“Paranormal Ireland" (compare prices) by Journalist Dara deFaoite is subtitled „An Investigation into the Other Side of Irish Life“ – but the blurb on the back cover also recommends the book for its inclusion of a „travel guide to paranormal Ireland“. Hence its interest to us intrepid travelers in search of a bit of spine-chilling.
So, does the travel guide succeed?
“Which travel guide?“ might be my most fitting answer to this question. Honestly speaking there is none, or at least not in the way we know it. I have the suspicion that the publishers were referring a bit optimistically to the back section of the book, which on 22 pages (out of around 300) gives a quick alphabetical run-down of Ireland‘s counties. Complete with hauntings and other goings-on that are not covered in the reportage-style sections of the main work. And yes, it gives you basic detail of paranormal happenings and some local information to boot.
But when I say „basic“ I mean just that – these are the bare bones, often unsatisfying in their briefness and sometimes bordering on banality. „The Dominican Convent in Wicklow town is thought to be haunted by a former nun“ is a typical entry in the latter category, leaving you wanting to ask „Yeah, but why, when and what els do we know?“
Anyway – where the book succeeds is a chunky little primer to paranormal Ireland, the right Giant‘s shoulder to stand on for starting to make your own observations. In this aspect Dara deFaoite succeeds with aplomb. And I would hazard a guess that this was his main intent.
Groundbreaking the book isn‘t, many if not all of the instances cited have been seen in print before. Often at greater length and with more definite „conclusions“ by well-meaning researchers. But for the person wanting to dip his toes into the murky waters of paranormal Ireland it is a nice little vademecum. Only beware of those lake monsters when doing your toe-dipping!
