Priest’s House ‘Haunted’.
An extraordinary story.
Many strange rumours were afloat in Navan and district during the past fortnight as regards some extraordinary midnight happenings which were alleged to have taken place in the Parochial House, Johnstown, at present occupied by the Rev. Father Tiernan, P.P.
The house, which is situated in a lonely stretch of country, about three miles from Navan, has the reputation locally of being haunted. About a fortnight ago, soon after the Rev. Father Tiernan, who is but newly appointed to the parish, has taken up residence there, a rumour gained currency that the place was visited by an uncanny visitor, and that some weird noises were heard each night by the rev. gentleman.
When the police were called upon to investigate the affair the rumours as to the doings of the ghost were exaggerated threefold, and it was alleged that this denizen of another world threw a stone through the window of the house at one of the constables.
A representative of the “Irish Independent” had an interview with Father Tiernan at his residence in Johnstown yesterday as to the truth of the extraordinary stories.
The house where the ghost is said to have made its appearance, does not by any means suggest the idea of being haunted. It is a well-built, mondern building, commanding a view of some of the richest country of Royal Meath, and altogether lacks that air of old-world mystery which is usually associated with ghostly visitations.
When our representative showed the rev. gentleman a cutting from a local paper containing some particulars of the story he admitted that what was contained in it was substantially correct. He was amused, however, when our reporter inquired as to the doings of the ghost, and laughingly remarked that in this case the ghost had departed from all the traditions of its class, and not content with amusing itself by ringing bells in the house, had become so disorderly as to throw stones through a back window..
The first night on which he heard the bell ringing Father Tiernan was in bed, and he thought it might be a “sick call.” When the bell continued ringing for some time he suddenly remembered that none of the bells could be set ringing from the outside. Thinking, therefore, that the servant girl had become suddenly ill, he immediately got out of bed, knocked at her door, and asked her if she were unwell. She immediately replied that she was not, and Father Tiernan went back to bed, and heard no more of the bells that night.
On the following night there was no repetition of the occurrence, but the next night a bell again began to ring violently, and was kept going for a considerable time. On the following night it was again repeated, and the servant girl began to complain to Father Tiernan that she could not sleep owing to the strange midnight noises and the violent bell-pulling. On the fifth night more vigorous measures were adopted by the alleged ghost. A stone was thrown through a window at the back of the house, and in the silence of the night the falling glass added further to the strange succession of noises which had been heard during the week.
Thinking it was about time that the police should be made aware of the occurrences, Father Tiernan communicated with the police in Navan, and it is here that the strangest part of the whole extraordinary story comes in. The following night Constable O’Brien cycled to the house, and, while the rev. gentleman was explaining everything that had occurred to the constable, who was seated in the front diningroom, they were startled by the sound of broken glass. When they went to investigate they found that another pane of glass had been broken in the same window as that through which the stone was thrown on the night before.
With the aid of an acetylene lamp the constable searched the yard and out-offices, but no one could he discover. For some nights after the house was watched by the police, but the bells have not since been rung, nor windows broken. At the request of Father Tiernan the police have ceased patrolling the place.
Irish Independent, 25th November 1909.