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County Cork Ghosts, Folklore and Paranormal Places

Thrown from Currabinny

Location: Crosshaven - Boulder on foreshore
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: The boulder which can be found here has a granite plinth nearby, stating the rock was thrown into position by the giant of Currabinny.

Black Coach

Location: Doneraile - Area outside Doneraile Court
Type: Crisis Manifestation
Date / Time: August 1887
Further Comments: A farmer returning home encountered a coach pulled by four headless horses, which pulled away from the Court's driveway at breakneck speed. The man later learned that Viscount Doneraile died just before his encounter. The ghost of Lady Casteltown has been reported within the building, as has her husband.

Braon Sinnsear

Location: Drimoleague - Castle Donovan
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: The constant drip of water from the ceiling of the lower chamber is said to be the tears of Dorothy Forde. She was hanged by the O'Donovan clan who were unwilling to pay back a debt to her family.

St Olan's Cap

Location: Dromatimore - Close to St Olan's Well
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This healing stone would cure headaches, if balanced on the head, and would also deal with any problems during pregnancy. If removed from the site, the stone would teleport back, although it is not sure where it currently is located.

Enchanted Eel

Location: Dunkettle - Lake close to small graveyard
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This eel must have been of great size, as it terrorised the neighbourhood, eating sheep and cattle. A man tending the graveyard encountered the creature one morning and severed its tail with a hook. Enraged, the creature attacked but the man managed to run away. What happened to the creature after that is undocumented, but the man in question died a few days later, and one of the headstones in the graveyard is said to be decorated with a hook and an eel.

Pooka

Location: Dunmanway - Ballynacarriga Castle (aka Ballinacarriga Castle)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This fairy/ghostly entity lurks down a depression known as 'Moll the Pooka's Hole'.

Water Horse

Location: Dunmanway - Lake Attariff
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: June 1963 (or 1966)
Further Comments: Mr W J. Wood was trout fishing at this lough when he observed a three metre long dark brown creature some ninety metres away. Wood said that the creature had a head like a calf which was held above the water line. After a couple of minutes, the creature sank beneath the water. A Japanese film crew visited the lake in 2004 to search for the monster said to live here.

Man in Black

Location: Egmont - Purdon's Gate, now the entrance to Connor's Wood
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A tall phantom man in black would stand by this gate from midnight until two in the morning. He was said to be a soldier killed on the spot (special thanks to the Churchtown Village Renewal Trust, from their 'The Annals of Churchtown').

Girl

Location: Enniskean - Long Lane
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Late nineteenth century?
Further Comments: A phantom girl bathed in pale light was said to haunt this lane. One witness watched her drift over a fence, vanishing on the other side.

Pregnant Woman

Location: Glandore - The Druid's Altar
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This stone circle is haunted by the ghost of a woman who drowned herself only a few weeks before she was due to give birth. She is said to have had an unhealthy interest in the stones, hence her ghost returned to the area. The stones are also said to be haunted by the souls of those sacrificed by the druids. A psychic brought here in 1935 reported seeing a priest wearing blue and saffron robes standing at the altar, poised to sacrifice another human. The psychic also watched dancing men and women stab each other while working themselves into a frenzy.

Dead Husband

Location: Glanworth - Labbacallee (aka The Hag's Bed), wedge tomb
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Stone still present
Further Comments: Sheela, a giant's wife, killed her husband after throwing their bed at him - he had argued with her and struck her shoulder with an axe. His body still lays under the tomb, and Sheela can be heard in times of national crisis calling out her husband's name. Another story says four treasure hunters arrived at the stone and started to dig beneath it. Before long, a cat appeared with a burning tail. The light blinded the men and they staggered off, one falling into the River Funshion and drowning.

None Can Leave

Location: Glashakinleen - Unknown field in the area containing a fort
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Early twentieth century
Further Comments: This field was said to have been cursed, so if entered after dark it would be impossible to leave before dawn. Strange lights would also be reported dancing around the trees and bushes.

Frog Spawn Woman

Location: Glashakinleen East - Road from Newmarket
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown - poss early twentieth century
Further Comments: Mr Sheahan spotted a female ghost sitting behind him in his car. He stuck the blade of his penknife into her, and she fell into the road. When he travelled back later to have a look, there was a pile of frog spawn there!

Serpent

Location: Gougane Barra - Nearby Lake
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Sixth century
Further Comments: St. Finbarr arrived in this area and found a serpent living in the lake. He caught the beast and threw it to one side. It landed many miles away, the impression of its body in the earth filling with water and becoming Lough Allua.

Footsteps

Location: Granard - Unnamed house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: John Murphy was working away from home and slept in this house. he was awoken by footsteps in the kitchen. As he went to investigate, the footsteps moved into the yard - John could see nothing. Upon arriving home, Murphy spent three weeks in bed and refused to stay in the haunted house again (special thanks to the Churchtown Village Renewal Trust, from their 'The Annals of Churchtown').

Mary Dolofus

Location: Greenfield - Old hospital (no longer standing)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Nineteenth century?
Further Comments: This hospital was said to have been run by a protestant doctor who would only treat people of the same religion. After the site was left empty, it was said to have become haunted by a woman named Mary Dolofus.


One of the phantom hounds of Ireland.

White Hound

Location: Imogane - Jer. Sullivan's Cross, travelling from Liscarroll
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: While walking to Imogane from Liscarroll, a white dog appeared next to Matt MacMahon and accompanied him home. When Matt opened the gate leading to his house, the hound vanished (special thanks to the Churchtown Village Renewal Trust, from their 'The Annals of Churchtown').

Red Capped Fairies

Location: Inchigeela - Close to a stream?
Type: Fairy
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A group of fairies dancing around in the moonlight ran away after being told they should talk to a priest to have their question of 'will they go to heaven' answered.

Our Blessed Lady

Location: Inchigeela - Gortaneadin Grotto
Type: Other
Date / Time: August 1985 onwards
Further Comments: Since 1985 there have been reports of Our Lady appearing to a select few, communicating messages of peace, love and warnings against anger.

Tail Touch

Location: Kanturk - Barrets Corner
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Mr Foley was said to have encountered a phantom hound while passing through this area. The dog's tail brushed against him, and later that night Foley was unable to sleep. He died a few days later.

Foal

Location: Kanturk - Exact location not known
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Every seven years
Further Comments: This phantom foal would appear - to see it was supposed to indicate your death within a day.

Angry Dog

Location: Kilbrittain - Road two miles west from the village, and continuing east of village
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Circa 1830s
Further Comments: Three men heading towards Kilbrittain from Clonakilty encountered a large black dog which followed them until they reached a cross in the road, where the hound disappeared. The group split up at this point, but one man reported that the dog reappeared behind him, snapping at him until he arrived home at Ballinspittle. A priest blessed the area where the creature first appeared, and there were no more reported sightings.

Headless Horseman

Location: Kilcummer - Hill in the area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This area was the haunt of a headless horseman who died while racing the country roads. His ghost was put to rest after a local man was brave enough to let the decapitated figure ride by his side.

Shoe Peddler

Location: Kildinan - Kildinan Castle
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The owner of the castle was betrayed by a shoe peddler, though the castle guard soon caught up with the traitor, cut off his head, and stuck it on a spike as a warning to others. The peddler has remained trapped in the building ever since.

Bull

Location: Kilmacow - Exact location unknown
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A pot of gold hidden in the area was protected by a bull which appeared whenever treasure hunters came to the area. Legend said that the only person who could claim the money as his own had the name Foley.

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