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Irish Weirdness

When I was younger I had a dream about a lake that turned pink. I was swimming and the whole scene went different shades of pink, like in a black and white movie. Then I heard this singing, it was so sad and mournful that I woke up and burst into tears. But I could still hear it. I don't remember how it went but whenever I think of it, I feel like crying again. The next day, my Great Grandfather (James O'Brien, very Irish) died.
I don't know, what do you guys think?
 
I'm new to the magazine and while I love it, there's rarely mentions of events in Ireland.

Can you tell me some of the best Irish Fortean stories I've missed?

Thanks!
 
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I can't find a reference online, but I have a book called The Mystery Animals of Ireland by Gary Cunningham & Ronan Coghlan which has a lot of info on Lough monsters among other things.

One such weird creature was seen by Louise Donnan and her niece Clare as they were driving near Kilkeel, County Down. They noticed what looked like a very large sheep lying by the side of the road and they slowed down as they passed to get a good look at it.
When it turned to look at them, "We both gagged in disbelief and revulsion", said Louise. It's coat resembled not wool, but torn rags. It then charged at the car, pushing it's face against the window showing one terrible, red eye which they say emitted a feeling of pure, wild evil.
They sped off, but the creature was able to keep up with the car for some time, ramming into it as if trying to push them off the road, before it gave up. They were quite shaken as they watched it in the rear view mirror.

They refer to it throughout as an 'animal' in inverted commas and are adamant it was neither a dog or a sheep. Also, sadly there is no date given for this story. There is an artists impression however, and I can assure you it does look nasty.

Edit to add:
(Was this story from Ireland? It might ring a bell with someone - People driving at night on a rural road have their path blocked by a horse like creature, but when it turns towards them, they see it has the face of a twisted, malignant Human Being.)
 
davidplankton said:
I can't find a reference online, but I have a book called The Mystery Animals of Ireland by Gary Cunningham & Ronan Coghlan which has a lot of info on Lough monsters among other things.

One such weird creature was seen by Louise Donnan and her niece Clare as they were driving near Kilkeel, County Down. They noticed what looked like a very large sheep lying by the side of the road and they slowed down as they passed to get a good look at it.
When it turned to look at them, "We both gagged in disbelief and revulsion", said Louise. It's coat resembled not wool, but torn rags. It then charged at the car, pushing it's face against the window showing one terrible, red eye which they say emitted a feeling of pure, wild evil.
They sped off, but the creature was able to keep up with the car for some time, ramming into it as if trying to push them off the road, before it gave up. They were quite shaken as they watched it in the rear view mirror.

They refer to it throughout as an 'animal' in inverted commas and are adamant it was neither a dog or a sheep. Also, sadly there is no date given for this story. There is an artists impression however, and I can assure you it does look nasty.

Edit to add:
(Was this story from Ireland? It might ring a bell with someone - People driving at night on a rural road have their path blocked by a horse like creature, but when it turns towards them, they see it has the face of a twisted, malignant Human Being.)
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I am not familiar with this case, but I do know (from memory) that Roy Mackal makes reference to Irish lake monsters in The Monsters of Loch Ness (1976) and even writes up a filed investigation into one or two of them.

Again this is from memory, but I also do recall that Mysteries Magazine (as was) brought out a sort of hardback annual which was devoted to Creatures from Beyond, or some such title (circa early Eighties) and this featured a comprehensive overview of the Lake monsters of Ireland,complete with pictures and witness accounts.

The information must still be out there somewhere: most likely in write ups concerning lake and sea creatures of the British Isles.

It's quite a tempting, and fresh line of enquiry actually.

Otherwise - strangely - I cannot think of that much fortean from Ireland - although I suppose you might include the Banshee and pixie-lore.

[Edited to add: in fact all you need to do is go straight now to our very own Cryptozoology section - there you will find a recent article on (and illustration of) the Co Clare serpent -with subsequent discussion. Serendipity!]
 
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Zeke Newbold said:
Again this is from memory, but I also do recall that Mysteries Magazine (as was) brought out a sort of hardback annual which was devoted to Creatures from Beyond, or some such title (circa early Eighties) and this featured a comprehensive overview of the Lake monsters of Ireland,complete with pictures and witness accounts.
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Now, I'm wondering if I used to have this book, or rather I wonder if they brought out an edition of this book with three sections, one for cryptoids, one for ghosts and one for UFOs. Mainly for a younger readership?
 
^ No the one I'm thinking of was centered on specifically strange creatures (I think this may have been before the dread term `cryptozoology` had bedded down). Also it was very much aimed at an adult audience. it was thee type of journalism one rarely sees nowadyas. I do think the title was something along the lines of Creatures from Beyond.
 
Odradek said:
I'm new to the magazine and while I love it, there's rarely mentions of events in Ireland.

Can you tell me some of the best Irish Fortran stories I've missed?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I like this best because it's horrible.
 
You misspelled Fortean as Fortran, which is a computer language
 
Monstrosa said:
You misspelled Fortean as Fortran, which is a computer language
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Heh. Did Fortran at Uni. Haven't since mind...

I'm partial to Irish 'horse-eel' stories myself. Eels are mysterious all by themselves, it's tempting and easy to believe that occasionally one or two get very big indeed.
 
I was just looking into NZ Long Finned Eel. Those can get (reliable reporting) to well in excess of 30lb in the right conditions.
 
There's a fairly spooky Irish tale in the It Happened To Me section of the latest FT. I liked it, anyway.
 
Odradek said:
I'm new to the magazine and while I love it, there's rarely mentions of events in Ireland.

Can you tell me some of the best Irish Fortean stories I've missed?

Thanks!
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Hi and welcome. I'm also interested in Fortean stories from Ireland. I'll do a scan of this news forum later tonight for headlines on Fortean Ireland.


Are you looking for current events and contemporary phenomenon only (since this is the news thread) or are you also looking for more ancient mysteries and mythologies?



If so, there's oodles of online material about the histories and mysteries of places like Newgrange, Howth, Tara etc. If you're interested in the myths and legends related to old culture, then I recommend Eileen O'Faolain's Irish Sagas & Folk Tales.
 
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skinny said:
Hi and welcome. I'm also interested in Fortean stories from Ireland. I'll do a scan of this news forum later tonight for headlines on Fortean Ireland.


Are you looking for current events and contemporary phenomenon only (since this is the news thread) or are you also looking for more ancient mysteries and mythologies?



If so, there's oodles of online material about the histories and mysteries of places like Newgrange, Howth, Tara etc. If you're interested in the myths and legends related to old culture, then I recommend Eileen O'Faolain's Irish Sagas & Folk Tales.
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Both sound great but I suppose the newer stuff is more interesting I think.

Some of the best stuff I've heard is the moving statue of Mary in Co Cork and a baby girl born without any blood in Waterford in 2009.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifest...-miracle-maisy-is-a-born-survivor-295318.html

She's completely fine. Started school last year.
 
The frail infant was given two blood transfusions on the night she was born, and later a platelet transfusion. The first blood transfusion was administered through her umbilical cord.

After spending 17 days in intensive care, Maisy was discharged on Christmas morning. Her condition had left doctors baffled.

“The doctors were as confused as I was – they’d never seen or heard of this in medical history,” recalls Emma.
 
GNC said:
There's a fairly spooky Irish tale in the It Happened To Me section of the latest FT. I liked it, anyway.
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Yep, seems pretty spooky...

I've heard that Devil burning down the building story from a few different places.

Seems like most areas in Ireland have some version of it.

Starts with a stranger joining a game of cards.

After, he takes everyone's money, the stranger starts laughing.

Then someone checks under the table and sees he has hooves.

Everyone runs away and the place burns down behind them.
 
Odradek said:
Starts with a stranger joining a game of cards.

After, he takes everyone's money, the stranger starts laughing.

Then someone checks under the table and sees he has hooves.
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Oh, that's been mentioned on here before! Someone who knows what thread it's on will no doubt chip in at some point.
 
Odradek said:
Starts with a stranger joining a game of cards.

After, he takes everyone's money, the stranger starts laughing.

Then someone checks under the table and sees he has hooves.

Everyone runs away and the place burns down behind them.
Click to expand...


Yeah, that story is told about the Hellfire club on top of Montpellier Hill; however, according to my mate, the scare was originally caused by a cat that had fallen down the chimney into the fire.
 
Dr. Porhoët said:
Yeah, that story is told about the Hellfire club on top of Montpellier Hill; however, according to my mate, the scare was originally caused by a cat that had fallen down the chimney into the fire.
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I only heard of this today, but they're excavating the site according to this article:-

Hell-fire clubs have always been shrouded in rumours of devil worship and dark satanic deeds. How do you separate fact from fiction?

Drive out of south Dublin and climb Mountpelier Hill and there, on top, squats the shell of the old hunting lodge built for Irish Parliamentary Speaker William Connolly in 1725.

Now, a team of archaeologists are excavating the site to find out more about two prehistoric passage tombs on the hill - similar to Newgrange in Ireland's Boyne Valley.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-37609835
 
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