at the hall door in the dusk. Naturally thinking it was some friend, she
opened the door, and there saw standing outside the self-same man. He
simply looked at her, and walked through the wall into the house. She got
such a shock that she could not speak for several hours, and was ill for
some days. That is eighteen months ago, and he has not been seen since,
and it is six months since we heard any noises." Our correspondent's
letter was written on 25th November 1913. "An old man nearly ninety died
last year. He lived all his life within four hundred yards of this house,
and used to tell me that seventy years ago the parsons came with bell,
book, and candle to drive the ghosts out of the house." Evidently they
were unsuccessful. In English ghost-stories it is the parson who performs
the exorcism successfully, while in Ireland such work is generally
performed by the priest. Indeed a tale was sent to us in which a ghost
quite ignored the parson's efforts, but succumbed to the priest.




CHAPTER III

HAUNTED HOUSES IN MOGH'S HALF


The northern half of Ireland has not proved as prolific in stories of
haunted houses as the southern portion: the possible explanation of this
is, not that the men of the north are less prone to hold, or talk about,
such beliefs, but that, as regards the south half, we have had the good
fortune to happen upon some diligent collectors of these and kindred
tales, whose eagerness in collecting is only equalled by their kindness
in imparting information to the compilers of this book.