A Haunted Land: Ireland's Ghosts

by Bob Curran

These stories of the amazing variety of hauntings throughout Ireland range from wraith-like ghosts to the full-bodied type, the dangerous and damaging, and the merely frightening. Notorious buildings are described, such as Leap Castle, where psychics have been overwhelmed. There are also spirits who warn of impending death or try to avenge long-forgotten wrongdoing.

Genres: Ireland, Nonfiction, Ghost Stories, History

218 pages, Paperback

First published March 24, 2004

About the author

BOB CURRAN is an educational psychologist in Coleraine University. His interests are broad-ranging but are focused especially on history and story. He has written several books, including The Field Guide to Irish Fairies, The Wolfhound Guide to the Shamrock, Creatures of Celtic Myth, The Truth about the Leprechaun.

Reviews

[Trine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether or not one believes in ghosts, the stories recounted in this book in the grand tradition of Irish storytelling at its best all make for a very spooky read.
Very thought-provoking read and essential reading for anyone interested in the legends and ghost stories of Ireland.

[Chazzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of Irish ghost and witch tales with the background to each is found between the covers of this book.

Ireland is the land of tales of ghosts and witches. Tales that have been passed down through many years, based on ancient pagan practices, mixed with Christian beliefs, the results are colourful and scary.

Even though a person is dead and buried, there can still be a tale related to its life after death. Perhaps there was an outstanding debt, or the person just wanted to revisit a world it is no longer part of. Death isn’t the end — it is just another world from which the dead could watch over their descendants in a caring manner, or those who may have wronged them.

The book is divided in two sections, ghosts and spirits; witches and warlocks. The tales come from different counties, each with its own personality. Many spirits are linked to particular sites — villages, castles, landmarks and the like. Included in the telling is the background or history of the tale. This adds another dimension to the telling.

If you’re interested in Ireland and some of its tales, this is a good read. Having the backstory to the tale makes it just that more interesting.

[Kieran Fanning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well written anthology of lesser-known ghost stories. Spooky!

[Katarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this as a sort of throw-back to my 6th grade reading habits, when I discovered folk tales. Irish folktales are often classified as ghost stories, which I generally avoid, but I enjoyed them anyway.

I thought the tone of the first part was rather interesting-- it's a non-fiction setup, but stories about ghosts and wraiths tend to read as fiction. Not to knock non-fiction, but it also tends to be more dry, so I enjoyed the ghosts and wraiths a lot: they're interesting, and it is something to consider. I personally don't feel I can say whether or not such things exist, although I admit it seems far-fetched to me. Nonetheless, what would it be like to be part of a tradition or culture that really believes that the dead and buried actively participate? What would it be like to see them? I feel that Haunted and Bewitched Ireland narrated the stories in such a way that those questions were ranged.

The second part of the book was comparatively dry: it focused on historical figures and witch trials. Interesting topic, but rather appalling at times. On the whole, though, it was great. I'm interested in doing some more research on witch trials and their history now.

[Athena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will start with the fact that I am not a fan of short stories; no matter what, all the stories seem to blend together only there are different names and some minor changes but ultimately the story remains the same, which makes for a redundant book.

The premise of the book however I did like; haunted castles, ghosts, witches and other creatures of Irish folklore.

I do have a few favorites from the book:

The Arny Woman; A Night at the Ram's Horn; The Touch of the Dead; and Alexander Colville, The Devil Doctor.

[Kevin Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book to be reading near Halloween as a sort of historical "real" ghost story book. It read to me a like a collection of fantasy stories from role playing days, but believed by a lot of people to be actual history.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this quick read. A dear friend bought it for me and I enjoyed the history and the stories. These are the kinds of stories you would here when you would have a slumber party when you were younger. A very good read.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spooky tales to scare the bejeesus out of a person.