True Irish Ghost Stories | Page 2

please read this." I
did so, but still fail to see the sender's point of view. Another person in
a neighbouring parish declared that if I were their rector they would
forthwith leave my church, and attend service elsewhere. There are
many, I fear, who adopt this attitude; but it will soon become out of
date.
Some of my readers may cavil at the expression, "True Ghost Stories."
For myself I cannot guarantee the genuineness of a single incident in
this book--how could I, as none of them are my own personal
experience? This at least I can vouch for, that the majority of the stories
were sent to me as first or second-hand experiences by ladies and
gentlemen whose statement on an ordinary matter of fact would be
accepted without question. And further, in order to prove the bona fides
of this book, I make the following offer. The original letters and
documents are in my custody at Donohil Rectory, and I am perfectly
willing to allow any responsible person to examine them, subject to
certain restrictions, these latter obviously being that names of people
and places must not be divulged, for I regret to say that in very many
instances my correspondents have laid this burden upon me. This is to
be the more regretted, because the use of blanks, or fictitious initials,
makes a story appear much less convincing than if real names had been
employed.
Just one word. I can imagine some of my readers (to be numbered by
the thousand, I hope) saying to themselves: "Oh! Mr. Seymour has left
out some of the best stories. Did he never hear of such-and-such a
haunted house, or place?" Or, "I could relate an experience better than
anything he has got." If such there be, may I beg of them to send me on
their stories with all imagined speed, as they may be turned to account
at some future date.
I beg to return thanks to the following for permission to make use of
matter in their publications: Messrs. Sealy, Bryers, and Walker,

proprietors of the New Ireland Review; the editor of the Review of
Reviews; the editor of the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical
Research; the editor of the Journal of the American S.P.R.; the editor
of the Occult Review, and Mr. Elliott O'Donnell; Messrs. Longmans,
Green and Co., and Mrs. Andrew Lang; the editor of the Wide World
Magazine; the representatives of the late Rev. Dr. Craig.
In accordance with the promise made in my letter, I have now much
pleasure in giving the names of the ladies and gentlemen who have
contributed to, or assisted in, the compilation of this book, and as well
to assure them that Mr. Neligan and I are deeply grateful to them for
their kindness.
Mrs. S. Acheson, Drumsna, Co. Roscommon; Mrs. M. Archibald,
Cliftonville Road, Belfast; J.J. Burke, Esq., U.D.C., Rahoon, Galway;
Capt. R. Beamish, Passage West, Co. Cork; Mrs. A. Bayly,
Woodenbridge, Co. Wicklow; R. Blair, Esq., South Shields; Jas. Byrne,
Esq., Castletownroche, Co. Cork; Mrs. Kearney Brooks, Killarney; H.
Buchanan, Esq., Inishannon, Co. Cork; J.A. Barlow, Esq., Bray, Co.
Wicklow; J. Carton, Esq., King's Inns Library, Dublin; Miss A. Cooke,
Cappagh House, Co. Limerick; J.P.V. Campbell, Esq. Solicitor, Dublin;
Rev. E.G.S. Crosthwait, M.A., Littleton, Thurles; J. Crowley, Esq.,
Munster and Leinster Bank, Cashel; Miss C.M. Doyle, Ashfield Road,
Dublin; J. Ralph Dagg, Esq., Baltinglass; Gerald A. Dillon, Esq.,
Wicklow; Matthias and Miss Nan Fitzgerald, Cappagh House, Co.
Limerick; Lord Walter Fitzgerald, Kilkea Castle; Miss Finch,
Rushbrook, Co. Cork; Rev. H.R.B. Gillespie, M.A., Aghacon Rectory,
Roscrea; Miss Grene, Grene Park, Co. Tipperary; L.H. Grubb, Esq. J.P.,
D.L., Ardmayle, Co. Tipperary; H. Keble Gelston, Esq., Letterkenny;
Ven. J.A. Haydn, LL.D., Archdeacon of Limerick; Miss Dorothy
Hamilton, Portarlington; Richard Hogan, Esq., Bowman St., Limerick;
Mrs. G. Kelly, Rathgar, Dublin; Miss Keefe, Carnahallia, Doon; Rev.
D.B. Knox, Whitehead, Belfast; Rev. J.D. Kidd, M.A., Castlewellan;
E.B. de Lacy, Esq., Marlboro' Road, Dublin; Miss K. Lloyd, Shinrone,
King's Co.; Canon Lett, M.A., Aghaderg Rectory; T. MacFadden, Esq.,
Carrigart, Co. Donegal; Wm. Mackey, Esq., Strabane; Canon
Courtenay Moore, M.A., Mitchelstown, Co. Cork; J. McCrossan, Esq.,

Journalist, Strabane; G.H. Miller, Esq., J.P., Edgeworthstown; Mrs.
P.C.F. Magee, Dublin; Rev. R.D. Paterson, B.A., Ardmore Rectory;
E.A. Phelps, Esq., Trinity College Library; Mrs. Pratt, Munster and
Leinster Bank, Rathkeale; Miss Pim, Monkstown, Co. Dublin; Miss B.
Parker, Passage West, Co. Cork; Henry Reay, Esq., Harold's Cross,
Dublin; M.J. Ryan, Esq., Taghmon, Co. Wexford; P. Ryan, Esq.,
Nicker, Pallasgrean; Canon Ross-Lewin, Kilmurry, Limerick; Miss A.
Russell, Elgin Road, Dublin; Lt.-Col. the Hon. F. Shore, Thomastown,
Co. Kilkenny; Mrs. Seymour, Donohil Rectory; Mrs. E.L. Stritch,
North Great Georges St., Dublin; M.C.R. Stritch, Esq., Belturbet; Very
Rev. the Dean of St. Patrick's. D.D.; Mrs. Spratt, Thurles; W.S.
Thompson, Esq., Inishannon,