The Paranormal Database

Secret Fairies

Location: Andreas - Shan Cashtal barrow
Type: Fairy
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The fairies here once travelled to and from the barrow using underground passageways leading to a nearby churchyard (at Maughold).

The Haunted Beach from Apparitions; or, The Mystery of Ghosts, Hobgoblins, and Haunted Houses Developed, by Joseph Taylor.

Footsteps

Location: Baldrine - Garwick Beach
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: If alone on the shingle beach, the faint sound of footsteps can be heard in the stones.

Horse and Cart

Location: Baldrine - Pack Horse Lane
Type: Crisis Manifestation
Date / Time: Winter
Further Comments: The sounds of a ghostly horse and cart moving along the lane is said to be a warning that something bad will soon happen.

Piece of Paper

Location: Ballafletcher - Stone cross in the area (current status not known)
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A stone cross could not be moved by man or team of horses, and while a large group stood around the monument debating how to try to shift it, an old man told a young boy to reach under the rock. The boy did so, flipped the stone over, and pulled out a piece of paper which instructed the group to fear God and obey priests. Copies of the text were shared over the island and were said to bestow great fortune and protection from witches.

Lambs

Location: Ballakilpheric - Exact location not known
Type: Other
Date / Time: Early/mid nineteenth century
Further Comments: Twin children died soon after they learned to walk. Following the funeral, there was a knock at the mother's door. She answered and found two white lambs, although it was winter and there should have been no lambs around at the time. The animals were looking under the doorstep. The next day, a pair of scissors was found under the step, thought to have been hidden by the twins.

Phynnodderee

Location: Ballasalla - Rushen Abbey
Type: Fairy
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This fairy creature would be observed digging around the ruins, although when the area was examined, there was never any evidence of soil disturbance.

Sprites & Pixies

Location: Ballona - Ballona Bridge
Type: Fairy
Date / Time: 20 June (reoccurring)
Further Comments: On this day, the fairy population comes out in force. If they are not acknowledged by anyone crossing the bridge, the fairy folk have no hesitation in making their presence felt.

Moving Fairies

Location: Beary Mountain (aka Bearey Mountain) - Upper part of the site
Type: Fairy
Date / Time: Early 1800s
Further Comments: A group of fairies carrying household items were observed walking up the mountain, disappearing into the mists which circled the top. It was thought they moved home to escape the sound of a newly built mill.

Six Rowers

Location: Black Head - Cave
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A cave, once said to contain pirate treasure, only had one entrance which could be accessed by the sea. One local man watched six figures in a small boat row into the cave. Curious to know what they were up to, the man followed the figures, but they, and their boat, had vanished without trace.

Glashtin

Location: Braddan - Church
Type: Fairy
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A short phantom with a hairy and evil face, this entity would haunt the churchyard. It could only be safely passed if bowed to three times.

Fairy Home

Location: Braddan - 'Real' Fairy Bridge
Type: Fairy
Date / Time: Bridge still present
Further Comments: This is another site said to be home to the fairies, and it is considered unlucky not to say hello or wave to them as you cross the bridge.

Mer Children

Location: Calf of Man - Rocky area, exact location not known
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1810
Further Comments: Three men from Douglas found two mer-children on the rocks. One was already dead, but they saved the second child and took it to their town. The creature was described as around 60.3 centimetres in length and brown in colour, although the scales around its tail were slightly violet, and the hair on its head light green.

Woman with Spinning Wheel

Location: Carraghan - Side of the mountain
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The ghost of a woman carrying a spinning wheel and appearing to be in distress would be seen sitting on the side of the mountain. She was considered an ill omen, although after four people tried to capture her, she vanished into a stream and was never seen again.

Smoky Woman

Location: Castletown - 77 Malew Street
Type: Unknown Ghost Type
Date / Time: Autumn 1957
Further Comments: Alasdair Alpin MacGregor wrote that a smoky female apparition appeared to the owner of this cottage. The entity was blue/grey in colour and watched the owner before disappearing through a wall.

Writing on the Wall

Location: Castletown - Building once used as staff accommodation
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: 1995
Further Comments: A former occupier of this building reported that the upper part of the building had an evil feeling, and some new staff would not spend more than a night there. One witness, alone in the building, took a shower. Returning to the bathroom a short time later to pick up their watch, they found vile words written in shaving foam on the walls. A priest called to help said that he felt a presence, but it would not hurt anyone.

An old postcard of Castle Rushen on the Isle of Man.

Woman in Black

Location: Castletown - Castle Rushen, Eagle Tower
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1960s
Further Comments: Watched by four boys, this phantom female figure wore a head dress and had dark hands. Local legend says that the woman was once executed for murdering her child. Another ghost that haunts the castle, this time in the basement, has been seen sleeping with a huge sword by his side. Finally, a legend says that the castle has miles of tunnels beneath, leading to a country full of giants.

Lighting

Location: Castletown - Compton House
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: An unseen hand is said to flick lights on and off in a room here.

Angry Voices

Location: Castletown - Hill Fort
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The area is said to be haunted by the sound of angry voices, a large shuck-like dog, and a cleric.

Soldiers

Location: Cregneish - Meayll Stone Circle
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A phantom army composed of soldiers and their horses are said to haunt the area around the ancient burial chambers.

Buggane

Location: Crosby - St Trinian's Church
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This monster, an ogre-like entity, was stirred by the ringing of the bells of this church - it tore off the roof while trying to silence the peals. Another story says that the roof is missing because demons would throw it to the ground after each repair until either the locals eventually gave up trying to fix it, or local tailor Timothy Clucas tricked the Buggane into exploding its own head.

Gef, from Harry Price's 1936 'The Haunting of Cashen's Gap'.

Gef the Talking Mongoose

Location: Dalby - Doarlish Cashen farm
Type: Unknown Ghost Type
Date / Time: 1931-1935
Further Comments: Part poltergeist, part cryptozoological wonder, Gef attached itself to the nine-year-old Mary who lived in the farmhouse. Over a four-year period, the creature (if that was it was) created raps, manifested voices which communicated with the family, issued advice for the Grand National, and took the form of a small ferret-like animal, with fingers instead of claws.

Young Girl

Location: Dhoon Glen - Inneen Vooar waterfall
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A local tale says a young girl drowned in the pool under the waterfall and that her ghost remains.

Woman

Location: Douglas - Douglas Head Hotel (no longer operational)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Circa 1975
Further Comments: The phantom woman reputed to haunt this site was very active, generating poltergeist-like effects (moving chairs and ashtrays, and opening doors) and manifesting on the second floor.

Falling Soldier

Location: Douglas - Falcan Cliff Hotel (no longer operational and converted into offices)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A German soldier who jumped off the tower was once occasionally seen repeating his fall. It was also said that animals disliked entering the tower.

Lady in seat B14

Location: Douglas - Gaiety Theatre and Opera House
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The ghostly lady in seat B14 is said to have been widowed during the Great War and now quietly watches performances - the seat tends to be left empty during performances, just in case she needs to use it. Other ghosts on the site include a woman in black, a man who lurks in one of the boxes, and a helpful entity who helps thespians and stage crew.