Modern Encounters

Accounts of recent or contemporary ghost sightings.

The Voice in the Baby Monitor, West Cork, Ireland

/ ghostcatcherireland / 1 Comment

A few months ago I was contacted by a family living down in West Cork who were being plagued by the activities of a poltergeist resident in their home. The family lived in an old farm-house on Mizen Head. The family had tried to research the history of the house but found out very little other than it being the old family home of their landlord. Next to the residence is an even older crumbling house, so the land appears to have been in use for a few hundred years.

The word “poltergeist” comes from the German word “poltern”(to “rumble”) and “geist,” which means “spirit.”  Poltergeist literally means “noisy spirit”, although a poltergeist is neither a spirit nor a ghost according to parapsychology experts. The nature of poltergeists has long been a subject of debate within paranormal circles and poltergeists are usually described as an invisible force and entity, rather than spirits.

Poltergeists differ from what is normally thought of as ghosts. Ghosts are generally considered to be the spirits of dead people. They can be intelligent and interactive, or merely an imprint playing over events of the past.  Poltergeists on the other hand are a different kind of spirit or entity. These particular spirits seem to be able to interact with the material world sometimes with malevolent force, often moving objects, making rapping noises and other activities.

Many in the paranormal investigation field believe that the majority of poltergeist activity is not due to ghosts, but is due to uncontrolled psychokinesis; it is therefore caused by living people. Despite this theory, there is still a small amount of cases that can not be explained naturally and so poltergeist activity may be caused by a ghost manifestation or by a person unknowingly causing psychokinesis effects.

According to the family the house was very active and they felt there may be two spirits occupying it. One of these spirits they feel is harmless and they were happy to live with it, but the other they felt was more sinister and would have  liked to have had it cleared from the house.

In the baby’s room they once heard a disembodied voice on the baby monitor saying “Don’t worry, I’ll look after you”.

In the main bedroom they have heard whistling and footsteps, particularly walking around the bed. They have all been in the kitchen and heard these footsteps coming from the bedroom above. The lady of the house had a wrought iron mannequin in this bedroom and saw it move despite it being extremely heavy.

The couple both saw the shadowy outline of a man on the landing. The figure appeared to be tall; around 6ft. They reported being downstairs and seeing legs walk across the top of the landing. They heard walking up and down the stairs.

In May 2010 they experienced the living room door repeatedly opening despite being left closed. They also found the stair gate open several times on this date despite being left closed. A week before this the kitchen door was also opened by itself.

The couple have also felt as if they have been ‘prodded’ by unseen hands and have experienced something blowing near their ear while watching television. Items have also gone missing for several days at a time only to reappear in a place which had already been searched.

The couple have several children and their children have not  reported any paranormal activity or become scared. It is unclear as to whether the children were present in the house or not during any incidents mentioned. The lady of the house  in particular seemed concerned about the unpleasant entity she felt is present in the house and would like to have a ‘clearing’ if possible. She reported having sleepless nights due to feeling scared.

This residence is very worthy of investigation to see if the poltergeist activity is due to a spirit manifestation or psychokinesis unknowingly caused by a living resident of the house. However, the family have recently and suddenly moved away from the house. Whether this was due to the strain of living in a haunted residence, or other reasons, is not known at present.

West Cork Angel?

/ ghostcatcherireland / Leave a comment

On 1st May 2010 Steve was driving towards Goleen from Bantry with Susan and another passenger. It was around 5am in the morning and the road was clear. Steve was driving past Kilheangul Burial Ground at around 40 miles per hour and noticed in his peripheral vision that the gravestones appeared to be ‘glowing’. He saw a large looming, glowing white shape that he took to be a very tall Celtic cross, also glowing. Steve felt eerie and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, although the other passengers did not notice the cemetery. The moon was almost full so Steve puts this experience perhaps down to the moon reflecting off the gravestones.

On 6th May 2010 Susan drove me to Kilheangul Burial Ground at around 11pm to take photos of the location in order to find a possible explanation for the ‘glowing gravestones’. Susan stayed in the car while I got out to take photos. While Susan was backing up the car into a nearby lay-by she turned her head towards the cemetery and saw what she believed to be a very tall glowing white statue of a man or angel. She thought nothing of it at the time, as this is the kind of sight expected in a cemetery. Susan describes the figure as that of a tall, solid looking man with curly hair. The figure was glowing white, which she took to be moonlight reflecting off granite. However it was a cloudy night with no moonlight. The figure appeared to be turned towards the direction of myself taking photos.  Meanwhile I took several photos and saw no such figure amongst the stones. I did however notice a quick flash of light amongst the gravestones which I put down to being a reflection from the car headlights.

Upon returning home Susan asked me if I had taken a picture of the ‘statue’. When I reviewed the photos taken there was no such figure and I had not seen any figure with my naked eye. Susan felt rather emotional following the experience. The next day they returned to the burial ground in the hours of daylight in order to find the ‘statue’ that Susan had seen. However there was no such statue. Susan does not believe it was the nearby tree or the white Celtic cross. She believes it was taller and in a different position to these. Upon reviewing the photos Steve also believes the thing he saw was much taller than the Celtic crosses present and in the same area as Susan’s sighting.

Both Steve and Susan would like to pass off what they saw as having natural origins such as tricks of the light. However, it is unusual that what they saw seems to be similar: a large figure of some kind glowing white. Steve, Susan and I also do not have any knowledge of Gaelic, but upon researching the name of the Gaelic name of the cemetery found that ‘Aingeal’ means ‘angel’. Could this have been an angel or guardian spirit watching over the burial ground?

The Hampton Court Ghost?

/ ghostcatcherireland / Leave a comment

Is this a ghost or simply blurry CCTV footage of someone in a long coat closing a door? Experts say the figure in the long coat could be the best proof yet found that ghosts exist.

The CCTV footage was recorded in 2003 at Hampton Court Palace in London, once home to King Henry VII. Security staff heard alarms ringing near an exhibition hall which indicated that the fire doors had been opened. However upon investigation they found the doors closed. When the baffled security staff later examined the CCTV footage they were stunned to find that the cameras showed the heavy doors bursting open but no one there. Following this, suddenly, the figure appeared and slammed the doors closed. To add to the mystery the security staff were told that a similar thing had occurred the day previously and the day after, but no figure was caught on camera at those times.

Click to see moving image

Australian tourists also reported to have seen a ghost near the exhibition area. The palace guides have been ruled out as suspects because they do not enter that part of the building.

“It was incredibly spooky because the face just didn’t look human.” said James Faukes, one of the security staff. “My first reaction was that someone was having a laugh, so I asked my colleagues to take a look. We spoke to our costumed guides, but they don’t own a costume like that worn by the figure. It is actually quite unnerving.” Faukes added.

The palace has been the scene of many dramatic and tragic royal events and is supposed to have several ghosts haunting its corridors.

Psychologist Dr Richard Wiseman said the apparition might turn out to be a significant discovery to the paranormal field. “It could be the best ghost sighting ever,’ he said. ‘I haven’t seen anything that would match that at all.”

Ghosts of the Roadside

/ ghostcatcherireland / Leave a comment

In many parts of the world people report encounters with the spirits and ghosts who roam motorways and lonely back-roads. These spirits seem to be looking for a way home or appear to be hitchhiking to the destination they were heading for when death cleaved them from this mortal coil. Other people claim to have seen ghostly cars that disappear as they reach a certain bend or area of a road. Some people even report phantom carriages being pulled by ghoulish horses and driven by spirits dressed in period clothing.

One such report is located in Wroxham in Norfolk, England. Here is the story of the witness:

“It was about 11.30pm and my friend and I were coming home from an evening out. We had not been drinking that night and my friend was driving. We had travelled down that road many times before and the traffic was light. As we drove down the road towards Wroxham we came through an area that had tall trees on each side. We were not driving very fast; about 30 -40 mph. It was then that we both saw two red tail lights up ahead of us on the side of the road. As we neared them we realised it was a van parked half on and half off the road. There was no traffic behind us, only a couple of cars coming towards us. They were at enough distance to pass the van safely.  My friend indicated and we pulled out to pass the van. The car coming towards us flashed its lights , which was silly because there was plenty of room, so we just dismissed it.

As we passed the van, we realised it was on the bank and the passenger side had hit a tree. The van doors were open and there was a man standing at the open drivers side door. The van was lit up inside and as we passed I noticed there was a big gouge in the hedge and a tree branch sticking out; its bark shaved off. One of the headlights of the van was broken too. There was no one else, there was nothing in the road or anything so we drove on.

We had not gone far, about 100- 150 yards, when we thought we had better go back and see if we could help. We pulled in and turned the car round and went back. When we arrived at the area we saw nothing. There was nothing there; no gouges in the bank, no van, no tree branch, nothing ! We drove on until we could turn round. We were both rather scared. We went back the way we had come, but at the spot where we saw the van crashed there was nothing. We drove home rather fast after that.

The next morning my friend went back with her husband and myself and there was nothing to be seen; no marks on the road or hedge, no broken branches, no pieces of broken headlight. Nothing. Later on when we discussed it thoroughly and concluded that the car that flashed its lights at us was doing so because, although my friend and I definitely saw the van, maybe he did not, which caused him to react as he thought we were overtaking nothing ! I have travelled that road over a hundred times since then, probably more, at all times of the night and day and I have never ever seen anything since.

My friend and I share the same birthday and the same year, so maybe that was why we both saw the same thing or maybe this caused us both to hallucinate the same thing at the same time…….but I dont think so.”

There are many other such tales from all across the world and it seems such places have often been the site for traumatic unexpected deaths, such as by car crash.  Perhaps one day these lost spirits will find their way to their destinations, or perhaps they will forever dwell along the lonely roads where they met their death.

Wicklow Gaol, ‘The Gates of Hell’, September 2009

/ ghostcatcherireland / 2 Comments

wicklow gaol


Proclaimed as one of the most haunted places in Ireland, Wicklow Gaol has a history of cruelty and shame. Built in 1702 and finally closed in 1924, it was locally known as ‘The Gates of Hell’. Within its walls were penned in thousands of prisoners during the Great Famine, the 1798 Rebellion and the War of Independence. Conditions inside the gaol were harsh and inhospitable meaning that many inmates died from maltreatment, starvation and disease. It is currently once again open and now functioning as a tourist spot offering the ‘Wicklow Gaol Experience’. Meanwhile the lost souls who breathed their last within its walls still walk its corridors.Gaol

The investigation began around 10pm with a talk about equipment and the history of the place. We then did a walk around, spending 10-15 minutes in each location, such as the solitary confinement cell. In the hall near the geneology office there was some activity. I myself felt as if there was a male presence in the geneology room, looking in through the window in the door with interest. The presence didn’t feel menacing, it felt more as if curious. Other members saw shadows moving across this window as if someone was walking behind the door. One female also believed she heard breathing close to her face Another interesting area was in the room decorated to look like the deck of a transportation ship. Inside the cabin several individuals began to feel ill, including myself. I began to feel nauseous and headachey, the headache only dissipating upon leaving this area for a break.

After the walk around we split off into two groups. We started off in the cells. The first cell we entered was due to my choice as I had felt a presence in it earlier in the walk around. Shortly after sitting down on the bed I experienced what felt like someone tugging my trouser leg and not long after it felt as if someone was stroking my arm and shoulder. I couldn’t feel a breeze at the time, which may have caused the sensation, although unfortunately we did not have time to return to this cell to double check.cell

We investigated another couple of cells following this, but there was no activity noticed. We then went up to the rooms made to look like a transportation ship. In the cabin area I once again began to feel sick and headachey, so much so I had to sit outside the cabin. I called out here and there were a few low thuds in response. I also sensed a male presence. I very much felt that it was the same presence as I felt in the hall. It was as if he was following and watching us with interest. Another thing of interest about this area was that several people complain about the batteries of their equipment running low. My camera batteries were fully charged prior to entering this area, and while inside they were reduced to only one quatre capacity. It seemed as if something here, either a presence or something to do with the atmosphere, was sucking out energy; including the energy of the investigators as people were complaining of feeling sick here.

Finally we went down to the bottom of the gaol to the old laundry room, now decorated to look like a school house. Here I called out and during this a growl was heard. This was at around 1:15am. We also heard a short sound of what could have been a female child’s voice humming. Here an EVP session was done with questions. A couple of us saw the light underneath the kitchen door block out several times as if someone was walking in front of it. We opened up this door to see if there was anyone there, but the kitchen was empty.

Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to return to some of the places we wanted to investigate further. It was, however, a very interesting investigation.

The night following the investigation I also had a very unusual dream. In the dream I saw a young teenage girl wearing a sack like garment being held by two people as they chopped off her lovely long wavy brunette hair. I don’t know if the dream was the result of suggestion or perhaps due to a psychic link with the location. But as I was refered to casually as ‘the psychic girl’ on this investigation, perhaps these visions are less to do with suggestion than I thought.old laundry

I enjoyed this investigation very much as the building was of great historical interest to me and I experiences a little paranormal activity. I would very much like to explore this location again, but perhaps with more time allowed.

Visit Wicklow Gaol: http://www.wicklowshistoricgaol.com/

Spirit Animals

/ ghostcatcherireland / Leave a comment

I was recently on an on-line forum where a member was questioning the existence of animal ghosts. This got me to thinking about the subject of animal spirits.

I agree with the possibility that the spirits of animals may linger on. We humans are also animals after all, so why should there not be the possibility of animal ghosts too?

My childhood pet was a cat called Sooty. She lived a until a very good age, dying when I was around 15 years old. When she was alive she had a preference for sitting on the back of the sofa near my head. Kind of like a fluffy feline head-warmer. After she passed away I often got a sense that she was sitting in her regular position on the back of the chair, keeping me company. And then I remembered that she was in fact dead! I had this feeling on numerous occasions. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling though. It was quite a peaceful and comforting feeling to have her there.

Dingle and IMy other childhood pet was a cat called Dingle. He was half Persian and half regular moggy. He had a dish face and extra long claws, which used to pick along the carpet noisely as he walked. When Dingle was alive he could be heard picking his way up the stairs and he would often yowl outside my parent’s room or sometimes my room when he wanted a midnight snack or to go outside.  Dingle also lived to a grand old age and died when I was around 18 years old. After Dingle passed away, he could often be heard doing this same routine at night. I certainly heard him picking his way up the stairs with his long claws many times in the dead of night, and both my mother and father heard the same, plus on one occasion his yowl. Even my father who is a total sceptic remarked that it often seemed like Dingle and Sooty were still with us.

Our family have moved away from there now, but I still wonder if Dingle and Sooty are keeping a new family company in the house they loved so much while alive.

Creepy Convent, Co. Cavan, August 2009

/ ghostcatcherireland / 9 Comments


In daylight hours we visited an ominous looking abandoned convent in Co. Cavan. This was not so much of an investigation, rather more a walk around to take photos and gain an impression of the place.

We headed to the basement first, which was pitch black. The majority of the basement level felt fine, but one particular corridor and the large room it led to felt particularly unpleasant.  Orbs were to be seen in the corridor, but these could have been due to dust or flying insects. The large room felt very creepy and one of the group remarked that it felt like people had been punished here.

Corridor

We moved on to the upper levels which included the cells of the nuns and a possible boarding school area. Throughout the walk around here we heard loud banging of doors, which was most probably due to the wind. However while descending one particular staircase two of the group believed that they had heard whispering voices. I did not hear anything myself, but I do know I got goosebumps while descending those stairs.

stairs

This location was very interesting and it seems shameful that it is standing there disused. It also appears to be a place which could do with further investigation, particularly on that staircase and in the basement.