Personal Experiences

First-hand narratives of supernatural encounters.

Dublin ParaCon Wicklow Gaol Investigation, 7th November 2009

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Following the Dublin Paranormal Convention there was a special paranormal investigation arranged at Wicklow Gaol, where the PIGS, BumpzInTheNite, Barry FitzGerald of Ghost Hunters International, Ciaran O’Keeffe of Most Haunted, Richard Jones and Steve Parsons were in attendance.

The investigation started off with a short talk about the equipment used and a historical talk regarding the gaol. The group then broke off into smaller teams. I was in the team with most of BumpzInTheNite, two PIGs and with Barry FitzGerald leading it. We began in the main body of the gaol, near the ground floor cells. We were split into two groups and one group continued to the basement area where the solitary confinement cell was situated and my group remained at the ground floor cells. Here we were given one cell each to sit in alone. I had never been alone in a ‘haunted’ room before and I have to say I was rather frightened. I seem to be able to cope if there is at least one other person with me, but alone I feel unsafe. This may be because I have experienced being touched by possible entities on investigations and therefore feel a bit afraid of this happening while totally alone as it is quite disconcerting. I could not go deep inside the cell or close the door and had to instead stand in the entrance looking out. While here I felt a coldness to the side and back of me and felt like I was being watched from inside the cell. However, as I was so afraid this may have been my mind playing tricks.

One of the others who was sent to stand on the first floor walkway experienced a tug on his trouser leg. I found this interesting as I had experienced a tug on my trouser leg the first time I had visited Wicklow Gaol while in a cell on the first floor. This same person also often experiences being touched by possible spirits, so perhaps he and I have a sensitivity to this kind of paranormal encounter.

After we had spent some time in the cells we regrouped and came together in a circle near the cell I had been standing in. We held hands and Barry called out for whatever was in the room with us to come closer and communicate. Many of us felt an icy breeze cutting through the circle from the cell I had been in. The atmosphere also became heavy and it appeared to darken. After a few moments this atmosphere then dissipated and the breeze retreated.

Following this experience it was decided for us to go down to see the other group near the solitary confinement cell. Here we were played an EVP which had just been taken. An almost amused voice was heard to say ‘Yes’ in response to the question ‘Do you like us being here?’ We then proceeded to take some more EVPs while holding hands to increase the energy in the room. Nothing further was heard here, but there was a loud bang from above. This was investigated to find that nobody was up in the cell area. But it had sounded like a cell door slamming.

We returned to the ground floor cell area and took a cell each again. One individual would not go into the original cell he had been in as it had an ominous atmosphere inside. I also did not return to my original cell. I took another cell and was able to stay inside it for a time, until I heard a scraping noise and leapt out hurriedly. This was in fact the people in the cell next door moving around, but I was pretty jumpy being alone and could not handle the situation.

Following a break we returned to the ground floor cell area to watch a ‘spirit box’ experiment. A spirit box, also known as a Frank’s box or ghost box,  is an AM/FM radio that has been modified to continually scan up and down the dial nonstop, producing fragments of clearly distinguishable voices as it scans the stations. These voices do not appear to be linked to any broadcast. The belief is that spirits lack a voice of their own and are able to manipulate radio signals in order to communicate.

Using the spirit box a medium present was able to communicate with a spirit calling himself  ‘John Long’ who claimed to have committed a murder. However, Ciaran O’Keeffe stated that the spirit box could mislead as the human mind needs to produce patterns in order for it to make sense of the world. Therefore we would hear words amongst the gibberish being produced by the spirit box as our brains would hear what it wanted to hear. For my part I did not pick up any of the words being ‘spoken’, so I support this theory.

After regrouping again we then headed up to the old chapel which is designed to look like a ship’s deck, cabin and lower deck linked to the transportation of prisoners to Australia and elsewhere abroad. We started off in the cabin on the top deck. There was an oppressive and claustrophobic atmosphere in this room and the medium present sensed an energy with us. I was leaning against the heavy table in the room and several times I felt as if something was pushing me slightly from behind. I thought it was someone leaning on the table making it wobble, but upon inspection it was found that the table was too heavy to be pushed in such a manner. I was very tired at the time so it was also highly likely that I felt a bit shaky and this was the ‘wobble’ I was feeling, so I can not with certainty claim that this was a paranormal experience. However, the medium with us felt cold spots in the room near me, moving to the other side of the room and one other person claimed to have been pushed violently from the side.

Due to the unpleasant atmosphere of the cabin, we left this room and sat in a circle on the upper deck. Here I was requested to call out as apparently the spirit of a male had been picked up by a medium in the past, who had taken a dislike to the confrontational tone and accent of an English woman present. I, however, do not wish to anger or confront anyone (living or dead!) and so I continued to call out politely and calmly with no effect. However, we did all see a white spot of light in the corner of the room which appeared to be moving. Upon inspection it was agreed that it had a natural cause, being perhaps a crystal in the stone catching the light from the moon outside.

Next we investigated the lower deck. Here as soon as I sat down I felt uneasy about the doorway. I felt as if someone was watching us from the doorway. I did not speak up about this as I was not sure if I was imagining it as I had felt jumpy and spooked the whole night after being alone in the cell. However, after a few minutes the medium with us stated that she had seen a shadow moving past the door and it was ‘ as if someone was peering in’ from the stairs.  Also after a few minutes of being below deck we all heard light footsteps from the top deck. One of us went above to investigate and found nobody there.

Not long after we left the ‘ship’ the investigation concluded. I enjoyed this investigation very much, especially hearing the EVP voice down near solitary confinement and the footsteps on the ship’s upper deck. I would very much like to investigate Wicklow Gaol further, but there never seems to be enough time to cover each section desired.

This was an excellent conclusion to the Dublin Paranormal Convention and I very much look forward to similar next year.

Ross Castle with Bumpz, Co.Meath, October 2009

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Ross

So once again I found myself at Ross Castle, this time helping to guide a paranormal investigation with BumpzInTheNite. It was a small investigation of only 6 people in total including myself. However, three of the individuals attending considered themselves ‘sensitives’.

We started off in the top tower room where I had previously experienced a lot of activity in the form of knocks, bangs and growls. However, on this night it was very quiet. We did hear a sound like talking from outside the door, but upon inspection we put this down to the water tank gurgling and filling up. Temperature fluctuations were experienced near the bed and two individuals saw what they thought was a shadow passing across the window nearest the bed, crossing in front of the bed post.

Next was the lower tower bed room. Here one of the attendees began to feel very unwell with a headache. I experienced something tickling me on my back and there was nobody sitting close to me. Another female attendee experiences something tickling her arm. The three sensitives, including myself, sensed a menacing male presence in the room. Upon asking the presence if it wanted us to leave the fellow who was experiencing a headache was slapped on the back of his neck by unseen hands, as if to communicate that he was no longer welcome.

We moved down to the tower sitting room. The two females sat together and began to feel a female presence near them, one of them believing she was being tickled on the arm. The room was generally very cold, but there was a cold spot in front of the two females, which seemed to move when males moved near. The sensitives in the room felt the spirit of a small woman and a child in the room. There was also still the ominous presence of the male energy on the stairs, as if he had followed us from the room above and was watching us with keen interest. In this room a chair was seen to move very slightly and there were a few tapping on the stairs.

Tower sitting room as seen from the stairs

The unpleasant presence on the stairs slowly began to grow stronger and it was then that I had a very unusual and frightening experience. I am not sure if it was due to some hidden psychic abilities on my part or just my mind playing tricks due to the atmosphere of tension, but all I know is that I found it very unpleasant. I began to feel an overwhelming sadness and tears began to well up in my eyes. I felt that this was the emotion of one of the female spirits in the room being transferred to me, possibly that of the little girl. Shortly after this I began to shake uncontrollably as if afraid, although I myself didn’t feel afraid. It was as if I was experiencing the emotions of another person. I called out to the little girl in the room and asked her if she had been hurt in someway in life by the man on the stairs and received a tap in confirmation. I asked her if she was trying to tell me she was afraid of him and received another tap in confirmation.

We had spent a fair amount of time in this room so it was decided to take a break. However, I was still shaking and the shaking became worse when I left this room. All three of the sensitives felt that we should return to the room as we felt the spirit was seeking our protection. We felt guilt for abandoning it. We spent another few minutes in the sitting room where we made it known to the presence on the stairs that we would not be intimidated and that was would protect the child.

It was then decided that we should take a break as everyone felt drained. Following the break we began to investigate the ground floor rooms. We started off in the Green Room. Here we heard tapping and shuffling in the corridor and sensed a presence outside the door. I asked the presence outside the door if it wanted us to leave the room so it could enter and heard a tap. We left there and decided to investigate the corridor. But then we sensed that whatever had been in the corridor had in fact left and gone into the Green Room as it requested!

We next investigated the Yellow Room. Here one of our party felt very unwelcome and threatened and believed he sensed a man watching angrily from the corner of the room. Another person felt that the presence was a ‘grumpy old man’. All of us agreed that the atmosphere in the room felt unpleasant, so we left and moved on to the en-suit room. Upon entering the corridor on the way to the en-suit room, one of us felt a tap on the arm. In the en- room people felt very uncomfortable near the window, as they felt as if something was in the corner of the room near the curtain. It was not a negative energy, but just unpleasant as if a trickster was there waiting to pull a trick. Three of us even did not want to hang our feet over the edge of the bed as it felt like someone would pull our feet from underneath it!

Following another break we decided to return to the lower tower bedroom and the sitting room. In the lower tower bedroom the atmosphere felt more threatening than before. Three of us began to experience headaches and I even began to get an earache. At around the same time one of our party, the one who had felt unwell in this room previously, experienced a slap to the side of his head. It was as if the male presence was showing off his power. This was his place and we were not welcome. We all agreed that whatever was in this room did not want us there and it was unsafe to linger, so we moved back to the sitting room.

Back in the sitting room it at first felt very calm. But after a while one of our party sensed a powerful energy at the top of the stairs. He felt that it was watching us, but he did not know its intention. He felt that it may have been building up its energy to do something. We believed this spirit to be ‘scraggy’. We also once again felt the presence of the child, but it was calm.

I believe that ‘scraggy’ was in fact at the top of the stairs protecting us and the child spirit from the threatening presence in the lower tower room. However, the story is that ‘scraggy’ likes to play unpleasant trick for its own enjoyment, so we did all feel on edge. The room itself felt calm and we did feel that ‘scraggy’ was in charge and keeping the malevolent male presence at bay. So much so we even thank ‘scraggy’ before we left the room.

We wrapped up the investigation here at around 3am, all of us feeling drained of energy and somewhat afraid of the place!

For my part I can’t explain what happened to me when I felt sad, threatened and was shaking, but it was very powerful. The thing that interested me most about this investigation is that we had decided to hold back telling the guests any of the stories attached to the location in order to limit suggestion. But they still picked up on things, such as the unpleasant man on the stairs and the woman and child, which I had experienced with other mediums in this location. I had also previously experienced scraggy’s protective influence and clash with the ‘man on the stairs’ with another medium. I also spoke to the family who run the castle and they told us many people had picked up on the presence on the stairs. Even their youngest son had recently told a guest to be careful of ‘the man on the stairs’ because he ‘tries to push you’. It is all anecdotal evidence, but surely too much of a coincidence?

Ross Castle: http://www.ross-castle.com/

BumpzInTheNite: http://www.bumpzinthenite.com/

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

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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/

Ross Castle Investigation, 29th August 2009

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Following the last investigation here where we appeared to have a lot of activity, a new investigation was set up in a rush. This investigation was to include a medium, a sound expert and historian.

However, the investigation yielded few results. The most we found was a bathroom door handle moving while someone was in there and everyone else was in the living room and an eerie feeling in the hallway and en-suite room.

Although there was little activity, this was interesting in itself. It seems to show how if ghosts exist, they do not perform for us upon demand.

The most interesting thing yielded from this investigation was a set a photos taken in the eerie hallway, which showed a blue-green light anomaly which appeared to move positions in the photos.

Some people believe such light anomalies, or ‘orbs’, are the first instances of energy building up by a spirit attempting to appear.

These pictured were shown to experts who advised me of the natural causes:

“it is likely to be a little lens flare, which is probably caused by the bounced flash in the mirror at the end of the hall and as a result of the angle of your shooting.”

See below for the photos:

Light anomaly on the cupboard

Light anomaly on the floor

2009-2014 Ghost Catcher UK & Ireland© All rights reserved. All my posts are copyright and if you do wish to refer to them or use anything from them on your site, please ask permission first

Ross Castle Mayhem, Co.Meath, August 2009

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Ross by night


Following my vow never to return to Ross Castle after my first visit, here I am again for a paranormal investigation!

This time I brought with me a little amulet containing religious symbols I bought in Jerusalem and I wore a crucifix around my neck. It is amazing how religious an atheist becomes when they are afraid. Anyway, these little protection devices helped me to feel braver in this spooky location.

Before the investigation proper began we had some activity, such as a loud bang from the corridor near the green room. Three of us checked for open windows that could have allowed a breeze to slam a door, but the breeze we felt did not quite seem strong enough to make the heavy doors in this corridor slam. We also heard the doorbell ring twice and upon inspection it was clear that the bell was in fact broken.

After nightfall the investigation began in the tower, starting in the sitting-room there. Two of the group called out and a presence was sensed in the room. It was also agreed that movement had been seen on the stairs. The room also noticeably fluctuated in temperature.

We moved on from this room and continued the investigation in the next bedroom. Here one of us got the impression of a man pacing up and down near the bed, holding his head in his hands in his anxiety. The presence of a female was also felt near the entrance to the bathroom, and several of us believed that we could see a thin white mist or light in that doorway. When I and another person on the bed called out to evoke a response, we felt a chill pass near the bed. Interestingly some of us also saw a form of a cat walking beside the bed.

Next was the top tower room. I sat on the bed and as soon as I sat down I felt something gently stroke my arm. I asked the person nearest to me if they had touched me and they responded in the negative. This unnerved me slightly, but it hardened my resolve to do some calling out in here. Several of us took turns calling out to the spirits, but it seemed that whatever wanted to communicate had taken a bit of a fancy to my voice and was responding well to me. We heard loud knocks on the radiator, when asked to knock on the radiator, banging on the roTower roomof and knocks from outside the door. At one point it appeared that a presence had entered the room and was forming a white mist or light near the wardrobe. I felt it was a female presence. I asked this presence to knock on the wardrobe or do something to make itself known and the girl sitting nearest to the wardrobe was then poked in the arm. Not long after this it was decided we should leave the room as several members were becoming fearful.

After a break we proceeded to the green room and set up a recorder for EVPs. Here we were all laughing and in high spirits, and not much happened. Either because there was nothing present or we simply were not paying good enough attention. However, one of the group did remark that they heard music, like that of a harpsichord. I also sensed that something was watching us with interest from the window.

Following this a few of us went to the large en-suite room. Earlier in the day there had been possible poltergeist activity, as shoes had been moved. However, the session in this room yielded no activity.

Finally it was decided to work in the top tower room again. This time a recorder was set up for EVPs. I was requested to do most of the calling out as whatever wanted to communicate with me had been responding well to my voice. Upon request it seemed there were fast rappings and bangings on the roof and on the radiator. There were also rappings from outside the door. One of the team asked questions for the EVP recording and whatever was present seemed to answer these questions with rhythmic tappings.

For example, it was asked “Did you live in this castle?”

Response: several short raps in fast succession.

“Did you like living in this castle?”

Response: several loud, almost excited, rappings in fast succession

“Would you like us to leave?”

Response: silence

As I was getting a good response I continued asking whatever was there to communicate audibly. At one point there was a growl that we all heard. I, however, thought it was somebody’s stomach rumbling and carried on unaware to be told later that it was not actually anybodies stomach. If I had known it as a growl, I think I would not have been able to carry on due to fear.

We ended the paranormal investigation at around 4am and the rest of the night was used for socialising. During the night, when people were trying to sleep, one of the group heard something tapping on the window and another saw a chair in the living-room move on its own. For my part I felt temperature drops in the green room.

orbsThe following day it was discovered that the person who slept in the tower room had an unusual bruise on his chest and had no recollection of how it got there. Also, a photo taken of the same person in the tower room showed two interesting bright blue orbs to his chest area (see photo.)

All in all this was a very enjoyable investigation, with lots of activity. I also felt much braver than I had during earlier investigations, so I must be building up my constitution. However, I was slightly bemused as to why spirits took a fancy to my voice in particular. It seemed both in Duncannon Fort and here in Ross I got direct responses to my voice. I would like to do more investigations in future, playing a more active role, so I can see if I am in fact sensitive to spirits or able to attract them into communication.

2009-2014 Ghost Catcher UK & Ireland© All rights reserved. All my posts are copyright and if you do wish to refer to them or use anything from them on your site, please ask permission first

Creepy Convent, Co. Cavan, August 2009

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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.

The Care Home Ghost, Wroxham, Norfolk, UK

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I have been interested in the paranormal since I was a young teenager, but have not had any experiences myself until recently. However, I began to become more open to the possibility of ghosts after seeing my mother the morning after she had an experience. She came back from work the day after a sleepover and looked a wreck. She also wouldn’t talk about her experience for several weeks. Here is her story:

It was just an ordinary day at work, I worked as an assistant manager in a small care home for the elderly. I used to start work at 2 pm, sleep in the building in a small flat at night and resume work the next day at 7.30 am.There were 22 elderly residents in the care home and at night two night staff who stayed awake.

One night several years ago I went to bed as usual, in the small flat which had been converted from the old stable block. The building was over 100 years old. It had been a private  house, and then a hotel, but had been a care home for at least 50 years.

The bedroom had two single beds, a dressing table and a wardrobe. The window on the right looked over the driveway to the building which was surrounded by trees.

I lay in bed reading a magazine. It was about 1 am. All was quiet. There was no wind and the door to the bedroom was locked, I became aware of a movement in the room and looking over the top of my magazine I saw a grey misty sort of thing in the middle of the room. Well my heart stopped, I am sure! I lowered my mag and watched as the misty grey stuff took on a shape. I was actually paralysed with fear. I am sure my mouth was hanging open, and I felt as if i could not move.

My brain was trying to rationalise the shape. I never smoked in tht room so it was not smoke. ‘Maybe it was car headlights in the drive way, or a reflection from the wardrobe mirror’, I told myself, continually watching as the grey mist took on the shape of a person. I was still staring at it trying to make out what it was when it seemed to take a step forward, or move forward anyway.

Well suddenly nature took over and it as flight or fright and I was out of that bed and fumbling for the key in the lock. As soon as the door opened I was down the stairs two at a time, without looking back and I ran through the downstairs door,  ran along the corridor and into ther kitchen where I found a very surprised nightstaff !

The rest of the night Islept in another room and only went back with the nightstaff to get my clothes in the morning.  There was no sign of anything unusual in the room.

Wroxham

Later discussing the incident with my collegues, the other assistant said that she had often heard banging and felt odd in that room, and one of the staff said there was presumed to be the ghost of a young Italian stablehand in the flat, as he had hung himself in the stable sometime doing the war. Apparently he was a prisoner of war and did not want to go home, but whether this was true or not I do not know.

Many strange things had been seen and felt in the old building. I had other experiences there: the sound of children crying and things being rearranged while I slept. One of the staff had often felt someone brush past her in the hall and one of the staff would never go up to the flat for any money; she said it was creepy. I took the advice of the local vicar and left a bible by the bed and a glass of water and I was never bothered again, just the occasional odd noise thereafter.