In early May we enjoyed a great vacation in Ireland and toured the country starting in Dublin, going west to Galway and counter-clockwise back to Dublin. During the trip we enjoy a couple of good books about ghosts in the country. So, if you enjoy ghost stories, history or are even a bit Irish (and who isn't on March 17th?), these are well worth reading.
1) Haunted Ireland - Haunting Tales from an Ancient Land – 2014
by
David Pritchard
(Author),
Brian Murphy
(Editor)
ROB'S TAKE ON THIS: This book was perfect as a tour book, because it had short, to the point stories about the ghosts in various locations. The locations were named (castles, houses, etc.) with the county, and there were also pictures that showed the place,making it easy to find and identify. This book also identifies the different entities: Ghosts, Banshees (female ghosts that appear and sing or scream to mark someone's passing in the near future), Fairies, Pookas (supernatural animals), and witches.
BOOK SUMMARY: Without doubt most of us are fascinated by paranormal events and
hauntings. Ireland is a very rich country for those interested in the
Supernatural, and stories about ghosts and other inexplicable happenings
abound. Because of this, the problem when trying to offer an overview
of the subject is not what to include but what to leave out. This book
covers a wide range of supernatural phenomena, many of which, for
example banshees and fairy murders, are particularly Irish and derive
from our Celtic heritage; others, such as ghosts and vampires, we share
with many other human societies. Within these pages are tales of
forewarnings of death, phantoms, witches and other alleged visitations
from the World beyond our World. Some are well documented by eye-witness
accounts, while others probably need to be taken with a large pinch of
salt. But whether set in castle, cottage or dark forest, we hope that
they will provide some insight into Ireland's supernatural heritage.
2) Irish Ghost Stories
by
Padraic O'Farrell
(Author),
Kate Shannon
(Illustrator)
ROB'S TAKE ON THIS: This book was filled with stories that the author source from three places. He interviewed people he knew, which made for interesting and unique stories. compiled from newspaper stories in the 1800s, or provided his own take on a couple of the more well-known ghost stories. What's sad is that the author had just approved the proofs of this book and passed away.
BOOK SUMMARY: There are many well-known Irish ghost stories and Padraic
O Farrell tells some of them in this book. He has, however,
leaned heavily on
the side of lesser-known tales; most of them previously
unpublished.
Celebrated people have had strange
experiences. This book includes those of the actor Micheál
MacLiammáir and of
playwright and author Hugh Leonard (Jack Keyes Byrne).
The Lord of the Dance, Michael Flatley, has acknowledged
the presence of a ghost named Isabella in his Castlehyde
home near Fermoy, County Cork. Oliver St John Gogarty
also believed in ghosts.
