Irish Paranormal Haunts

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Becoming a Ghost Hunter FAQ

You've read the books, listened to the stories and heard things going bump in the night, so what happens next? How do you become a Ghost Hunter or Paranormal Investigator?

Q. Is it expensive to become an investigator?
A. It depends on how you intend to operate. If you simply want to follow your instincts and feelings then all you need is a way to get to the location. If however, you want to collect data and record your findings so that you can analyze the results later, you will need to invest in some equipment. You can start with the basics and build up your collection as you go.
A K11 meter, thermometer and some form of digital audio recorder cover most of the basics that will get you started. Later you can add a full spectrum camera, night vision camcorder, trigger camera and other items like a thermal imaging camera, laser array and anything else you feel would help you in your research.

Q. How will I find locations?
A. Start local. Ask friends and family if they have any strange stories about local places or if they know anyone who has experienced something they couldn't explain. Talk to everyone. You can also research historic building or ruins near you. Find out if you need permission to enter these and if anyone has any tales about them. As you gain experience and become known people will happily talk to you about possible locations.

Q. Is it safe to investigate alone?
A. I would never recommend investigating alone. Some of the locations can be dangerous and accidents can happen. It is always safer to have other people with you. Even simply hearing or seeing something unexpected may frighten you and you could lose balance or stumble in the dark.

Q. Is it true that mobile phones can distort findings and that they should not be brought into the location.
A. Always bring your mobile phone with you. In the event of an accident you need to be able to get help quickly. It is true that K11 meters are affected by mobile phone signals but you can switch off the phone. If you need to have your phone switched on, do not put it on silent and if the K11 meters are showing a lot of activity, monitor the phone and check if it is going in and out of coverage as this too will affect the readings.

Q. How do I know if something is paranormal?
A. Always work on the assumption that everything is normal. Try to debunk everything. Recreate the scene or setting to see if you can find a normal explanation. Rule out contamination by yourself, other investigators, animals, weather or any other relevant sources. If you can rule out all of these then what you are left with might be paranormal.

The most important things to remember are to take safety precautions, never go out alone, have a charged mobile phone with you and only enter property where it is permitted to do so.


See my latest book for details of what you can expect while Ghost Hunting! Now available as a Kindle eBook
Irish Paranormal Haunts: True stories from an Irish Investigator

Happy Hunting!

Irish Paranormal Haunts

If you enjoy reading my blog why not check out my new book

Irish Paranormal Haunts: True stories from an Irish Investigator

   

 

Read about the locations, the paranormal legends and the actual unexplainable happenings as experienced by me during investigations in some of the most haunted places in Ireland.

If you have ever wanted to visit these locations find out what you can expect to see, hear or feel!

Paranormal Investigation at Old Graveyard May 3rd 2014

We took a group decision to finish our first investigation – at Timoleague Abbey – and head over to an old graveyard that I had previously scouted as a possible location. I knew this graveyard very well but had always had an uneasy feeling whenever I was there even though this was always in the daytime. 

My rookies were all feeling brave so I bowed to pressure and headed off in the rain and fog to find this creepy graveyard. 

When we arrived the rain had stopped but it was still quite foggy. I tried to take a few photographs from the road but unfortunately none of these came out. 

We heard noise coming from the fence behind us but could not see anything in the field or in the actual fence that could be making the noise. It was like a large animal shuffling around close to the fence.

Taking deep breaths, we entered the old graveyard itself. I called out asking if there was anyone there who would like to communicate with us. After a few minutes two of the team gasped and both said – at the same time- that they had heard footsteps. 

The other team member was checking temperatures and got a few strange readings from inside the ruined church at the location. We could not enter the church as it was too overgrown but she was aiming the laser into the building. 

I continued calling out and asking for signs. We could all hear noises or movements coming from just outside the graveyard. We shone our torches into the field but could not see cattle, horses or any other animals. The noises were like something big shuffling about just outside the fence. 

Two members of the team heard a shuffle just behind them but when we shone our torches around, there was nothing there. 

One of the girls said she did not like this place as she felt uneasy here unlike at the earlier investigation at the Abbey.

We could all hear movements outside the graveyard and one of the team members said that she felt that we were safer in the graveyard than outside it. 

As it was getting late – or early! We decided to call it a night and head home. We gingerly made our way out onto the road to the car, hearing noises close by all the time.

This is one location that will be well worth further investigation as when I had scouted the location in the past with another investigator we had similar experiences. Unexplained noises from outside the graveyard, a strange mist on one of the photographs, a feeling of being watched and worst of all, a feeling that something was in the car with us when we left!

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Timoleague Abbey Paranormal Investigation 3rd May 2014

My team and I braved the elements on a wet, foggy night. I had three rookie team members with me so I picked a place that I felt would be safe and where I could keep an eye on everyone at once. Two of the rookies were nervous but determined to carry out the investigation. The other rookie was cool, calm and very capable. 

As we entered the Abbey I stopped to take a few digital photos. My camera battery died after three photos. I presumed that the batteries were dud, even though they were new batteries, and I just changed them for some fresh ones. 

It was so wet that most of the pictures are full of orbs. These are very disappointing, as I am sure they are simply moisture orbs caused by water on the lens and reflections off the constantly falling rain.

We began the investigation in the main part of the Abbey. After the rookies had settled down – and the frightened pigeons had come back to roost, we began filming. The night vision camcorder was a recent purchase but I had tested it thoroughly at home several times before the investigation. It had worked perfectly. 

The camcorder refused to record anything and kept switching itself off. The batteries were showing as being full and the setting were correct. I had been recording for a few minutes before I handed it over to one of the team and the camcorder showed that it was filming. The camera kept shutting down after a few minutes and we eventually had to abandon filming. I assumed that it was caused by the dampness. When I checked it after the investigation I found that it had only recorded for ten seconds and despite showing that it was recording each time it was restarted there was nothing on the disc apart from the ten seconds worth of darkness. 

I was calling out all the time, asking if there were any spirits present could they please make a noise, move something, touch one of us or somehow give us a sign. When I listened back to the audio I clearly heard a sound like water dropping loudly from a height. It was still raining heavily but this sound was completely different from other sounds around us and it only happened once.

We decided to move into another area as we were getting wet and cold. Several times I thought I heard movement and saw shadows out of the corner of my eye but the other members of the team were not able to confirm this.

We moved to the Infirmary. Whenever I have been in here I have always felt something pulling at the leg of my jeans. Tonight was no exception. I asked one of the team to stand where I normally stood to see if she felt it too. She said the only thing she felt was cold. 

I checked the temperature around her. I already knew that the temperature in the rest of the area was approximately 11.5 degrees Celsius. The temperature right beside her was 10 degrees. I called out and asked if anyone could affect the temperature and if so, could they bring it down to 6 degrees? 

The temperature began to drop. The other girls stood close by and both said they felt a cold spot near them. Temperature readings confirmed that the temperature around them had dropped to about 7.5 degrees. The rest of the area was still reading 11.5 degrees. 

I went back to monitoring the temperature around the first girl and asking if it could be dropped even further. It was down to 5.9 degrees at this time. Suddenly, it dropped to 3.9 degrees and then began to climb steadily back up until it reached 11.5 degrees.

It was still raining so we decided to take a break. As we headed back to the car, I was still carrying the digital thermometer. Suddenly it started taking readings. I assumed that I had somehow knocked the trigger and moved my hand further down, away from the trigger. To my surprise, as I watched, it began taking readings again. I could clearly see that my hand or fingers were nowhere near the trigger.

We went back to the car for refreshments and decided to call it a night at the Abbey and head to another location nearer to home.

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Timoleague Abbey 3rd May 2014

Well, it rained...it poured but it didn't stop us!

We went out searching for some true ghost stories. Did we find some? Was it really paranormal? It was definitely strange!

Our equipment seemed to have a mind of its own but we kept going!

Watch out for the full report coming soon! While you're waiting.... here are a few pics from the night!


 

Review - Footsteps into the Unknown by P. A. Lewis-Brown

The story gripped me from the opening paragraph, thrusting me into the narrator's mind and propelling me swiftly to the point where I just had to find out more.

The book is well written, exciting and certainly a page turner. The characters are well thought out, believable and come across as real.

Descriptions of the house and village are skillfully crafted and I could almost smell the rain and the wet leaves.

The storyline itself is compelling and very easy to read. Flashbacks are used throughout to explain the background and these slot in seamlessly with the rest of the story.

The only downside to the book was the amount of simple spelling errors throughout. I have to admit these did detract from my enjoyment of an otherwise excellent book.