‘For us it was excitement, fear andpanic...allrolledintoone’
‘I felt the tremor of the steps as they came from behind’
I tried to relax and control my breathing. The chapel is surrounded by windows that have no glass.
The frame of the windows is a different brick from the building and a lighter shade, so easier to see. At the back wall, there is a window and an ‘oubliette pit’, where prisoners were impaled on spikes from the floor and left to die in agony. There’s an entry where you can stand and look down into the pit, with a window to your left. We stood around it and called out for interactions with any spirits.
I began to feel sick and my knees weakened, but I said nothing, as I am supposed to be the brave one.
So, we are staring at the window and entry, which is approximately three feet wide and seven feet high.
We think we see things peeping out from the oubliette pit, like black shadowy heads, but we put it down to our eyes adjusting to the darkness.
Then, from the left, it was just like a curtain being drawn. This sheet of darkness consumed the entry. We could no longer see the step up or the brick of either the building of the window frame. It disappeared into the oubliette.
I knew for sure what I had seen and later on, the team confirmed they had, too. It was excitement, panic and fear, all combined into one.
There was no light source there to create a shadow — we were in a field off any main roads, and there was no glass in the windows. I wondered was this presence the old clan chief Teige, letting me know he was still in command of the castle and asserting his dominance.
The tour leader, Gillian Murphy, later confirmed this to me. He was “peacocking” me. Had I intimidated him? Did he feel threatened? One thing for sure, I let him win his battle and he gave me an experience that scared me and left me unable to explain.” Donna Jermy (40) works with her husband Keith in their heating engineering company. The mother-offive leads paranormal investigative tours of Conway Mill in west Belfast. She says:
One cold September night, near midnight, we were having a break from an inup, vestigation session for refreshments, in the attic of the Conway Mill. I was recording the events on camera and calling out for spirits to interact.
The public and team had formed a circle to try and put our energy together for the spirits to use to communicate.
I was at one side of the group and John, one of the team members, was at the other side.
We were making sure everyone was still and that no one was trying to scare anyone by shuffling their feet to make a noise.
Apart from the sound of wind outside, it was fairly quiet and we can hear everything.
The wing the attic is on was not being used by anyone else and it was four levels so contamination is confined and controlled.
There was the odd noise and people feeling cold spots, which we had asked for.
I asked the spirits to come closer to the circle of friends, and told them we meant no harm or disrespect.
Then, from behind me, I heard solid footsteps on the wooden floor. I froze, as I could see everyone present in front of me and they were all standing completely
still.
The fear temporarily overcame me. I asked ‘Who’s that?’, but there was no one. To gain access to the attic, you have to climb up a narrow ladder — the floor is so old and the wood squeaks with every footstep. I was astonished that no one was there. I felt the tremor of the steps as they came from behind me. The public thought the steps were from me. They were not.
In the spring of the next year, I was up in the attic with another team member, Phil.
I was talking about the experience and as I was explaining it, the same thing happened. I stopped and looked at Phil.
We both looked around, looking to see if there was something there — and there was nothing.
I laughed, as I had not even asked for this to happen.
Phil and I had the same experience. That is validation for us.
It shows a level of consciousness and intelligence from the spirit. They are definitely able to interact and communicate.”