Story of the ghost of the little boy in Slane home

A great story told by Peter Casey many years ago.

Peter was a famous name in the Drogheda Independent and came up with some great tales.

This one dated from more than 50 years ago I’d say and I wonder, is the house near Slane still there?

‘ There was a house between Slane and Navan which was idle for many years except for the herd of the adjoining land who lived in one of the many rooms as a caretaker.

‘One day I met him in the fields and asked was it haunted and he told a strange story. Years earlier a little boy had been found dead in his bed, having been choked by a round sweet and his spirit never left the room. Strange but harmless mischievous things used to happen there.

For instance, the herd told me: “There was a mantel shelf of books about horses and gundogs and every night just as I’d be dozing off to sleep the whole lot would tumble down into the fender.

‘Next morning I’d put them back again but one night I was very tired and late going to bed as I had been out with a calving cow, so I knocked them down myself before I got into bed to save the little fellow the trouble of waking me up. Believe it or not, Mister, but the next morning the books were all back again on the shelf when I wakened up.”