Duckett's Grove, Co Carlow 19th May 2012

We were invited to this location with two other paranormal teams as it is a big site with plenty to investigate.

We arrived and set up the DVR System in preparation for a long night. We had four cameras connected to this system, a trigger cam and a hand held full spectrum as well as the usual digital cameras, K11 meters, thermal imager, digital thermomenter, touch pad and dictaphone.

We split into three groups and agreed to work three areas simultaneously so that we would know where everyone was at any given time throughout the night.

We started our investigation in the kitchen area of the ruined castle. We could hear lots of movement all around us and one of the team felt something blow into his ear. Soon after this, he and another member of the team felt something touch the back of their heads and we were able to see a cold spot on the back of both of their heads through the thermal imager.

We also clearly heard footsteps around us on the stone floor.

The next part of the investigation was carried out in a little room where the housekeeper, Mrs O'Grady, used to live.

Four of us sat down around the table while the other team member sat on the floor. We began the investigation. Several of the team commented that the energy was changing and the team member on the floor fell asleep. This was highly unusual but I did feel a very heavy feeling descend on the room.

One of the team was asking if the woman of the house wanted to make contact. She then asked if Mrs O'Grady had brought a man into the house. As soon as she said this I felt a rush of energy and the table jumped violently. Most of our equipment slid onto the floor. I kept on filming even though I was shaking.

We decided to continue the investigation and settled back down around the table.  Suddenly one of the team had her chair pulled from behind. To me it seemed like someone wanted to sit at the table and had pulled out the chair.

One of the other team members said he felt like he was being strangled. The back of his neck was bright red. He decided to leave the area and after a brief discussion we all decided to take a break.

The next part of the investigation took part in the woods and walled garden areas. As we were walking through the garden, I and one of the others were in the rear chatting when suddenly we both turned around at the same time and shone our torches behind us, asking who was walking so close to us. There was no one there.

We continued throught the garden and out through a door into the woods. We all heard the sounds of footsteps on gravel all around us but there was no gravel in that area. Two of the investigators saw a grey shadow move quickly in a crouch from tree to tree.

We searched with our torches and with the thermal imager but could not find a trace of anyone else in the woods.

Eventually we went back into the walled garden. Here we saw shadows and heard footsteps but were unable to catch anything on camera.

For the final part of the night we decided to hold a joint investigation with the other two  teams in Mrs O'Grady's quarters.

As we began one of the investigators mentioned he could feel a cold spot on one of his knees. Digital thermometers revealed a two degree difference between that knee and the other. He asked if the temperature could be lowered further and the reading started to drop immediately.

Just then one of the team heard a noise outside and said she would go and have a look. We thought some kids might have broken into the site. She took off at a run down the courtyard shouting something. Most of the men left the room and ran after her and we could see them through the window as they split up and started searching.

She had taken the thermal imager with her and told us afterwards that she could see someone ahead of her and thought it was a kid so gave chase. She and another member of the team entered the walled garden and she took a thermal picture of the unknown person.

Extensive searching failed to find any trace of a person in the walled garden.

Video footage and photographs of the night including the strange figure can be seen here

Pic courtesy of Echo Ghost Hunters

Magdalene Laundry, Cork 12th May 2012

Back to the Laundry with a new team member. Unfortunately, there was a party going on near the site and the noise was quite disruptive. We also had a visit from the Gardai just as we got started. Luckily they believed our story that we were ghost hunting!

We got a few K11 hits but the site itself was very quiet and we decided to move on to another location.

We were unable to gain entry to the alternate location so decided to call it a night and go home.

Photographs from this investigation can be found here

Magdalene Laundry, Cork 5th May 2012

My first visit to the laundry with two other investigators proved to be enlightening. We were able to see first hand the difference between the living quarters of the girls locked up here and of the nuns who were supposed to care for these girls. The nursery was a bleak place without access to daylight. Faded pictures of the Muppets could still be seen on the wall but that was probably the only concession to normality that these unfortunate babies had while in this dreary place.

We didn't see many heating pipes around the walls in the girls' living quarters while in the nuns' quarters large heating pipes were everywhere.

The building is slowly falling into a dangerous state of disrepair but at the time we were able to get into quite a lot of the building.

Climbing over piles of rubble and creeping up old, rotting staircases while hugging the wall, we moved to the top floor. Nothing exciting to report here, so we moved down a floor.

Straightaway the energy felt really different. We started getting K11 hits and at one point an old soft drinks can rolled away from my foot even though I did not touch it.

As we moved down the staircase to the ground floor the three of us were holding K11 meters, the lights on these suddenly went to the top of the scale and stayed like that for quite a few seconds. I had the sensation of someone following me down the stairs. It reminded me of when I was at school and we were all pushing and shoving as we ran down the stairs.

We entered the derelict corridor and got a few more K11 hits before moving on into the nuns' quarters at the other side of the building.

The energy was different here but we didn't catch anything on any of the equipment and I didn't sense anything strange.

Pictures of both previous and subsequent investigations at this location can be found here

Laundry Investigation no. 2
Laundry Investigation no. 3

Russagh Mill, Skibbereen 21st April 2012

As a now seasoned paranormal investigator with one whole investigation under my belt it was time to investigate our local mill which has been renovated and is now the local hostel.

We had heard stories of bolted doors opening on their own, hearing voices when there was no one there and bed clothes being tugged in the dead of night.

We arrived early and set up our equipment. Base readings were taken from all the rooms we planned to investigate and equipment checked.

We got a thermal image or heat source from a couch that no one had sat on that day. We tried to debunk it but it was bigger than any of the people in the building. It clearly showed the heat from a persons lower body and back.

Later in the evening we clearly heard footsteps coming up the stairs but there was no one there. Another investigator and I both saw a dark shape enter the room. Later we also got an EVP from this part of the investigation.

We moved to another room and got a few K11 hits. THis was the room where we had photographed the heat source.

On reviewing our sound recordings next day, we heard the sound of running water and cups and saucers being moved as if someone was making or drinking tea but the room where this was captured is a small office and does not have a water source, also, there was no one in the building at the time.

Photographs and video from this investigation can be found here

Ballinacarriga Castle, Co Cork 14th April 2012

My first time out with the team -Echo Ghosthunters
I remember being nervous but very excited. I didn't know what to expect or how I would react.

The first thing I noticed was that the place was full of bats. I have never been a big fan of bats but these didn't bother me at all. They were flying around in the main hall downstairs but kept close to the ceiling.

We started the investigation on the top floor which was open to the elements. It was a fine but cool night and sounds from the local area were carried on the light breeze. Dogs barking, donkeys braying, car engines and the sound of the river all had to be somehow filtered out.

We asked anyone who wished to speak with us to come forward and show us a sign of their presence. The touch sensor alarm went off during this but we all agreed that it could have been caused by dampness.

I sensed an energy with us and the name Stephen came to me but as I had no scientific basis for this I simply used it to help guide the investigation without accepting it as proof of a presence.

We moved down to the next level and entered a small room with a low ceiling. Once again we called out for anyone to come forward. I felt a huge explosion of energy enter the room very quickly. The K11 meters did not react, so once again this was simply a personal experience.

We did get some K11 hits throughout the investigation but the energy seemed to be residual rather than intelligent.

We got some K11 hits in a narrow corridor and then moved downstairs to the main hall. The only strange thing down here was a scratching noise that seemed to be coming from inside the stone walls. Perhaps it was rats or other vermin.

All in all it was a great night and we had a lot of fun debunking various noises and anomalies.

Pictures and video from the night can be viewed here