Unexplained Sounds

When ghost hunting I have often heard things that don’t seem to make sense. I know our ears can play tricks on us especially in the dark but by using equipment to document the investigations, it is easy to check back and see if the noise was real or not. 

All serious investigators in Paranormal Ireland use recording equipment to document such events.

Sounds – Footsteps, knocking, moans and loud bangs are the most common sounds I have heard. A lot of the noises can be debunked afterwards. Using recording equipment – either standalone or on the video - helps greatly in identifying the cause of unusual noises when reviewing the investigation. 

Some noises are not that easily explained. 

1.      Footsteps were heard by the whole team in the castle part of the Duckett’s Grove investigation. After hearing noises in the corridor, we called out, inviting whoever was out there to enter the room with us. We all clearly heard what sounded like footsteps walking around us on the stone floor. 

2.       Again at Duckett’s Grove, we all heard the crunching of gravel underfoot while we were out in the wooded area – there was no gravel on the path, it was a hard-packed dirt track.

3.       While on an investigation in an old graveyard, I and another member of the team heard soft moans coming from just outside the graveyard walls. The walls were low and we could see through the trees behind and into a field. We used a thermal imager to check if there was any heat source in the field but there was no indication of anything there at the time. We agreed that the moans sounded female and were very brief – just a high-pitched “huh” sound. 

4.       During an investigation in an old converted mill, I and three other members of the team heard footsteps coming up the stairs just outside the door of the room we were investigating. We thought it was the other team member and waited for him to enter the room. The footsteps stopped just outside the door and one of the team went to check what was going on. There was no-one there. The other team member was downstairs and at the other end of the large building. 

5.       EVPs or electronic voice phenomena - sounds caught on a recording device but not heard by team members at the time of the investigation – are another source of unexplained noises. The name “Nora” found on my voice recorder after a private investigation remains unexplained. I felt a kind of energy in the room and called out asking for a name. I heard nothing at the time and finished up the investigation thinking it had not been very eventful until I reviewed the recorder. I have no idea who “Nora” is as no-one seems to know any “Nora” with a connection to that house. However, my grandmother’s name was Nora.......

There have been many more instances of unexplained sounds and I now enjoy the anticipation of wondering just what I will find when I review my equipment.

Suggested Reading List

Do you want to find out more about Ghosts or Ghost Hunting? I have put together a list of a few books that you may find interesting.

The Everything Ghost Hunting Book: Tips, tools, and techniques for exploring the supernatural world


Ghost Hunting for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started


True Irish Ghost Stories


Ghost Stories: Spooky Ghost Stories for Kids and Adults


Searching the Sídhe


Let me know what you think!

Other Irish Paranormal Teams

We have many Paranormal Teams in Ireland and we often get together for joint investigations. Check out this link for interviews with other Irish Teams

Private House Investigation - 1

Reported Problems
The main reason for the visit request was that the pet dog had suddenly become very uneasy and unsettled. The dog had fouled one of the bedrooms even though up until this he had been very well behaved and was fully house trained.

The owner stated that the dog was reluctant to go out into the garden at the back of the house and seemed very restless.

The owner was convinced that a previous owner's spirit was in the house and she herself felt uneasy about this. She found it difficult to sleep through the night and often thought she heard strange noises when she was there on her own.

Investigation
I sat and talked to the house owner to find out exactly what was going on and how she felt about it. The dog was wandering around the kitchen as we spoke and seemed perfectly relaxed. After a cup of coffee (very important on an investigation!) I walked around the downstairs section of the house and went out into the backyard.

The dog followed me out but didn't stay outside for very long. There was a dog barking from the garden next door and I wondered if this was the reason the client's dog did not want to stay out the back on his own. Perhaps he just wanted company but knew he couldn't escape from the backyard.

I took a voice recorder and went upstairs to the bedroom where the old lady's spirit is thought to be. I spent 15 minutes calling out and asking if anyone wanted to make contact.

During this time I felt something rubbing against my leg and immediately made a note to find out if the previous owner had had a cat.

I encouraged the dog to come into the room and have a good look around. He crawled under the bed and after having sniffed everything, he left and went back downstairs.

The whole time I was in the room I was aware of a nice, calm feeling. After about 10 minutes I felt a warmth come over me and I noted this out loud for the benefit of the voice recorder.

Before I left, I reassured the client that there was a lovely feeling in the house. I told her that if there was any spirit or energy in the house it was clearly okay with her being there.

Data Analysis & Research
On my return home I replayed the 15 minutes voice recording. I was not expecting to hear anything. At the 12th minute of the recording I call out "If there is anyone here in this room, can you tell me your name please?". There is a slight pause and then a voice answers "Nora".

On questioning the client and her family I was unable to find out who "Nora" might have been.

I asked the client's sister if there had ever been a cat living in the house in the past. She said that the lady who's energy they presumed was there, had always had a cat which used to sleep in the bedroom where I had been.

Conclusion
I did not do enough of an investigation to be able say whether or not there is a presence in the house. From a purely physical viewpoint, I felt there was an old lady and a cat but scientifically, I have no proof so must conclude that I will have to keep an open mind.

After Effects
I met the client socially a few weeks later and she told me that the dog had settled down that night and she herself was no longer listening for creaks or odd noises at night and that she was now sleeping undisturbed.

Join us on a Ghost Hunt!

Watch our team - Echo Ghosthunters - explain the equipment we use and why we use it and then join us on a real ghost hunt!

What is a K11 meter? Where do we use trigger cams? Why do we set up Laser Arrays? Did we really get a ghost's heat signature on our Thermal Imager? Why did our Touch Pad alarm keep going off?

Find out the answers to these and other paranormal questions in this short video.

Thank you to Arty Freak Productions for accompanying us and putting together this great documentary.

Click here to view Paranormal Investigators in action!

Templenoe, Kenmare - Ruined Farmhouse

On Thursday September 5th we went to a deserted farmhouse on the outskirts of Kenmare in Co. Kerry. We had heard some strange stories about the place and couldn't wait to investigate.There were 3 of us on the investigation team.

We arrived close to our destination just before midnight and walked down the steep, rocky driveway to the house. From a distance the house looked like any normal farmhouse although it was in a poor state of repair with most of the roof missing and no glass in the windows.

We entered the house. It was very dilapidated with rubble all over the floor. There was an old settle still against one wall and an old crane for holding the cooking pot still in the fireplace.

We could not enter the sitting room area as the floor was too dangerous and the upstairs was also difficult to get to. We contented ourselves with standing on the stairs and taking a few pictures of an iron bedstead and wooden chest which were all that the bedroom contained.

We began our investigation but despite repeated call outs, we got nothing to suggest that the place is haunted even with residual energy.

We also investigated an outside shed but again we got nothing.

We will be reviewing the rest of  the equipment but like the photographs, I don't expect to get any surprises.I will upload the pictures later so that you can get a feel for the place but there is nothing paranormal in them.

See pictures from this investigation 

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Hell Fire or Camp Fire?

Did the Hell Fire Club live up to its name? Although we did not have much activity in the whole building, we got some good K11 hits in the upstairs room at the back.
The EMF meter seemed to respond to questions and the readings were very strong. The responses appeared to be strongest every time I spoke so we concluded that if it was a spirit, it reacted in a positive manner to me and that I should keep trying to communicate with it.
Occasionally I had the feeling of being watched and most of us seemed to be drawn to the corner where the readings were strongest but this may have been because we were fascinated by it.
We spent the night in one of the upstairs rooms at the front of the building. It was a cold and wet night but nothing came to disturb us or make us uneasy. We had to abandon our idea of lighting a camp fire as the rain was quite heavy and we forgot to bring fire-lighters or kindling, but our camping stove, lodged in the old fireplace, cheered us up considerably
I can now say that I spent the night in the Hell Fire Club, Dublin - and lived to tell the tale.

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