Strange Going ons!!!

[Kentgal]

Had some episodes of 'Strange events' which I would have to get my head around to explain, that they wernt a figment of my imagination.

[Kentgal]

At least three of my strange events could be described as belonging to the BANSHEE...no other explaination even though I DONT BELIEVE.

[Kentgal]

Another one belongs to an apparation? GHOST???
He appeared from nowhere on a winter night when I was walking the middle road and passing the spot between Ceannt and Clarke dinning hall.

He wore a three quarter length cloak, had stripes down the sides of his trousers, arms folded inside a large drum which had no sides on it, doing the 'dead march steps, he lasted, in front of me for about 7 minutes and vanished. When I tried to run as realization hit I couldn't move my legs.
When eventially I ran to the Wes everyone asked the reason for my greeny white face. I did not tell!!!!

[liz]

Hi,
I heard many a story growing up about the banshee's , Black cat etc... Scared the life out of me every night when i had to pass the ball alley. I have to say though that i am a non believer and never saw a thing (thank god).
Sounds like you saw one of the lads from the band that night on the road. Probably had one too many after a concert.
Many a night my Dad arrived home ... Cape on and instrument in hand. (not a drum though lol )

[magi]

Hi,

One night my brother had to bring our dog out for a walk, it was about eleven at night, he had the dog on a lead and took his usually route down the hospital hill in MCdonagh. Half way down the hill the dog stopped dead in her tracks and would not move and was staring into the trees out side the big hospital, when my brother followed her gaze he saw a tall man in a cape like coat and a tall hat the dog broke her lead and backed her way up the hill before running back to the house where my mother and a neighbour were having a cup of tea, the dog ran into the kitchen and under the table and was in a very distressed state, like Kentgal my brother was frozen with fear it only lasted seconds but felt like a lot longer when he returned to the house he was white and in a state of shock.

[rose5mcdonaghtce]

Hi Mag,
was that dog Lassie if so I remember her well. Have you heard any stories about the families hospital, a lot of the wardsmaids thought there was someone there in the corridors at night, spent a long spell there as a kid in the childrens ward (scary place) but never saw anything come to think of it rarely saw a nurse. Rose.

[rose5mcdonaghtce]

Mag,
Do you remember gathering up bits and pieces to play house broken bottle necks for vases etc., but we would never pick up the remains of a comb as it belonged to the Banshee, also when going to the church we would be terrified to walk on the lines on the paving slabs, if you did you belonged to the devil. My mother was a great one for the Banshee reckoned she heard it several times down the back blocks in McDonagh, apparently she came before a death, mother reckoned she followed families with O at the start of their sirname and Kellys. Mam was O'Brien before she married and the night she died my sister insists to this day she heard it. By my reckoning she must have retired because nobody hears her now.

[Matt McNamara]

Oct 16, 2008 12:44:31 GMT rose5mcdonaghtce said:

Hi Mag,
was that dog Lassie if so I remember her well. Have you heard any stories about the families hospital, a lot of the wardsmaids thought there was someone there in the corridors at night, spent a long spell there as a kid in the childrens ward (scary place) but never saw anything come to think of it rarely saw a nurse. Rose.

[magi]

Hi Rose,

The one and only time I heard the banshee was the night your mother died, her crying woke me up, it appeared that she was walking up and down the road between the garrison and the canteen. I was terrified the next morning my mother came into the room to call me for school and I told her I had heard the banshee crying during the night, I was hoping that she would tell me not to be stupid that she didn’t exist, instead she looked at me and said Rose Smiths mother died last night.

[rose5mcdonaghtce]

Hi Mag,

Well thats two people who reckon they heard her that night, can remember everything that night was in bed but not asleep before it happenend (Mam died at ten past ten) I heard nothing, was wondering if maybe you heard us out on the block, needless to say there was a lot of commotion on the night, no one had telephones or mobiles then, all emergecies were dealt with through the guard room in McDonagh so there would have been a lot of activity and people upset at the front of the house. Have to say though Mam's eldest sister would give you the creeps, she would have a dream about a woman with a small child leading it by the hand into the dark, there would always be a death in the family within a few days, she had the dream about a week before Mam died and the night before my father died. Maybe some people are more perceptive than others. Remeber the first time I was brought to a wake. Early morning and one of the neighbours comes to our house, has a chat with Mam in the back hall all hush hush which was nothing unusual then we were left out of all adult conversation. Mam goes upstairs and brings down a brown parcel gives it to neighbour and off she goes. About an hour later face being pummelled with face cloth, hair brushed and off we go up the block to another neighbours house. The mother of the neighbour is up for a few days and has died suddenly, she is laid out in the front room in the brown habit, curtains closed room in semi darkness, big altar set up beside bed everyone whispering, kneel down between Mam and Peg Hayes on the step that led up fron the kitchen into front room for rosary to be said, Fr. Boylan doing the honours. Looking at the corpse, think she is breathing and then think she is smiling at me. Avert my eyes and look under the bed then notice the white bedspread, I think its ours, ask at the top of my voice if it is, get the killer look from Mam and told when this is over and she gets me outside etc., cant hold back am worried to death its our bedspread and its going to end up on my bed next week. Peg Hayes smiles and gives me the shush sign. On the third decade I notice a small tear in the corner and know for sure its ours, tell the woman of the house we don't want it back she can have it, her granny can bring it to heaven with her. The face on Father Boylan not amused, Mam fit to kill, Peg Hayes stifling laughter. The next evening funeral leaving house, can't get coffin out the front door so have to take front room window out, watching the proceedings giving a good description of the contents to all the kids. Sleep disturbed for months waking up in the night thinking the poor woman is lying beside me. Wondering did the hearse drive straight to heaven when it left the church, had no experience of a cemetary then, wondered what direction it took at Ballymany depending on the destination, heaven, hell or purgatory. Never saw the bedspread after that am happy to report.

[Matt McNamara]

Oct 17, 2008 8:28:55 GMT rose5mcdonaghtce said:

Hi Mag,

Well thats two people who reckon they heard her that night, can remember everything that night was in bed but not asleep before it happenend (Mam died at ten past ten) I heard nothing, was wondering if maybe you heard us out on the block, needless to say there was a lot of commotion on the night, no one had telephones or mobiles then, all emergecies were dealt with through the guard room in McDonagh so there would have been a lot of activity and people upset at the front of the house. Have to say though Mam's eldest sister would give you the creeps, she would have a dream about a woman with a small child leading it by the hand into the dark, there would always be a death in the family within a few days, she had the dream about a week before Mam died and the night before my father died. Maybe some people are more perceptive than others.
Remeber the first time I was brought to a wake. Early morning and one of the neighbours comes to our house, has a chat with Mam in the back hall all hush hush which was nothing unusual then we were left out of all adult conversation. Mam goes upstairs and brings down a brown parcel gives it to neighbour and off she goes. About an hour later face being pummelled with face cloth, hair brushed and off we go up the block to another neighbours house. The mother of the neighbour is up for a few days and has died suddenly, she is laid out in the front room in the brown habit, curtains closed room in semi darkness, big altar set up beside bed everyone whispering, kneel down between Mam and Peg Hayes on the step that led up fron the kitchen into front room for rosary to be said, Fr. Boylan doing the honours. Looking at the corpse, think she is breathing and then think she is smiling at me. Avert my eyes and look under the bed then notice the white bedspread, I think its ours, ask at the top of my voice if it is, get the killer look from Mam and told when this is over and she gets me outside etc., cant hold back am worried to death its our bedspread and its going to end up on my bed next week. Peg Hayes smiles and gives me the shush sign. On the third decade I notice a small tear in the corner and know for sure its ours, tell the woman of the house we don't want it back she can have it, her granny can bring it to heaven with her. The face on Father Boylan not amused, Mam fit to kill, Peg Hayes stifling laughter. The next evening funeral leaving house, can't get coffin out the front door so have to take front room window out, watching the proceedings giving a good description of the contents to all the kids. Sleep disturbed for months waking up in the night thinking the poor woman is lying beside me. Wondering did the hearse drive straight to heaven when it left the church, had no experience of a cemetary then, wondered what direction it took at Ballymany depending on the destination, heaven, hell or purgatory. Never saw the bedspread after that am happy to report.

Great Stuff Rose, You should put in into a short story. I really enjoyed it , even gave me the goose bumps :-)

Matt

[Matt McNamara]

Oct 17, 2008 11:21:29 GMT Matt McNamara said:

Oct 17, 2008 8:28:55 GMT rose5mcdonaghtce said:

Hi Mag,

Well thats two people who reckon they heard her that night, can remember everything that night was in bed but not asleep before it happenend (Mam died at ten past ten) I heard nothing, was wondering if maybe you heard us out on the block, needless to say there was a lot of commotion on the night, no one had telephones or mobiles then, all emergecies were dealt with through the guard room in McDonagh so there would have been a lot of activity and people upset at the front of the house. Have to say though Mam's eldest sister would give you the creeps, she would have a dream about a woman with a small child leading it by the hand into the dark, there would always be a death in the family within a few days, she had the dream about a week before Mam died and the night before my father died. Maybe some people are more perceptive than others.
Remeber the first time I was brought to a wake. Early morning and one of the neighbours comes to our house, has a chat with Mam in the back hall all hush hush which was nothing unusual then we were left out of all adult conversation. Mam goes upstairs and brings down a brown parcel gives it to neighbour and off she goes. About an hour later face being pummelled with face cloth, hair brushed and off we go up the block to another neighbours house. The mother of the neighbour is up for a few days and has died suddenly, she is laid out in the front room in the brown habit, curtains closed room in semi darkness, big altar set up beside bed everyone whispering, kneel down between Mam and Peg Hayes on the step that led up fron the kitchen into front room for rosary to be said, Fr. Boylan doing the honours. Looking at the corpse, think she is breathing and then think she is smiling at me. Avert my eyes and look under the bed then notice the white bedspread, I think its ours, ask at the top of my voice if it is, get the killer look from Mam and told when this is over and she gets me outside etc., cant hold back am worried to death its our bedspread and its going to end up on my bed next week. Peg Hayes smiles and gives me the shush sign. On the third decade I notice a small tear in the corner and know for sure its ours, tell the woman of the house we don't want it back she can have it, her granny can bring it to heaven with her. The face on Father Boylan not amused, Mam fit to kill, Peg Hayes stifling laughter. The next evening funeral leaving house, can't get coffin out the front door so have to take front room window out, watching the proceedings giving a good description of the contents to all the kids. Sleep disturbed for months waking up in the night thinking the poor woman is lying beside me. Wondering did the hearse drive straight to heaven when it left the church, had no experience of a cemetary then, wondered what direction it took at Ballymany depending on the destination, heaven, hell or purgatory. Never saw the bedspread after that am happy to report.

Great Stuff Rose, You should put in into a short story. I really enjoyed it , even gave me the goose bumps :-)

Matt

In fact Rose what I have read from you in the past few weeks, you could write a book of short stories on you experiences and growing up on the Curragh Camp. I always enjoy your posts as they always open areas of my memory that I had forgotten about. Keep up the good work.

Matt

[rose5mcdonaghtce]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for that, know the reason I have such a good memory of the Camp because I have no bad ones, even though the Camp we knew is well gone love turning at Ballymany and seeing the tower and church steeple, even though I only live in Newbridge I fell like I am at home again. We had our share of tragedy, unfortunate to lose Mam when we were kids and Dad very early as well, but we were fortunate to have the loyal and true friends that they had made over the years on the Camp, everybody kept an eye. Had some curtains made about twenty years ago your Mam did them for me, when I went to collect them she was worried about me hanging them, would I manage and would she come up and do that for me, from the day Mam died we were treated like that "Mammied" I suppose you would call it. Where else would you get it only on the Camp.

[Sean Tracey]

;D Hi Rose You have indeed jogged a few memories about living on the Curragh Camp. It is true what you say about turning at Ballymany although now living in Scotland it still makes my heart jump everytime i go there . As for your topic of strange goings on i have a few myself that i will tell soon. Cheers for now Sean Tracey.

[rose5mcdonaghtce]

Hi Sean,

You cant beat the buzz, one of our own Mary Fogarty had a bad knock out in March last, were out to lunch a few weeks ago, driving back in she said the saddest part of her Dads funeral for her was coming in from Ballymany with the cortege and realising he would never see that sight again. It appears to have the same effect on all Campers.

Rose