. “Willie’s Boots.” “The Blind Shall See.” “Misshapen Demon.” “Get out!” The disappearing Car” “And Other True Stories.” Brendan Mc Crossan
As Sr Augusta exited the room the little old nun turned to me with head bowed low, and said. Bless me Father for I have sinned. I tried very hard to explain that I was not a priest but she did not seem to hear me, and continued on with he confession. When she had finished I raised my hand and gave her absolution and made the sigh of the cross the way the priest does in the confessional box, and mumbled something about I absolve you in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Silently asking God to forgive me.
The blind shall see
I had been invited to Drumalis Retreat Centre in Larne. Northern Ireland, by my dear friend Sr. Augusta Marie. She invited me to come pray with a few of her friends who were in bad health. I gladly accepted and during the day I prayed with each one she brought in for me to see. After they had all left, Sr Augusta made me a cup of tea and we sat down to have a little chat. then she was summoned out of the room by one nun who looked very distressed.
A short time later she reentered the room looking very grave, and told me an elderly nun was working in the garden and began calling for help as she suddenly went blind. Would I please pray with her. She told me the old nun was 82 and spent her retirement working in the gardens. My heart overflowed with pity for the old dear and I instantly agreed. I will go get her Sr Augusta said, and left the room.
Five minutes later she returned with the old nun, who was bent over in two from age and with arthritis, her head almost touching he knees. Sr Augusta introduced me to her saying Brendan will pray with you for healing of your sight, Sr.
I said to her, “Sr Augusta tells me that you have gone blind, so I’M going to say a wee prayer with you now for healing so you may see again” She grabbed my hand and whispered. “Father, I was working out in the garden weeding the rose bushes when I went blind, I got dirt in my eye and took off my glasses to rub my eyes and when I put my glasses on again after cleaning them I went blind and could not see” But Father please do not tell Sr August or any of the other nuns, That as I was waiting to come into see you, I took my glasses off again and rubbed my eyes and found I could seeand when I put my glasses on again I went blind again.” “When I took my glasses off again and found I could see once more.” “I held my glasses up to the light and saw that the lens were covered in the muck from my hands when I cleaned them after rubbing my eyes and that is why I could not see.” She held the glasses up for me to inspect and sure enough they were filthy with mud. I cleaned them for her with a tissue and she put them on again, and lifting her head looked up at me and with a face the colour of crimson, grinned, and said. “Sure Father you wont tell Sr Augusta or any of the other nuns will Iyou?reassured her that her secrete was safe with me, it was after all, Pickingconfessional.upherrose bush trimmers and little shovel she made her way out of the room. And as she left I heard Sr August asking her if she could see again. I almost died with laughter as I heard her say. “Oh yes Sr Augusta, its a miracle, praise the lord.” I could hear the nuns squeal with delight, praise the lord. A few minutes later Sr Augusta came into the room and thanked me, and asked if I would say a wee prayer with all the sistersandtheyhadrequestedprayeraftertheolddearsmiracle.
Everyone went into Mc Donald’s house, which was an old large country house, and Billy and I quickly followed after them. The owners allowed visitors to use their old home as no one used it anyone more, and left the key under a pot plant at the front door.
Misshapen Demon
It was in the winter of 1972 when a group of local men began telling everyone that Mary the mother of Jesus was appearing at a place called Kerrytown in southern Ireland. Some of the men proclaimed that they had been blessed with seeing her themselves. I was very intrigued and decided to go to see what was happening there for myself. I was also very young at the Makingtime.
arrangements with these men Myself and another young man called Billy set off to visit Kerrytown. We set off about six 0-clock in the evening and arrived about two hours later at the place where Mary was supposed to appear.
On the way down the men talked excitedly of some of the experiences they had of a supernatural kind, and not all of it was holy. They had said old Jimmy {Jimmy had been going to kerrytown since he was a young man, and was now in his 80’s} had seen the Devil himself one night, and said he saw the Devil shrink in size in the middle of a field beside Mc Donald’s house, on whose land these manifestations were happening, as a light shone down from heaven on him. {The Devil, not Jimmy} So it was with a mixture of excitement and fear that I stepped out of the minibus in which we had made our journey, onto Mc Donald’s land.
I reluctantly got up to go outside. I was enjoying all the story telling from some of the older men and was beginning to get sleepy and it was cold outside.
One or two of the men stayed behind to clean the place up and keep the fire going, as all through the night we would be taking it in turns to go and pray at the grotto, which turned out to be a large piece of granite in a small field about twenty yards from another little house owned by a family called Ward. Who lived next door to the Mc Donald’s.
This little house was boarded up and was supposed to be haunted, so the men said. They had seen strange things happen here, like lights coming from inside and heard voices talking and laughing, and looking in through the cracks in the boards they saw no one and when they looked in they saw only darkness. Those standing back could still hear voices and see the lights but not those who peered through the cracks in the boards covering the windows.
Hurrying past it I approached the grotto or the Rock as it was called by my companions and soon prayers began. I was not much into prayer in those days and soon got bored and began looking around me. It was pitch black at the rock and it took a while before my eyes got accustomed to the darkness, and I could make out the figures of the men with me at different
One of the men began lighting a fire using sticks paper and turf. Turf is used in Ireland for kindling. It is compressed peat soil mixed with dead trees from thousands of years ago, its brown in colour and burns very well, and is used all over AfterIreland.a
while a lovely warm fire was blazing away and we were all feeling good after having some soup and sandwiches. “Right lads lets go out to the grotto and say some rosaries.” One man said.
Back in the house we had some more tea and sandwiches and warmed ourselves by the fireside though it took a little bit of pushing and shoving to get a turn in front of the fire. Then someone said. I feel we should go out and pray again, I feel Mary is calling us to pray.
Places around the rock heads bowed in prayer.
I felt we should lay down and have a good sleep, it’s too cold to go outside again, but whoever spoke got what he wished for and everyone was encouraged to go out to the rock and pray again.Itwas almost four o clock in the morning and I was really tired but I struggled outside and was soon awakened by the crisp fresh coldness of the winters night air. The sky was clear and you could see all the stars and to be honest I rarely looked up atthesky becauseitsusually cloudy in Ireland. AsIstood there looking up at the clear starry sky I could hear the rosary begin.
Nothing happened, no supernatural manifestation of Mary the mother of Jesus, and I was glad to hear them say it was time to go back to the house again. I was freezing cold and feeling a bit scared because when I went to stand beside someone praying they moved away to get some privacy to pray and I was on my own in the dark and did not like it.
We were praying the fifth decade for the fourth time when I hear a commotion to my right. It was some of the men moving back towards where I was standing at the entrance of the rock and they were expressing fear and pointing at something. One of them had a little bottle of Holy water and he began shaking it about calling on God to protect us, and then I saw what they
As it approached us it kept disappearing then reappearing and as it disappeared it gave out a roar, which chilled my very bones. I stood there rooted to the spot with fear as I had never in my life seen such a terrible sight. I could hear the men all praying frantically and they were all gathered around the spot where I was standing and I prayed frantically also.
Closer and closer it came but the prayers were not stopping it. And the closer it came the more grotesque it looked. We could see it clearly outlined in the first stages of the early light of the morning dawn. As it approached and disappeared we heard it mouth obscenities and roar curses. When it had gotten to about twenty feet from us one of the braver men, the one with the Holy water stepped out from the crowd of men and advanced towards it calling out in a loud voice. “Satan I rebuke you and command you to go back to hell in the name of God.”
Pointing at.
At that the monster like figure disappeared again and screaming obscenities it called out in a shrill voice. F*** You, you pack of B******s give me a hand I am drowning in this f****** Everyonebog.was rooted to the spot in fear then someone burst out laughing and shouted. “Its Dickey Valley with a bag of turf on his Everyoneshoulders.”rushed to poor Dickey’s aid and pulled him from a waterlogged bog hole. Dickey would not let go of the large bag of turf on his shoulders and soon he was on solid ground again
Coming towards us in the distance was a grotesque misshapen Demon like figure. It had no head, and its shoulders were about four foot wide and muscular.
This was my first experience at Kerrytown but it was not my last, and some of the other experiences were more frightening with real supernatural things happening, and I will tell you those stories next.
Dickey explained he went to get some more turf for the fire as it was beginning to die out and there were none in the turf shed, so he went to the hillside where there were stacks of turf waiting to dry. But he lost his way from the little pathway and had to make his way back to the house through the bog, and he kept falling down the holes in the bog. This is why we seen the monster suddenly disappear and reappear, it was poor Dickey falling down holes in the bog.
The poor man was soaking wet and exhausted from his ordeal so two of the men took the bag of turf off Dickeys back and we all began making our way back to Mc Donald’s house. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that it was not a misshapen monster we saw but poor old Dickey Valley.
During the night we had the usual prayer routine. Down to the rock for a few rosaries and back to the warmth of the fire and soup and sandwiches, this went on throughout the night.
About five in the morning the men decided they had said enough prayers and settled down for the rest of the night and took to the beds in the bedrooms sharing the bed with five or six other men. Old Jimmy, Ted Bridge, Billy my friend and I were the only ones left by the fireside. Jimmy and Ted were beginning to nod off and Jimmy said boys would you’s go and lock the doors back and front. So Billy and I went to the back doors and pulled the bolts across on each door and also turned the keys in the locks making sure the house was securely locked. There were three doors at the back of the house that
On my second trip to Kerrytown I came a little more prepared in case I encountered something evil. I took a pair of rosary beads and a large bottle of Holy water. After my first experience and seeing the man with the little bottle of Holy water having no effect on the misshapen Demon i.e.. Dickey Valley I decided that a larger bottle was the best thing to bring as well of course. was more sandwiches and a flask of soup that Rose prepared for me.
GET OUT!
Arriving at the Rock we all went into Mc Donald’s house and had a lovely warm fire burning in the fire-grate and the kettle on, it was a larger group of men that went on this journey and getting close to the fire was an ordeal for me, but I managed it.
As the door in the living room flung open along with rest, I was on my feet and making my way out into the hall and heading for the front doors which were wide open and into the night to get as far away from this house as I could. I did not need a second invitation to leave. The first invitation was quite enough for me. I was quickly followed by Billy and then all the rest of the sleeping men tumbled out of the house petrified by the ensuing event.
I informed him that Billy and I had securely locked all the doors including the living room one, and that Ted Bridge saw us lock that one. And that All the doors had opened at once and it was impossible for a local to open them all at once, as they were locked from the inside and doubly bolted. Also as soon as the voice spoke I was halfway out the front door and
Standing outside in the freezing cold I pulled my overcoat around me and One of the men asked who closed the doors? I responded it was Billy and myself. “Why did you not lock them.?” he asked This was probably some locals playing a trick on us all.
Needed locking and then we went to the front doors and locked them with two bolts drawn across each door and we turned the keys in the locks and tested the doors making sure they also were securely locked . We then entered the living room and Ted told us to lock that one also with the bolt and key. I obeyed and locked the door behind me and reached for another of the sandwich’s Rose prepared for me and poured myself out a cup of tea from the still warm kettle and sank down into one of the armchairs. Finishing my tea and sandwich I snuggled down into the chair and pulled my overcoat around me getting ready to have a sleep. When all of a sudden all the doors in the house flung open with a terrible bang and a loud voice angrily shouted. “Get out”
If there had been any locals I would have seen them I was out of there that fast. No one spoke for a while then someone suggested that we go and pray as they did not want to go back into the house again that night so off to the rock we went, but prayer was far from my mind. In the morning we left after making a quick tidy up and retrieving our stuff. Needless to say I would never lock those doors ever again during the times I went to Kerrytown.
A little while later we all went to the rock to pray, I made sure I was in the middle of the group leaving Mc Donald’s house and not at the back or front just in case anything strange Downhappened.atthe
The disappearing car
“Do you fancy another trip to Kerrytown?” Alex Hegarty asked me. “There are two car loads going this weekend its our Lady’s 10th anniversary at Kerrytown. I would love to. I replied. “Wewill seeyou on Friday night at fiveo clock, we’ll pick you up at your house.” Said Alex.
rock the rosary had begun and I took up a position at the entrance to the path leading to the rock where I usually stood on my visits there, making sure I would have a quick exit, just in case anything I didn’t like happened and I could escape quickly. The path was set between thick hedges and I
Five o clock came and a group of us set off in one car and the other car followed behind. On the journey to Kerrytown we separated from our traveling companions due to heavy traffic in one of the little village’s we passed through. And we arrived at the rock and discovered we were the first to arrive. A little while later we saw a car drive up to Mc Donald’s house, and we went to greet our traveling companions but it was not them, it was another group from Derry who had come up for the anniversary. We all had a good long chat and made the usual tea and lit a good warm fire, and swapped stories about the rock and its strange happenings.
Liked this spot better than anywhere else at the rock. During the rosary I saw a car with its lights on turning up the driveway of Wards house I turned around to watch it as it made its way towards us. I thought this must be the rest of the men we had traveled with but got separated from in the small village, and my friend Billy was traveling with them. Still watching the car I saw it pass by the gap in the hedge where the little path was where I was standing its headlights still full on. I heard the noise of the engine as it passed me by, then I heard the sound of the car stopping and the handbrake being pulled. Then the lights were switched off, and silence. I had edged closer to the driveway to see my friends get out of the car but could see nothing just the outline of Wards house, in fact I could not even see the car. Stepping out into the middle of the driveway for a better look I could see nothing. Just then one of the men asked. “was that the lads?” Meaning our companions. Lets go greet them and at that all the rest of the men arrived at the entrance of the pathway where I normally stood. Together we approached the house which was less than twenty five feet away. When we arrived at the front of the house there was no car.
At the front of Wards house there was just enough room for a car to turn and face back the way it had come, and there were no other paths or driveways or road apart from this only entrance and the car never turned back and come down past me because as soon as it passed by, I stepped out into the driveway for a better look as I had said previously, and nothing passed me on its way back. Reaching into my coat I produced a flashlight and shone it on the ground looking for tyre tracks, to see where the car went. I spotted some freshly made tyre tracks on the driveway which
Ten minutes later our friends arrived and drove up Mc Donald’s driveway and called out to us. We told them what happened and they came over to look, and they saw for themselves the tracks going through the wall of the house and past. I was happy to go back to Mc Donald’s house that night.
Was muddy from the rain just ten minutes earlier. I followed the tyre tracks with my flashlight and one led straight through the side of the house. This tyre track went right through the edge of the gable end and the other track went on for another four feet passed the gable on its own. The tracks just stopped dead, if any car had reversed it would have shown tyre tracks on the muddy ground. The car had disappeared.
I called everyone over to see what I had found and everyone saw the tracks and seen where they went through the house and one track on the ground going past the house. Everyone said they had seen the car pass the rock and stop at Wards house. All had watched to see if it was their friends.
Next thing I saw was lights began appearing at the rock they flickered and shone with different intensity and were suspended in the air. I called out to the rest of the group asking did they smell the beautiful scent and see the lights. Two men confirmed that they could see lights like fairy lights on a Christmas treeand they weresparkling dimming and brightening, Just like I was seeing them. One man called out.” She’s here,” I can see her, meaning Mary the mother of Jesus was here. “And I can smell the perfume from her, its beautiful, its like thousands of flowers.
I was praying sincerely for the first time since coming to Kerrytown, when about four o clock in the morning I was almost suffocated by this most beautiful heavenly scent. It filled the air around me and completely surrounded and overwhelmed me. It was a strong a smell like a thousand roses all in full bloom. Remember it was in the dead of winter and snow was on the ground. There was also no flowers of any kind growing anywhere with a mile of the rock.
Strange lights
I could not see Mary but the scent lingered for hour’s. Then the lights began changing and I could see them beginning to take the shape of a very large Rosary. I noticed that as we prayed each decade the lights of the rosary went brighter at that particulardecade.Iwascompletelyoverwhelmedwithafeeling
On another visit to the Rock at Kerrytown. I had taken up position against an old barn wall because the wind was blowing snow on me at my usual gap in the hedge and the barn wall was the best protection this particular night.
This was one of the better visits I had ever made to Kerrytown and the Rock.
Of Being loved. It was such a beautiful experience and I never wanted it to end. But sadly the light began to dim and the man who said he saw Mary called out. “She has gone.” and the lights disappeared also. He called us into a group together and told us that he saw Mary and that she was looking at us and smiling and when we began saying the rosary she also took out large shiny beads like little stars and began praying with us all the while smiling and looking around at each one of us.
What does the future hold for Ireland.
Alex asked me to come to Kerrytown along with some of the old gang on a Friday night, and I agreed.Meetingupwiththemlateronweheaded off to Kerrytown. Old Jimmy was there and Old Ted Bridge, and some of the first members of the Kerrytown group but there was a strange quietness among the group. No one could explain what it was but we all could feel a heaviness, and no matter what we did we could not shift this feeling off of us.
An American friend of mine, Dave Hallcamp was to have come with us this day but he was not sure if he would be able to get off duty, he was an American sailor and thought he might be on duty and when we called at his flat we got no answer, so we presumed he was still on duty and went on without him. As we began praying I started weeping and cried
Arriving at the Rock we got out of the minibus and this time we went straight down to the Rock to pray. We all felt there was something wrong.
A little while later I suddenly stopped crying, and felt good Thatagain.night nothing happened and a sad group began making preparations for home. Sitting in the van as it made its way down the driveway of Mc Donald’s house. Alex Hegarty prayed a prayer aloud. And said. “Lord what future do you see for Ireland?” The driver stopped the van thinking we were beginning to pray again. And Old Ted Bridge looked out the window and up to the sky and gasped: Oh my God look at that! Everyone looked out the windows and up to the sky where he was pointing and we all saw the cloud formation. It was like someone laid out thousands of graves side by side. It was in neat rows. Impossible for clouds to just form like this.
Alex himself lost a son, who was murdered by British soldiers on the morning of Moterman, the British army’s invasion of derrys Creggan and Bogside areas years later.
Very sore. I did not know why I was crying so deeply but I kept thinking of Dave, and so I prayed for him during the prayers. Some of the men came over to me and put their arms around me and tried to comfort me, saying. “Mary is calling you to pray for someone.”
That turned out to be our last visit to Kerrytown, and little did we know that the future for Northern Ireland would be seen in the skies over Kerrytown. We seen it but did not understand what we had been shown in answer to Alex’s prayer. Until years later.
Later on that year the troubles began in Ireland and thousands have lost their lives since and lay in graves neatly laid out through out Northern Ireland.
Willies Boots.
Susie would call now and then and help the keep the place tidy and do some washing for them. You know what too old men are like if it looks tidy to them and they can find their fishing gear then the place looks great. But even they had to admit that the place needed a good cleaning and Susie was just the girl to give it its much deserved cleaning.
Susie agreed as usual to give the place a good cleaning, and Willy said. “Throw out anything that is no good.” Susie nodded ok.
Willy decided that he and his younger brother Frank needed a little fishing time away, so they both packed all their fishing tackle into their fishing bags, Taking what food they would need with them they called to see their niece Susie.
Willy O Donnell is my mothers brother and is now 91 years young. Every year willy takes off for a fishing trip to his caravan that he keeps beside some lake somewhere in Southern Ireland. No one knows where it is because he does not wish to be disturbed from his favourite pastime, fishing.
So off the two brothers went and next day Susie arrived at their house and began to get stuck into cleaning the place out. There were loads of old magazines papers and other junk that was years old and dutifully Susie threw this all out. The place took on a new look as she went from room to room discarding the old stuff and cleaning everywhere. The house smelled divine, no stench of tobacco. The two lads both smoked pipes, but
Willie’s bedroom and opening an old wardrobe Susie saw an old worn out pair of long brown boots, tattered and torn. She promptly dumped them into a large black plastic bag she had for putting the rubbish into, and continued on with her cleaning. Soon the place was glittering like a new pin and smelling beautiful. The two lads will hardly know the place when they get back she thought with a feeling of satisfaction at a job well done.
“J****s Me boots!” He screamed at the top of his lungs. “Where’s my F****** boots” My f***** boots are gone what the F*** did that dozy cow do with them. Gone were the singing of Susie’s praises to be replaced by curses and roars of Frankdistress.came
Aweeklaterthetwofishermenarrivedbackhomeandopening the door they were overwhelmed by the smell of freshness, Going from room to room each inspected Susie’s work and sharing praises about Susie and saying she was such a wonderful Willygirl.going into his bedroom found he could actually see his made up fresh bed for the first time in a long while. And smiling sweetly as he thought of Susie he opened his wardrobe door to put his fishing gear away, when he noticed that his old brown boots were gone.
Susie’s air freshener had the place smelling of springtime in the Goingalps.into
running into the bedroom thinking Willy had taken a turn or something worse. “What’s wrong he asked,” his face ashen with shock. That stupid B****** of a F***** Bitch has thrown out my boots. I cant find them anywhere. F her, F her, F her, he kept
For God’s sake I’ll buy you a pair of boots the same kind as those old things, Frank said to him.
So Frank phoned Susie and she told him that she had left the boots in a black plastic bag beside the bin for the bin-men to lift on their collection day.
Going back into the still cursing and swearing Willy, he said. “Susie placed the boots in a black plastic bag beside the wheelie bin for collection, so stop panicking there just an old pair of boots.”
“Not like those boots.” Willy screamed back at him. They had ten thousand pounds inside them, its where I hid my life’s “Holysavings.J****.
Willy swore at him and dashed outside to the wheelie bin and saw that it was emptied screamed a scream of despair calling on God to help him.
Screaming his face a dark purple colour. “Calm down.” said Frank. “I’ll phone her and ask what she done with them, she might have placed them somewhere else for you.”
Frank thanked her for the great job she had done with the cleaning and hung up.
Poor Frank stood looking at him thinking Willy has lost his senses and wondered should he send for the doctor. “ “Do you need a doctor?” Frank asked him. Willy turned on him his face contorted with anger and despair and screamed like a man possessed. I need my F****** boots I need my boots.
Frank screamed back at him. Are you insane to hide money inside a pair of old long brown boots, did you never hear of banks.
Making a quick phone call to their brother in law Frank secured a search part who were willing to go to the city dump and begin a search for the black plastic bag with the long brown boots in it.
Old habits like old men are hard to change.
A few years later Willy asked his brother in law to paint his bedroom. But not to throw anything out. As Vincent and his son were shifting the wardrobe to paint behind it, a biscuit tin fell down and opened, and out fell hundreds of pounds. Willy had found a new hiding place for himself. They painted the room and told Willy of their find and asked him to bank it, but he held on to that tin like grim death, saying I must do that.
For over a week they searched the city dump tearing open every black plastic bag, tens of thousands of them, but eventually they had to give up, and poor Willy had to come to terms with the loss of his ten thousand grand. Never again did they ask Susie to clean for them and both of them live in an untidy home, but as they say at least they know where everything is.
When I was about 15 years old, my friends Robert Glackin and Mickey Quigley and I went down to the Bog side so that Robert could see his new girlfriend. Mickey and I walked about for an hour while Robert done his courting. Then we all met up at Cable street, and made our way up to our homes in the Creggan. It was about 11- 30 at night. Walking along and chatting about Girls we made our way up Blighs Lane going towards the Creggan. We had got to about three quarters of the way up the hill and could see the little cottages that were on the hill. As we walked past these cottages we suddenly stopped talking and all three of us went very quiet and just looked at each other.
As the man continued walking I began running as fast as my legs would carry me towards him. Please do not ask why did I run towards him, because I just do not know why. As I was running past the man I could see him walk straight through a stone wall, there were no openings, no gates. I could see quite clearly through him as he was walking through the wall, and saw his back disappear into the wall as I ran past him. He never looked at me. My two friends Robert and Mickey were frozen to the spot by
As I looked towards the top of the hill I could see the dim lights at the Creggan roundabout. As I looked at the lights a man wearing a long coat and a gangster type hat, walked out from the side of a cottage further up the hill, and as he walked out into the middle of the road I realised I could see straight through him. The hairs on the back of my head were standing straight up and I could feel goose bump’s everywhere.
Walls are not an obstacle
I sat down on a little wall outside someone’s house and waited for my two friends and twenty minutes later they arrived.{ it was a five minute walk from where they had stopped.} But they told me they could not move. They saw me running towards the see through man, and thought I was mad, but something froze them to the spot, and it was only just five minutes ago when they both could move. We made our way down the street to our homes and I’M glad to say we did not live far apart from each other. On arriving home I entered the door and my mother knew that something was wrong with me and told me My hair was still standing straight up. Telling her what happened she smiled and said many peoplehad seethis ghostand somesaw him wearing shiny shoes. You can be assured I slept with the light on that particular night.
Fear and could not move a muscle. I never stopped running until I ran out of breath opposite the field where they were digging the foundations for our new Church. The church bit had nothing to do with me stopping, I just could not run any further.
A few years later I met Rose my future wife, she went to work at the Star factory on Foyle Street, and came home every night using Blighs Lane. I used to go and meet her and walk her home But unknown to her I went down a different road to meet her and then we walked home up Blighs Lane and she used to ask me why I was so quiet as we walked up Blighs Lane, I just pretended to be shy. Years after we were married and she no longer worked I told her of my experience.
My mother used to gather us around the fireside in our house in Broadway Creggan Estate and we used to ask her to tell us stories of Inch Fort. This is one of those stories.
When my mother was young her family used to live at Inch Fort in Inch Island Co Donegal. Inch Fort used to be an old army fort. I do not know how long they lived in this fort or if it was just a summer residence, which was probably the case. I never asked. But my mother and her sisters used to tell stories of the strange happenings there and over the next few pages I’m going to retell those true stories.
There was a group of about twenty young people down from Rosemount for a weekend party and they decided to go to the beach for a midnight swim as was the usual practice when everyone got together as the beach was only five minutes walk Willyaway. and Frank the same two from Willy’s boots story, only younger, were told they had to remain behind to clean up after everyone had their evening tea and then they could come down later and join the gang at the beach. It took the two lads longer than they thought to clean up and then Willy decided they would play a trick on the visitors from Rosemount. Taking a white sheet from the bedroom, they planned they would dress up as a ghost and scare the gang
Inch Fort.
When the gang arrived at the spot where willy and frank were hiding Frank let a terrifying screech and moved his arms in the air giving the impression that he was a ghost floating in the air. Looking up at the sound of the screech, the gang saw Frank floating high in the air with the sheet covering him, and screaming they ran away.
The two bold lads were in stitches laughing, but as frank climbed down from Willies shoulders and took his sheet off, they noticed a figure of an ancient soldiers standing just feet away looking at them, and they could see right through him. Screaming they both took to their heels and followed their still screaming friends. Thetwo lads never played aghostly trick on their friends ever again.
As they returned from the beach. Going down to the entrance of the fort, the place where the soldiers used to stand guard, they decided this was the best place to play their trick. Shortly after they could hear the sounds of the gang laughing and talking making their way home Frankagainclimbed onto Willies shoulders and draped the long sheet over him and they moved quietly into the side of the trees so that no one would notice Willy underneath Frank.
GET UP!
They had a great night fun as their uncle told them stories of the places where he had been on his seafaring journeys. Late into the night he had them spellbound with his tales but then sleep began to overtake them and they decided to retire for the Beforenight.
they retired Grand father told uncle, that if during the night he heard a voice say get up he should get up out of bed immediately and wait a few minutes before getting back in again. He repeated theses instructions to uncle Hugh, who nodded his head and said ok I understand. Then he made his way down the hallway to his prepared room.
About four o clock in the morning uncle Hugh heard a voice say to him. “Get Up!”
My mothers family were staying at Inch fort for the summer vacation when they heard that their seafaring uncle Hugh, whom they loved very much, was coming down to visit them later that night.
Grand father told Sadie, my mothers sister that she would need to make up a bed in the spare room which no one ever used. So Sadie made the bed up and retreated out of the room as quick as possible, she did not like this room.
That night uncle Hugh arrived, a bit worse the wear for drink as they say. {In other words he was slightly intoxicated.}
Next morning he went in and discovered the bed back in its place and freshly made.
Meanwhile a very stunned group were left staring after the retreating figure and asking what happened. Then Frank spoke up and told them he heard the voice order uncle Hugh to get up out of bed, and he answered it with cursing and swearing telling it what it could do with it’s self and then the response from the voice was to throw him and the bed out of its way. Grandfather ordered everyone back to bed and closed the door behind them.
On hearing the voice telling him to get up, he immediately responded with a few choice words telling who ever spoke what it could do with itself, and turned over in the bed. The next thing he knew was, he and bed were lifted high in the air and threw across the room with such force against the opposite wall that everyone was awakened with the sound.
Uncle Hugh was that terrified, that he grabbed his clothes as he ran from the room and grabbing the nearest bike he began cycling towards Derry City fifteen miles away, still in his long Johns nightwear and he did not stop until he reached Rosemount, where his own home was.
Closing the door behind him he hid the key away so that no one ever went into that room again
Try as they might no one was allowed to pass this invisible force. The hairs in the back of their necks stood on end and their arms had goose bumps on them, except for my aunt Susie. Susie could just walk by with no trouble at all. Not even once was she prevented from getting by in all their years of living at Inch Fort. The rest could not pass until the force allowed them to go by.
My mother told us that on many an occasion they were getting ready to go to the local dance and everyone would get ready. Every one was all looking lovely and they just waited for their friends to call for them. Then come the knock at the door and they would rush out to answer it only to get half way down the hallway and come up against what felt like a brick wall. Something stopped them and refused to allow them to pass by this particular spot on many a night.
They had gotten so used to this happening to them that they used to wait until the invisible force moved away itself. But Susie could go back and forward at will. Perhaps the ghost fancied Susie.
Did the ghost fancy Susie?
I never for the life of me understood why my mother and her brothers and sisters and their father would go to Inch Fort year after year, but I suppose with everything you get used to it. She told us she was never afraid of being harmed but many a sleepless night they had as strange things happened to them.
One of the girls got up to answer it but their father told her not to open the door, he did not like the feeling he had about whoever or whatever was behind the door. The knock got louder and was soon banging frightening louder and louder filling the room with its sound. My Grand father called out. “You shall not enter this room.”
My Mother was Squeezed at the sink.
On another occasion all the family and friends were gathered in the great big living room and seated around the fire. Everyone was chatting away loudly when all of a sudden they all went quiet as a strange atmosphere entered the room. Then they heard the sound of someone walking down the long hallway and stop at the living room door and they all heard a loud knock at the door.
One story she told us was when she would go the kitchen at times to do the washing she would be standing there washing and the next thing she could sense someone enter the room and approach the sink where she was standing. The next thing that happened was she could not move as she felt herself being squeezed. It was like someone was pushing her away from the sink and trying to squeeze their way past. She told us this was the one and only thing that happened to her that she did not like, because it would be painful at times as she would be squeezed against the draining board.
And the knocking immediately stopped. They heard the sound of footsteps leave the door and proceed back down the hall, then Thensilence.everyone
began talking at once, asking their father why he would not allow them to open the door to whom ever it was, saying. “It was probably some of their friends from Rosemount.” To which he replied.
My mother told us many stories of seeing platoons of soldiers marching around the fort, and individual soldiers, still hundred of years later still going about their former duties.
My Grand father had lived at Inch Fort for quite a few years and knew the different ghosts and ghostly sounds that haunted Inch Fort, and he knew that this was not one of those ghosts but an evil entity, that wanted to harm them.
“This thing was something evil that wanted into the room and not one of the ordinary ghosts that remained there, that is why I said not to open the door it needed someone to let it in.”
There was always something about this house we did not like. For example, when we went out we did not want to go back in again. And other times we just did not wish to go out side, it was more than the usual feelings people have about going in and out of their home.
One night Rose’s mother Peggy answered the door and it was a man called Sam Campbell. A farmer who augmented his income by going around the estates in Derry selling milk, and especially Buttermilk. His Buttermilk was exceptional, so creamy and delicious tasting.
This particular night when Sam called he was standing shaking in his boots, his face sheet white. Peggy invited him in and gave him a glass of water and asked him what happened to Samhim.
The horse had more sense than Sam
told her that many times when he got to this street his horse would begin to tremble, shake and sweat with fear, and as it approached her home its eyes rolled in its head with fear and it stopped and refused to go any further. Sam got off the cart and as he approached the horses head to calm it, he seen something but he would not tell my mother in law, what it was because she lived here, but it terrified him what ever he saw that much that Sam never came back with milk or buttermilk from that night on.
For about three years Rose and I lived in Central Drive in the Creggan Estate. Derry with Roses parents and family.
On this particular night, they were thrown out of the house and they made their way down to Patsy’s brothers home and passed Peggy’s house. As they approached Peggy’s house, they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw some very small figures going up and down Peggy’s steps and carrying Peggy’s milk bottles. There was something very menacing emanating from theses small creatures and they drew back and remained very still and watched as what ever they were went about their business going up and down Peggy’s steps and over to the roundabout and up the grassy hill and disappeared and reappeared. She told Peggy this went on for about a half hour then they went back to the roundabout and never came back so they hurried past Peggy’s home. She told Peggy all her 9 children saw these small figures and all were afraid of them. She told Peggy she would not tell her this story before because Peggy still lived in this house and now she was in a new home she told her what they all say.
I should say that the roundabout was supposed to be a fairy ring, and even the council work men years later refused to changetheroundaboutbyflatteningit,theyleftitwiththesame
Years went by then one day a woman told Peggy of an experience they had late one night.
Patsy’s brother lived at the end of Dunree Gardens, the next street down from Central Drive and they all would go to his brothers house and he would take them in for the night.
This woman’s husband Patsy, was dying of cancer and suffering terrible and when his pain got to much for him he would throw his family of 9 children and his wife out of the house at all hours of the day or night.
Years later we heard many stories of people coming home passing this house and seeing small figures moving about back and forward from the roundabout {fairy ring} to this house and going up and down the steps.
Height of clay but smoothed the top and finished quicker than any other job they done.
Reid’s house was about 200 yards from our house in Broadway, and the two men ran as fast as they could in this direction and the shapeless masses began following them. They screamed even louder when they looked back and seen the shapes following after them.
Four headless beings arose from the earth.
James“listen.”wentquiet and listened but heard nothing then said very loudly. “Pat your imagining things there is nothing there.”
Justas hesaid this four horribleheadless very largeshapes rose up from Reid’s garden making strange frightening noises, the two of them screamed and began running down Dunmore.
As they approached Reid’s house at the corner of Dunmore Gardens, my father heard strange noises coming the direction of Reid’s garden. Shushing James Grant up my father said to him.
Running as fast as their legs could carry them they finally reached the safety of the front gate, James rushed past my father who quickly followed and as the gate closed after them
My father and his friend James Grant went regularly to a bar in Rosemount for a pint and returned many a night in the wee small hours usually slightly intoxicated. This particular night was in 1960. The street lights at that time were very poor and gave off a very dim light. It was difficult to see any distance. As the two of them staggered to my parents home they walked over Dunmore Gardens talking and laughing loudly.
Once inside the two men realised that it was four horses that had followed them, not four demons from hell, they fell about laughing at what happened, but both had sobered up considerLookingably.
as they crashed In the front door, almost tearing the hinges off, they heard a snorting and blowing noise as a horse stopped at the gate snorting and blowing after them, soon to be joined by three other horses all snorting and neighing, Thank God my mother always kept the front door key in the lock waiting on my father to come home as she went to bed.
out the window my father seen that one horse was still trying to get in the gate, and he rushed out to the front door and put the bolts across the door and put a table and a dressing table against the door in case the horses got through the front gate and tried to force its way into the house.
They realised they must have frightened the horses. In the morning they saw the horses still remained outside. But now they were munching on the grass in the area in front of our house, and one of the horses was a Stallion.
They noticed also one of the mares was pregnant and that is why the horses reacted in the way they did the night before. The Stallion was protecting the mares and followed James and my father chasing them away, and the mares followed the NeedlessStallion. to say neither of the two men went outside until the horses moved away later that day.
Suddenly they heard a crashing noise, and jumping up they asked where did that noise come from. One said. “I think it came from outside, from out the back, go and have a look.” he Aftersuggested.much persuading one of them led the way to the back
During the course of the night many subjects were spoken about but the other family told us a great story of a local character who enjoyed his pint of beer.
My mother was dying in hospital and we were sitting up at night waiting on her to die and were staying in the hospital’s visitors rest room. Some other people whom we knew came into the room. They were waiting on their father to die also, and came to the room for a rest and a smoke.
A painful story.
They told us that one of their brothers had purchased an old house in the Lone Moor Road area in Derry. The brothers of the man who bought the house went with him to decorate the house getting it ready for his wife and family. They of course took with them paint, paintbrushes, cloths, and wallpaper, and of course the most important item, the Beer.
Working hard into the wee small hours they had the work finished in no time at all and were sitting down enjoying their drink and of course one bright spark said. “I hope this place is not haunted.” They laughed, then one after the other began sharing a ghost story prompted by that remark.
“Holy God, would you shut up.” Everyone turned of the poor brother who was scaring himself even more and was now making them more afraid also.
Going outside they went to the back gate and looking out they saw nothing there. Then one said. “I think its coming from further over the back lane. So off the brave band went in search of the horrible sounds.
“Its probably something from the City Cemetery.” one of them said. The cemetery was just a little bit further over the street.
Allthrough thenightthey could hearthemoansand groansand other unearthly noises. Finally daylight began to shine through the curtains and the brothers began to take heart and courage returned to them and one suggested they go and find out the source of the unearthly noise they could still hear.
Door and slowly opened it. Remember they had been talking about Banshee’s and ghosts. As they opened the door they heardthisunmercifulmoaningnoisecomingfromoutsidetheir back gate or so it seemed like it, and they slammed the back door shut Everythingquickly.wasnow
deathly still as they returned to they living room. They were petrified. The noise did not sound human. It was a fearful moaning noise. As they listened quietly they could hear the moans and groans of some unearthly creature.
A little further over the back lane they heard the sounds getting louder as they approached, the hairs stood on their heads but daylight brought with it courage. Finally stopping outside a neighbours back gate they believed the noise was coming from inside here. As they stood listening
I knew Ala and knew of his drinking habits. When he recovered in hospital and returned home he was surprised to discover his wife had the offending window replaced with a stronger one. It did not stop him drinking and he still drank in Mary Bee’s for years still returning home intoxicated but always got into bed slowly.
He told them he was out drinking in Mary Bee’s Bar and came home drunk. Going upstairs he went to throw himself into bed but missed the bed and fell out the low bedroom window and had been laying there all night until now.
They heard more moans coming from inside. Then they heard a voice saying. “Help” They looked at one another in surprise and someone suggested that they climb up onto the wall and have a look over. When they had done so the saw Ala H**** laying on top of the little kitchen roof on his back. And looking up they saw a broken bedroom window. Calling for help and an ambulance they made Ala comfortable.
Margaret and William decided to go for a walk as was common with young people in those days, 15 years ago. As they walked along they were chatting away quite merrily when they both went silent. Margaret turned to William and said lets stop and turn back I don't like the feeling I am getting here.• William replied. •I am glad you said that because I did not want to sound weird.• But I do not like this place either.• He
Justcontinued.asthey turned to leave they saw a number of figures jumping up and down from a wall that ran alongside the reservoir. The figures were luminous bright shining figures that glowed like a luminous hands on a watch or clock, they were
There is a road at the back of Creggan which leads from Rosemount to Creggan heights and many a strange sighting has occurred there along this stretch of road. On one side of the roadliesareservoirandontheothersideareafewfarmhouses. There were no lights along this country road and the only lights you could see where the lights from the houses in the Creggan Estate as you looked out over the reservoir.
Luminous figures
When My daughter Margaret was proofreading the first printing of this little booklet, correcting my mistakes and spellings. She reminded Rose and I of a strange occurrence she and her ex husband had when they were courting.
They waited to see if the figures would reappear but they did not so they left and returned home and told Rose and I of their strange encounter of the luminous green kind.
When Margaret and William told some friends of their experience years later their friends told them of a time they too walked out the back road between Rosemount and Creggan heights, and one night they had their Alsatian dog with them. When they
William gulped and replied that he was seeing them. Describing the figures to Margaret they confirmed to each other what they were both experiencing.
Luminous green in colour and were about seven feet tall. Margaret asked William. “Do you see those figures jumping up and down from that wall?”
They stood hiding in at the side of the road and peered at the strange luminous figures as they jumped up and down from the wall with an ease that beggared belief and sometimes the figures ran along the top of the wall just like a bunch of kids playing. I should mention that the wall was over ten foot high that these figures were jumping up and down from.
For over an hour Margaret and William watched these strange figures and at times a car would come and they thought the car lights would show up what theses figures were but when the car lights hit them they disappeared and reappeared when the lights passed by. Both of them were frightened but were also very intrigued at what was happening, then the figures disappeared altogether.
Approached the same place where Margaret and William described, the dog stopped and refused to go any further.
Both of them told of experiencing the hairs on their arms and neck raising, and a feeling of coldness and fear came over them, so dragging the dog back with them they hurried away from this area with the dog still looking back and snarling and barking at whatever it could see but they could not see.
She and my father used to do their courting out this same road, and she told me one night they were sitting by the roadside on a grassy banking courting, when they felt a coldness rise the hairs on the back of their necks and their arms came out in goose bumps. Both of them fell silent then they heard the footsteps of someone come down the lane of the farmhouse just a few feet from where they were sitting, and sinking back a little bit they thought, thank God its someone from *******s Sittingfarm.
up straight they waited until the sound of the footsteps got nearer and were looking to see if it was anyone they knew. The footsteps did get nearer and not only did they get nearer but they approached them and they peered into the dim light trying to see if there was anyone there but could see no one. The footsteps approached them and stopped directly in front of them, they were petrified with fear when they
It stood there with its hackles raised and snarling, growling and whimpering it stood looking at something they could not see, but it never took its eyes off this place in front of it and to the left a bit.
I remembered a story my mother told me of this same place.
Realised there was no one there that they could see.
also told us that Susie her sister and her husband Paddy had the exact same experience at the same spot, but no one told anyone else until years later when they were swapping stories.
Five minutes later they got the use of their legs back and both of them practically ran all the way towards Creggan Heights about 3 or 4 miles in the opposite direction from my mothers house and then made their way down through Creggan towards Rosemount and home.
Strangely enough my mother told us many stories about this back road and of the strange sightings she experienced there. So obviously the footsteps did not stop them with their courtSheing.
After a few minutes the footsteps began walking away from them continuing its journey down the road towards Rosemount in the direction where my mother lived.
At the sound of the chains had reached the gate leading to Nora’s steps. Then they heard the sound of the chains begin to ascend the steps, clanking up each step getting closer and closer to where the two ladies were standing.
It was almost two o clock in the morning and my aunt Nora and aunt Susie were standing on the front step of Nora’s home in Leenan Gardens in the Creggan Estate Derry. Susie live about ten doors away further up the other side of the Theystreet.were standing chatting away about their children and family things, when all of a sudden they heard the sound of chains being dragged along the street. They stopped talking and listened intently making sure they heard this strange sound and looking in the direction from which the sound come from they could see nothing.
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what’s that.” Whispered Nora. Susie replied. ‘I don’t know and I don't like it.
The chains
Then they felt the hair on their necks rise and the goose bumps begin forming on their bare arms. As they listened in silence to the sounds of the dragging chains they realised that it was coming towards them.
They were mesmerised and did not move just stood watching and listening. Just as the chains arrived at the bottom of the steps where they were standing. Nora suddenly stepped back
And closed the front door locking poor Susie outside on her Whenown.
Susie realised that Nora had stepped inside the door and closed her outside with the thing she began screaming at Nora to let her in, and all the while the chains came closer and closer and when it reached Susie, she stopped screaming and just stood there petrified. Whatever it was went around her and then began slowly making its way down the steps again and down the little path, then down the bottom steps and proceed back down the street in the direction it had come from.
It was over two weeks before the two sisters spoke to each other again.
Poor Susie was rooted to the spot still listening to the sound as it made its way back to whence it had come from clanking ever so slowly along the way. Then Nora called out. Has it gone yet? Susie Replied. Aye, now open the frigging door and let me in I am wetting myself. Nora opened the door and poor Susie fell inside her legs too weak to hold her up.
You bitch you, why did you lock me outside with that thing. She managed to say to Nora.
Nora answered saying. This thing was going to go into my home and with the children there I was not going to just let it crawl inside, so I thought it best to keep it away, I am sorry for locking you outside with it but I only thought of the children.
When it had passed out of sight only then could both men move and they realised that they were covered in sweat from head to toe. Both parted company making a quick exit for home. Neither stopped until safely inside.
HundredsFootnote: of years ago Creggan Estate used to be an army garrison for soldiers and prisoners. Soldiers were stationed here for years or so I am told. I have only my mothers and her sisters and brothers word on this I did not go researching into this. I just checked the ghostly stories that they each told over the years. I heard the same stories from my mothers sisters and each told the same stories about Inch fort and other ghostly stories I heard, confirming those stories to be true.
whatever it was had no human shape they described it as being a lump of something and it was emanating a sense of intense evil. Both men were rooted to the spot and watched helplessly as it crawled slowly passed them and up the hill towards the direction of the police station.
My mothers uncle and a friend were standing talking at the junction of Marlborough Road and Creggan street. As they talked their attention was drawn to something crawling on the ground coming in their direction but on the other side of the Thisstreet.thing
Bob the Policeman
Bob told my father many stories of ghostly figures he seen on his beat around the Creggan Estate. But he said they were too scary to tell us children and so I never got to hear them.
Bob a policeman used to walk his beat at night with his Alsatian dog. And he told the same story of seeing this crawling thing and expressing a fear that he never felt with anything else Bobspooky.toldofseeing ghost’s on many an occasion as he took a rest at the junction at the Cathedral Chapel, before going up the hill to the police station at Rosemount. He said on many a night he was standing having a smoke and saw a figure in black go towards the Parochial house door and disappear through it. A few minutes later he would see a priest rush out going to a sick call. Making enquires later he discovered that on the nights he seen the figure in black enter the parochial house closed door someone died and the priest was giving the last rites to that someone. His dog stood growling and whimpering tail between its legs when they seen this figure in black.
Haunted City Centre Bar
Brenda, My daughter was going steady with ******** And he was the manager of a famous city centre bar, and they told us stories of some of the frightening things that ******* experienced whilst working in the bar after everyone else had Thisleft.
of those doors were chained and padlocked but every one open instantaneously. Needless to say both Brenda and ******** made a hasty retreat out of there and leaving the doors open at four in the morning they came to our home and awakened Rose and I. Rose suggested that ****** and I go back down and lock the doors or he would get in trouble with his boss and get possibly fired. An uneasy ****** agreed, so taking some holy water with us off we went to the bar.
particular night both Brenda and ******** were working late when they heard noises coming from the cellar. ******* went to look to see what it was and saw the wheel bins that hold the empty and broken bottles were moving back and forward throughout the room and there was no one there.
As ******** stood looking at this his mouth hanging open in shock the wheel bins started banging into each other and other things with more force and bottles began lifting out of their crates and fly through the room crashing against the walls. Making a hasty retreat he ran back to Brenda and as he got to Brenda every door in the place flung open with an almighty Somebang.
When we reached the bar the front doors were still laying open and ******* and I went inside. I sprinkled holy water everywhere rebuking everything evil in the name of Jesus. Until we had every door locked again then made our out of the bar again quickly
My ex son in law worked in alocalbakery. Everyoneknew that this bakery was haunted but no one was really afraid of this ghost. It was the spirit of a lovely lady and many a bakery worker saw her moving around the bakery day and night. One night William was skiving off work for a little break as he was feeling tired and decided to go down to the place where they kept the flour sacks and settled down on top of some of them for a little kip.
He had no sooner settled into a comfortable position when he felt the presence of something come in the room. The hairs were standing on the back of his neck as he looked all around the room but saw nothing, so he settled himself back down again thinking he was imagining things.
The bakery ghost lady
No sooner had he closed his eyes when he heard a woman’s voice scolding him and telling him to get back to work.
Opening his eyes thinking it was one of the bakery girls playing a trick on him he saw the figure of a lovely looking woman dressed old style and in white standing in front of him. As he looked he realised he could see right through her. And then she scolded him again telling him to get back to work. He did not need telling again, jumping down from the flour sacks he ran all the way back to his oven shaking like a leaf. When his work mates seen him and saw the colour of him they knew he must have seen the ghost lady. Laughing they asked. Did you get your wee rest then William? William told them she scolded him and ordered him back to
This lady ghost spoke on many an occasion to the workers in the bakery. Especially when they were not pulling their weight.
with William all night about him being Dead tired. and other ghostly jokes.
Theywork.joked
I heard that she is still seen by the present day workers.