True Irish Ghost Stories

True Irish Ghost Stories, by St
John D Seymour

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Title: True Irish Ghost Stories
Author: St John D Seymour
Release Date: November 20, 2004 [EBook #14099]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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TRUE IRISH GHOST STORIES
COMPILED BY

ST JOHN D. SEYMOUR, B.D.
AUTHOR OF "IRISH WITCHCRAFT AND DEMONOLOGY" ETC.
AND
HARRY L. NELIGAN, D.I.R.I.C.
1914

TO THREE LIVELY POLTERGEISTS W----, J----, AND G----, THIS
BOOK IS DEDICATED BY THE COMPILERS

FOREWORD
This book had its origin on this wise. In my Irish Witchcraft and
Demonology, published in October 1913, I inserted a couple of famous
17th century ghost stories which described how lawsuits were set on
foot at the instigation of most importunate spirits. It then occurred to
me that as far as I knew there was no such thing in existence as a book
of Irish ghost stories. Books on Irish fairy and folk-lore there were in
abundance--some of which could easily be spared--but there was no
book of ghosts. And so I determined to supply this sad omission.
In accordance with the immortal recipe for making hare-soup I had first
to obtain my ghost stories. Where was I to get them from? For myself I
knew none worth publishing, nor had I ever had any strange
experiences, while I feared that my friends and acquaintances were in
much the same predicament. Suddenly a brilliant thought struck me. I
wrote out a letter, stating exactly what I wanted, and what I did not
want, and requesting the readers of it either to forward me ghost stories,
or else to put me in the way of getting them: this letter was sent to the
principal Irish newspapers on October 27, and published on October 29,
and following days.

I confess I was a little doubtful as to the result of my experiment, and
wondered what response the people of Ireland would make to a letter
which might place a considerable amount of trouble on their shoulders.
My mind was speedily set at rest. On October 30, the first answers
reached me. Within a fortnight I had sufficient material to make a book;
within a month I had so much material that I could pick and
choose--and more was promised. Further on in this preface I give a list
of those persons whose contributions I have made use of, but here I
should like to take the opportunity of thanking all those ladies and
gentlemen throughout the length and breadth of Ireland, the majority of
whom were utter strangers to me, who went to the trouble of sitting
down and writing out page after page of stories. I cannot forget their
kindness, and I am only sorry that I could not make use of more of the
matter that was sent to me. As one would expect, this material varied in
value and extent. Some persons contributed incidents, of little use by
themselves, but which worked in as helpful illustrations, while others
forwarded budgets of stories, long and short. To sift the mass of matter,
and bring the various portions of it into proper sequence, would have
been a lengthy and difficult piece of work had I not been ably assisted
by Mr. Harry L. Neligan, D.I.; but I leave it as a pleasant task to the
Higher Critic to discover what portions of the book were done by him,
and what should be attributed to me.
Some of the replies that reached me were sufficiently amusing. One
gentleman, who carefully signed himself "Esquire," informed me that
he was "after" reading a great book of ghost stories, but several letters
of mine failed to elicit any subsequent information. Another person
offered to sell me ghost stories, while several proffered tales that had
been worked up comically. One lady addressed a card to me as follows:
"THE REVD. ----
(Name and address lost of the clergyman whose letter appeared lately
in Irish Times, re "apparitions")
CAPPAWHITE."
As the number of clergy in the above village who deal in ghost stories

is strictly limited, the Post Office succeeded in delivering it safely. I
wrote at once in reply, and got a story. In a letter bearing the Dublin
postmark a correspondent, veiled in anonymity, sent me a religious
tract with the curt note, "Re ghost stories, will you