to death for the murders. The others were Pat Joyce and Pat Casey. The other men were advised by their priest, Father Micheal Mac Aoidh, to plead guilty to avoid being hanged. They were sentenced to death, but the queen's deputy, Earl Spenser, sentenced the men to penal servitude for life, although it is reported that Queen Victoria herself wanted all men hanged.
After the trial, the three convicted men sentenced to death were brought back to Galway. Before being hanged, Pat Casey and Pat Joyce admitted they were guilty, but they also revealed that Myles Joyce was utterly innocent. BASTARDS! This evidence was unfortunately not substantial enough to change the decision of Earl Spenser. In a telegram he sent to the prison's governor the night before the hanging, he stated, "The law must take its course."
The three men were hanged on December 15th, 1882, buried in the prison grounds, known as the Cathedral car park.
On Myles' way to the scaffold, it has been reported that he said in Gaelic, a bunch of very hard-to-say words. So to save me the trouble of trying to read them aloud, Logan found an English translation which is just as disheartening, and it goes as follows; "I will see Jesus Christ in a short while - he too was unjustly hanged … I am going … God help my wife and her five orphans". Holy shit.
There are records from the hangman himself that explain that Myles' hanging did not go as planned. Instead of a quick death, Myles' died from strangulation. This means that his neck did not snap from the hanging, but rather, he hung there, choking to death for several minutes; a torturous and painful death for a man who was to be later, and by later, I mean over a hundred years later, pardoned for the crime of the Joyce Murders.
A couple years after the trials, new evidence was brought forth that was concealed from the initial trial that would have absolved Myles from all wrongdoing. In 2018, President Michael D. Higgins said, "Maolra Seoighe was wrongly convicted of murder and was hanged for a crime that he did not commit ." He later called the trial a "miscarriage of justice ." He pointed to a history of systemic discrimination and linguistic differences, which apparently Ireland still deals with today. Makes sense when a man who spoke only Gaelic was brought forth to a court among his so-called peers who didn't speak a lick of Gaelic. Unfortunately, as it is, at least the family of Myles Joyce, aka Maolra Seoighe, can continue to live knowing that he was indeed an innocent man.
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