This Halloween, children can enter a world of haunted houses, castles, and even shopping centres with my new book 'Haunted Ireland: an Atlas of Ghost Stories from Every County'.
This collage of ghost stories takes its readers through Ireland's spookiest tales, including the unsettling saga of Cooneen's poltergeist.
The word ‘poltergeist’ is originated from the German words poltern, which means ‘to make sound’ and geist, which translates to ‘ghost’.
In 1913, Bridget Murphy, clueless about what a poltergeist was, moved into a tiny cottage in Cooneen with her adult son and six young daughters.
Multiple residents reported strange experiences of terrifying noises during the night, which would later terrorise the Murphys too.
Father Smyth experienced the phantom disturbances and reported the incidents to Bishop McKenna of Clogher.
Despite seeking the intervention of renowned exorcist Dean Keown, he declined, and Father Eugene Coyle was called to help.
During the investigation, the two priests heard human-like snores from an empty bedroom, along with other bizarre activities.
Despite their inquiries, the menace responded with anger.
Rumours started to spread, and the Murphy children began to feel its impact at school where they were ostracised.
Suspecting a practical joke by the children, the priests involved neighbours, who held the children's hands and feet to ensure they weren't creating the noises.
Even then, the weird noises continued, with an invisible force pushing and punching some of the neighbours.
While the priests witnessed startling activities, three of them later suffered ill after-effects from the haunting.
A fourth priest, Robert Hugh Benson, mysteriously died before reaching the site.
The invasive poltergeist eventually drove the Murphys to America, leaving their home deserted.
Attempts to convert it into a tourist site failed twice, firing contemplation about the persistence of the eerie force.
Haunted Ireland highlights 32 intriguing stories from around Ireland.
Each story comes with a corresponding haunted location on a map, encouraging readers to take their own ghost tour of Ireland.
Highly recommended for young horror enthusiasts, this book is published by Gill and illustrated by Mark Hill and is available at all bookshops.
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