Hauntings & Ghost Stories

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.

Ghost Hunters Guide

/ ghostcatcherireland / Leave a comment

 

– Remember to always be respectful of ghosts & spirits We want to be taken seriously.

– We always want to present ourselves as being the one in control. Conduct yourself as a professional at all times.

– Self confidence and control will radiate like a beacon of light and thus serve as a shield of protection Never seek out entities on your own; a team of two or three works well, while larger groups would be better to split up.

– Listen to your instincts and your intuition, draw from the power within. You will find this to be your greatest resource.

– Commit yourself to the task at hand until it is done. A combined effort makes the team a whole intricate working structure.

– Go into an investigation with a kind heart and a gracious attitude. But most of all with the knowledge that most so called hauntings can be explained (i.e. a house settling.) And as strange as it may seem, you must also consider the mental and emotional state of the occupants. Paranoia, delusional aspects and mental illness in general may be a consideration.

– Be familiar with all aspects of the supernatural; know the entities that you pursue. The more you know, the more confident you become. And always try to have a scientific standpoint.

– Consider all aspects of an investigation before you go; a walk through ahead of time is always advisable. A history check is helpful as well; anything you find out before hand will be to your advantage.

– Make sure others outside your team know where you are when on an investigation. And of course a mobile phone is a must.

– Know your limits; it’s ok to be scared. Even the most hardened and expert investigator will have at some point been at least a little frightened. So do not listen to the gobshites who tell you otherwise.

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.”

What are Ghosts?

/ ghostcatcherireland / Leave a comment

“To himself everyone is an immortal. He may know that he is going to die, but he can never know that he is dead.” Samuel Butler, Immortality.

The label ‘ghost’ is a broad term which means different things to different people and in popular usage it is used to describe the disembodied soul or spirit of the dead in connection with a haunting. Another similar term is an ‘apparition’.  A ghost can be the non-conscious apparition of a past living person, an imprint or ‘recording’, unable to interact. A ghost may also be a disembodied personality, able to interact with the living. Ghosts may be visible or they may make their presence known to the living by making noises, causing cold breezes and cold spots, by creating smells and through moving objects. Ghost may not always be human; some may be phantom animals, spectral inanimate objects such as ships or even non-human energies such as angels or demons.

According to a Harris Poll conducted into religion and other beliefs in 2003 51% of the public of America, including, 58% of women, and 65% of those aged 25 to 29 believe in ghosts. Belief in ghosts may be a culturally influenced superstition reflecting our own fears of mortality as a belief in ghosts gives hope that the human personality survives death and is therefore immortal. A belief in ghosts may also reinforce our belief in the mysteries of the universe.

Many cultures and religions believe that in an afterlife or underworld where souls go after death. Some believe that souls travel to a place in the sky; some believe they rest at the bottom of a lake or even on the moon. Almost all cultures in history have believed at some point in the ability of spirits of the dead to return to the land of the living. These spirits may be malevolent or benevolent. Cultures that believe or believed in ancestor worship take spirits as fact. The spirits of their ancestors survive after death and interact with the living. Reverence is shown to the ancestors to keep in good favour and wise men and women communicate with them. The belief in ghosts has a long tradition and the first ghost stories can be found in ancient Greek literature. Pliny the Younger (c.61-c113) believed in ghosts due to his interest in two authentic cases concerning haunted houses in Athens.

According to Christian theology the soul joins God in heaven or Satan in hell. The soul can also end up in between in purgatory. Catholicism accepts that souls in purgatory may return to the realm of the living as apparitions to ask for prayers from the living. Protestants however do not believe that the dead can return. They see ghosts as being demons and evil entities pretending to be the spirits of the dead.

Spiritualists believe that ghosts are the souls of the dead trapped on the earth plane. These souls are confused or do not realise that they are in fact dead. It is the role of Mediums to communicate with these lost souls and help them move on. This can be done during seances, through channelling or via use of a spirit board (ouija board.)

According to tradition ghosts remain in the land of the living for a variety of reasons. They may return to give a warning or perhaps to advise and comfort humans. They may be vengeful and seek to right a wrong or obtain justice. They may need to return to request a proper burial or to confess some guilt so that they may rest in peace. Some ghosts may remain to guard or protect property which belonged to them in life or they may even return to inform heirs of the location property or treasure due to them. They may also guard over or protect a person who was dear to them in life. Other ghosts return or remain in a place that they loved or hated in life or they may even remain due to being unaware that they are dead.

It is a common misconception that ghosts only appear at night. Many appear in daylight; however visual apparitions are more often seen at night. It is believed that the greatest number of people die between the hours of 2-6am, which is one theory as to why more ghosts manifest during these hours. Ghosts are also more visible in the dark as they are thought to consist of energy, often manifesting in the form of light anomalies. In daylight these anomalies are more difficult to see with the naked eye.  Individuals may be more sensitive and receptive to clairvoyance when in a relaxed state or while asleep at night and so may have an increased likelihood of seeing an apparition. However, some experts believe these states may also create hallucinations of ghosts.

Another popular misconception is that ghosts are frequently to be found haunting graveyards. The majority of ghosts are not seen in graveyards, but are more often to be found in houses and buildings.

The majority of ghost reports have natural explanations such as tricks of the light created by foggy conditions or excessive electrical charges in the atmosphere during thunderstorms among many other explanations. However a small percentage of cases baffle experts and remain unexplained at present. There is also still no consensus amongst paranormal researchers as to whether ghosts are real or fantasies created by the human mind or if they are psychic remnants of past events playing over like a psychic recording or if they have personality and intelligence. However, it is hoped that further research over time will yield evidence and explanations to one day prove or disprove the existence of ghosts.

References:

  • Keene, P, Bradley-Stevenson, G and Saunders, B, 2006, The Ghost Hunter Chronicles. New Holland, London.
  • Underwood, P, 1999, Peter Underwood’s Guide to Ghosts & Haunted Places. Piatkus, London.
  • O’Keefe, C, and Fielding, Y, 2007, Ghost Hunters: A Guide to Investigating the Paranormal. Hodder, London
  • Danelek, J, 2006, The Case For Ghost: An Objective Look at the Paranormal. Llewellyn Publications, Minnesota
  • Guiley, R, 1997, The Guinness Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits. Guinness Publishing, London
  • Harris Interactive, 2009, The Harris Poll® #11, February 26, 2003: The Religious and Other Beliefs of Americans 2003, http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=359, [Accessed 15th February 2010]

The Haunted Palace

/ ghostcatcherireland / 1 Comment

I came across this poem today and would like to share it with you. It is by Edgar Allan Poe who is fast becoming one of my favourite horror authors. It brought to mind the haunted castles I visit on investigations.

The Haunted Palace – By Edgar Allan Poe

In the greenest of our valleys
By good angels tenanted,
Once a fair and stately palace –
Radiant palace – reared its head.
In the monarch Thought’s dominion –
It stood there!
Never seraph spread a pinion
Over fabric half so fair!

Banners yellow, glorious, golden,
On its roof did float and flow,
(This – all this – was in the olden
Time long ago,)
And every gentle air that dallied,
In that sweet day,
Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,
A winged odor went away.

Wanderers in that happy valley,
Through two luminous windows, saw
Spirits moving musically,
To a lute’s well-tuned law,
Round about a throne where, sitting
(Porphyrogene!)
In state his glory well-befitting,
The ruler of the realm was seen.

And all with pearl and ruby glowing
Was the fair palace door,
Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,
And sparkling evermore,
A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty
Was but to sing,
In voices of surpassing beauty,
The wit and wisdom of their king.

But evil things, in robes of sorrow,
Assailed the monarch’s high estate.
(Ah, let us mourn! – for never morrow
Shall dawn upon him desolate!)
And round about his home the glory
That blushed and bloomed,
Is but a dim-remembered story
Of the old time entombed.

And travellers, now, within that valley,
Through the red-litten windows see
Vast forms, that move fantastically
To a discordant melody,
While, like a ghastly rapid river,
Through the pale door
A hideous throng rush out forever
And laugh – but smile no more.

Charleville Castle Investigation, January 2010

/ ghostcatcherireland / 8 Comments

 

Charleville Castle

Charleville Castle is an impressive Gothic revival style castle located near Tullamore, Co. Offally.  The castle is situated in Ireland’s most ancient primordial oak woods, believed once to be the ritual grounds of Ireland’s druids. The land on which Charleville Castle stands was part of the ancient monastic site of Lynally during the 6th century. Later, in the early days of Ireland’s colonization the lands became the focal point for the first Stuart, and later more violent Elizabethan, plantations. The lands, which were originally ruled by the O’Moore clan, were securely planted by the mid-fifteen hundreds and a dynasty was established which lasted into the late nineteenth century.

The castle itself was built by Charles William Bury, Earl of Charleville and was designed by Francis Johnston, one of the most esteemed architects of the day. It took fourteen years to complete this gothic fantasy fortress, whose outside appearance was designed as a celebration of victory over the third French revolutionary expedition to Ireland.

The castle had to be closed temporarily at times due to the owners living far beyond their means. However, upon each re-opening, new features were added in flamboyant celebration such as the ceiling within the dining room designed by William Morris. The castle owner was known as an eccentric character who hosted lavish parties. The castle played host to Lord Byron, who held many parties here, attracted to the castle due to the owner’s eccentricity.

The castle remained uninhabited from 1912 due to the economic hardship of these troubling times and by 1968 the roof had been removed. However, restoration was commenced by Michael McMullen in 1971 and later by Constance Heavey Seaquist and Bonnie Vance, the current owner.

Charleville Castle is said to be haunted and it has been visited by numerous paranormal investigators and psychics. Guests of the castle have reported unusual goings on at the castle as well. Reports have been made of clocks chiming where there are none; chairs rocking with no occupants; a child crying where there is no child; disembodied voices, footsteps heard in the dead of night and glowing fogs floating past. The dungeon is said to be the haunted by the entity of a sadistic torturer and the spirit of a child who slid to her death from the banister of a staircase is said to haunt the stairwell.

Myself and the Bumpz In The Nite team awaited the investigation with great anticipation and opened the investigation out to the public. After setting up equipment, such as a monitoring bay in the library and CCTV cameras in various places of interest, two groups were formed to investigate differing areas of the castle. One team began on the top floor, where the nursery was situated and the other began in the dungeon area. Both groups also contained ‘sensitives’.

staircase

My group first investigated the nursery, staircase and surrounding rooms. We experienced cold spots, but nothing more of interest. Another sensitive in the group did not pick up on anything, however I felt that something was ‘playing hide and seek’. On playing back a digital recording taken of me asking if any spirits were playing hide and seek an audible groan could be heard which was not heard by our group at the time. However, there were many cats loose in the building, so the sound of a cat cannot be discounted, although the EVP did not sound particularly feline. To me it seemed to be confirmation that a playful spirit had in fact been present.

The group in the basement and dungeon area reported unpleasant feelings and the sensitives in the group picked up on an unpleasant male entity which did not want them there.

The ballroom provided much more interesting results. One group experienced noticeable drops in temperature and cold spots. The room itself was not heated and extremely cold, but the drops in

ballroom

temperature were extreme enough for the us to notice them despite this. The cold spots also seemed to move around the chairs we were sitting in. When I and the other sensitive called out we heard a few taps upon request. The other sensitive also picked up on several spirits in the room including a rather insistent female spirit who kept whispering a name and date. I myself felt that the spirits in the room were playful; giving us some signs of their presence initially and then ignoring the group for their own amusement. A later play back of digital recordings taken during the EVP session here yielded some remarkable results. Several times when I was calling out for signs of presence, such as knocks on walls and furniture, I was replied to by an unknown male voice answering in the affirmative.

The group who had previously been in the basement moved on to the staircase and nursery where the sensitives of the group picked up on the spirits of children. An individual who was manning the monitors also had an interesting experience to report as they saw a bright light pass by the door when they could clearly see that the teams were in rooms far away from the library. They also reported a large amount of orb phenomenon in the area of the corridor and stairway leading to the nursery when the groups had been gone from the area a long time.

Next we investigated the dungeon and basement which provided many knocks, bangs and moving of shadows which seemed to follow the us around. The area felt quite unpleasant, but this may have been more to do with its appearance rather than any unpleasant entities. The other sensitive in our group picked up on a man here who may have worked in the kitchen.

dungeon

After each group had investigated all areas of the castle once, they once again separated off to investigate the places they wished most to return to. These were the ballroom and the dungeon. Following this it was decided to hold a séance in the library. This was decided as myself and two others who had been chatting and laughing in there during the break time had heard many taps and knocks, as if the energy of their laughter had drawn some spirits attention.

I led the séance which I found very difficult having only ever joined in a séance once as a spectator before. It felt like a baptism of fire somewhat. I was assisted by the other sensitive. Upon calling out there were several taps felt on the table, between my fingers and that of the person next to me. This alarmed us both, as the vibrations could be felt and yet there was nothing under the table that could have caused them. When asked to move to the other side of the table, the tapping sound complied. Eventually the tapping lessoned and petered out as if the spirits energy or attention had run out.

library

Following the investigation we found several interesting pieces of evidence such as strange voices on EVPs and also a photo which contained an unusual figure. The photo has been sent for further analysis. These pieces of evidence will be put up on the Bumpz In the Nite website in the future (http://www.bumpzinthenite.com/) Myself, the team and members of the public thoroughly enjoyed investigating this location and most who had attended were in agreement that this castle is most probably haunted and worthy of further investigation.