'The white lady' of St. Anne's Park

BENJAMIN61

I live in raheny and i have never heard of a ghost in st.anne park

Gaspode

I have never heard of the White Lady either, despite spending large amounts of my time playing in St. Annes as a kid, (later follwed by drinking there as a teenager!).
Mind you I've heard stories of white ladies just about everywhere else!

I was back to St. Annes recently with my kids who absolutely loved it - We live near Pheonix Park now but thats so big its mainly empty space. St Annes is compact and has a lot of things that caught their interest. As it happens there was also something going on for the Phillipine Day of Indepence celebrations so we got some free music and dance as well.

The only negative vibes we got were the 11-15yr olds having a pissup in one of the old buildings and pelting passers-by with cans thay had pissed into and also the foul stench from the stream that flows into the 'new' lake and the lake itself. Otherwise though it was a few hours well spent.

THe park is looking well so it might just make a big comeback like another of Dublin's hidden gems, the Iveagh Gardens, is doing.

smdweb

Theres a similar story about the road connecting Keanes Road in Waterford to the area near Roanmore Park. I have heard of similar things on that road behind the presentation convent ... I also heard that if you say 3 hail marys in the bathrooms of that school there is the White Nun who appears.

jomac

Hi Paddy Dignam have pm'd you.

kittex

I've never heard of the White Lady despite growing up near the park (the Clontarf end). There is a large part of it in Clontarf, entrances at each end, so I don't see how anyone can say it's exclusively Clontarf or exclusively Raheny. Blummin territorialism.:P

Anyway, on the topic of ghosts... the only White Lady ghost I know of is the one from Malahide Castle. They told us about it on a school tour and since then it spooks me.

Malahide Castle Website wrote:

For many years, the painting of a very beautiful anonymous lady, in a flowing white dress, hung in the Great Hall of the Castle. Nobody appeared to know her identity or the identity of the artist who portrayed her. It had been recorded that from time to time she would leave her painting and wander through the Castle in the quiet of the night. Reputed to have been seen by a number of people, over a period of many years, she has become known as the White Lady.

The tour guide also said that the unconfirmed story, is that the lady in question found out her fiancé had been killed and so committed suicide in her wedding dress.

The St David's story I know well too. I was always terrified of that building knowing the history, ghost or no ghost, the vibe was awful from it.

Rashers

Paddy Dignam wrote:

I'm just wondering if anyone has heard of the phenomena known as 'The white lady' which supposedly haunts St. Anne's Park in Raheny? How old are these tales? Has anyone here got their own versions?

Very old. I actually saw the White Lady many years ago. :eek:

But I saw her at around 9pm on a frosty night in the field at the front of St Joseph's Nursing Home, as it was known then, in Raheny.

I'm a grandaddy now and was about 12 or 13 when myself accompanied by 3 friends saw her sort of 'float' through the field with her head tilted forward as though in prayer.

And that was long before I ever heard the story of the St Anne's 'Lady'.

A-Train

Never heard any of the stories about St. Annes but I remember the Blue Boy stories there were a few different versions of them when I was growing up!

_blank_

I may be able to shed some light on this White Lady.

I was at a talk on the history of the Coolock area on Tuesday night, given by Douglas Appleyard.

He put up a slide about the Guinness family, who owned St Anne's Park.

One of the sons was married to a Lady Olivia White.

I have his book Green Fields Gone Forever here beside me, I'll have a look through later to see if I can find the actual facts.

raheny red

JoeSchmoe wrote:

back in the 80s, I used to be in the Artane Boys Band, which is located in the grounds of St Davids, and we heard a lot of stories about the Blue Boy, from what I can remember, he was regularly abused by the brothers and one day he snapped and ran up the stairs with the brothers in hot pursuit, he ran to the top of building 5/6 floors and jumped out of one windows.

I remember that story alright and down our way he got his name 'blue boy' from the ink which was thrown over him by the Christian Brothers - these sort of tales are great

I go to College in Mater Dei on the Clonliffe Road and some evenings you could be there on your own, scares the **** out of me sometimes . The priests use to be trained there so I'm sure there have been some strange goings on there in the past!

_blank_

DesF wrote:

I may be able to shed some light on this White Lady.

I was at a talk on the history of the Coolock area on Tuesday night, given by Douglas Appleyard.

He put up a slide about the Guinness family, who owned St Anne's Park.

One of the sons was married to a Lady Olivia White.

I have his book Green Fields Gone Forever here beside me, I'll have a look through later to see if I can find the actual facts.

Here's a bit about her. From a part down this page
http://www.thepeerage.com/p1934.htm

Sir Arthur Edward Guinness, 1st and last Baron Ardilaun of Ashford1 (M)
b. 1 November 1840, d. 20 January 1915, #19337
Pedigree

Father Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, 1st Bt.1 d. 19 March 1868
Mother Elizabeth Guinness1 d. 22 September 1865

Last Edited 8 Sep 2003

Sir Arthur Edward Guinness, 1st and last Baron Ardilaun of Ashford was born on 1 November 1840 in St. Anne's, Clontarf, County Dublin, Ireland.1 He was the son of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, 1st Bt. and Elizabeth Guinness.1 He married Lady Olivia Charlotte Hedges-White, daughter of William Henry Hare Hedges-White, 3rd Earl of Bantry and Jane Herbert, on 16 February 1871 in Bantry, County Cork, Ireland.1 He died on 20 January 1915 at age 74 St. Anne's, Clontarf, County Dublin, without issue.2 He was buried on 23 January 1915 in All Saints, Rahemy, County Dublin, Ireland.2 His will (dated 25 February 1902) was probated in April 1915.2
Sir Arthur Edward Guinness, 1st and last Baron Ardilaun of Ashford was educated at Eton College, Eton, Berkshire, England.1 He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin University, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland.1 He graduated from Trinity College in 1863 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.).1 He graduated from Trinity College in 1866 with the degree of Master of Arts (M.A.).1 He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Conservative) for the City of Dublin between 1868 and 1869.1 He succeeded to the title of 2nd Baronet Guinness on 19 March 1868.1 He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Conservative) for the City of Dublin between 1874 and 1880.1 He was created 1st Baron Ardilaun of Ashford, co. Galway on 1 May 1880.1 He graduated from Dublin University in 1891 with the degree of honorary Doctor of Law (LL.D.).1
On his death, the Baron Ardilaun of Ashford became extinct.2

Family Lady Olivia Charlotte Hedges-White b. 27 August 1850, d. 13 December 1925

katiemac

My grandparents told me about a young lady dressed in white that appeared each night on a bridge at Kinsealy. Apparently, she was killed in a fire at Malahide Castle.
And they also told me about the headless horseman who used canter down the Richmond road to the Fairview end on a winter's night. They didn't know any more background.
Regarding St Anne's park, they told me they had seen a figure dressed in black or brown standing on the location of the former Guinness House. If you walk by there at night in the dark you are supposed to feel a shiver. No birds will nest there because when the winds blow the nests are blown away.
Has anybody heard of the Banshee of Benburb St?

Degsy

I used to work in a warehouse in Santry demense,quite near whats left of santry woods.In one particular part of the building we were allways hearing noises and "seeing" a person standing round the corner,its hard to explain but it was more of a prescence than anything else.people locking up that part of the building would hear sombody else on the floor above and generally the temperature was afew degrees lower than inother parts of the building.An old wives tale that had circulated since the 1950's(before the building) said there was a fairy fort on the site.When they excavated nearby to build the next phase,i found flint scrapers and clay balls such as were used as votive offerings.Anybody else heard anything weird about santry?

dade

jesus these stories take me back

I went to secondary in '92 and the story was doing the rounds, it was an old story though. By the time I was leaving school in '98 the houses had started to be built, and afaik the story started to 'die out'..

I left Davids around 92 and the story was going back then. it was popular in first year but you'd always hear it mentioned by the new kids, mostly by the older kids or the kids that went to channel to frighten the crap out of them

At the back entrance to the school, just past the McDonalds, there was a little driveway all the way up to the school, past the now gone Brother's residence, on the driveway there was a big rock with some red staining on it, possibly some iron in the rock maybe....

at that gate there use to be a shed or two, i think they kept the tractors for cutting teh foot ball pitches in there. the story i head was he was buried in an unmarked grave under the one to the left as you enter the gate from McDs or just at the wall to that shed.

there was also a story that a ghost could be seen in a lane close by, not sure if it was the blue boy though. think it's maryfield ave or park (where that timbermill estate is) it was about half way along on teh right as you head to teh A1. again a huge rock and the ghost was suppose to sit on it or something

the overall story i heared when i went to the school was that some kid climbed onto the cross (no idea why) and jumped. IIRC the other kids where playing football on the front lawn, someone saw him jump and turned to tell the others and when he turned back the young lad got up and ran away toward the brothers housing. it was said he was buried at that gate near McDs. that face like mark on the side of the building was suppose to have appeared after his death.

heard some stories about Artane castle and about supposed tunnels that link the caste to Davids and the casino in Marino.

Heard something about a black/brown robed figure in Saint Anne's alright but not a white lady.

humberklog

Blue Boy story of David's is a long time doing the rounds. It woulda been '76-'77 when I heard of it and told to us by a Brother that lived on the grounds. His said he saw it and that the apparition was supposed to be always the same. Boy (with a blue glow, like the reddybreak kid)struggles at 2nd floor window then falls to ground. Now I don't believe in ghosts but what years later struck me as odd was the meat to the bones of the story, Acceptance of abuse etc. Blue Boy stories a rife around the world by the way. He gats around.
Never heard of the White Lady though. But oddly as it is there is a acorn type white granite sculpture on the road near the stables that my daughter has always referred to as..."The White Lady"!. Gem of a park. May I reccommend feeding the squirrells high sugar conmtent sweets and watching them mill about. Ok, Ok Bill Oddy may disapprove but me and my daughter think it's the funniest.

dade

humberklog wrote: »

. Boy (with a blue glow, like the reddybreak kid)struggles at 2nd floor window then falls to ground.

yeah i head the blue bit was the glow that comes from him when people see the ghost. but like i said i heard he jumped from the cross, which would have been 4 maybe 5 floors up. but then stories change over time i guess.

never did see him myslef though, but then i was too chicken**** to go look for him

humberklog

dade wrote: »

never did see him myslef though, but then i was too chicken**** to go look for him

Well he ain't about. I still keep a beady eye out when I'm around that way and have never come across the anti-reddybreak kid. Spooky building when there's a mist about. I recall playing there as a nipper and we were able to break into the old derelict industrial sewing buildings. Big adventure playground. Few good trees for rope swings too.

dade

humberklog wrote: »

I recall playing there as a nipper and we were able to break into the old derelict industrial sewing buildings..

no idea where they are, i remember getting into the old swimming pool as a kid alright.

not teh only thing that hung from those trees. isn't there a story of some kid hanging himself down my the main gate? may be blue boy related

Dub13

Des wrote: »

I went to secondary in '92 and the story was doing the rounds, it was an old story though. By the time I was leaving school in '98 the houses had started to be built, and afaik the story started to 'die out'.

I heard most of these story's,a lot of my mates went to Davids around those times (I am sure we know a lot of the same people).My father also went to the old industrial school there and he has some great story's about the place.Them brothers were tough tough men.

CtrlSource

Haven't heard the story about St Anne's Park, but there are oodles of 'white lady' stories about.

Heard about a 'white man' who used to ride a phantom coach outside the side gates of Powerscourt estate in Enniskerry years ago.

Also know that there was supposed to be a lot of ghostly activity in Balbriggan. My own father has a story about a house there, that he used to holiday in as a child.

The ghost i had heard about in Malahide Castle was called "Puck" and lived in a little room off the Dining or Great Hall (can't remember which)

punchdrunk

I went to "little Davids" and i definitely remember the tales of the blue boy infact,my mate marks parents had a painting of him in their Gaff,no idea who painted it

the story i remember is definitely of a hanging or a jumping though
I went to channel after primary though,so i never investigated any further!

also we had loads of stories about woodville house up behind where the log yard used to be,no that was one scary kip!!!

_blank_

punchdrunk wrote: »

I went to "little Davids" and i definitely remember the tales of the blue boy infact,my mate marks parents had a painting of him in their Gaff,no idea who painted it

Are you sure it was a picture of the Blue Boy?

I remember a picture of a little crying boy that used mto hang in my grandmothers house. It was a fairly mass produced painting, with a blue tinge.

punchdrunk wrote: »

also we had loads of stories about woodville house up behind where the log yard used to be,no that was one scary kip!!!

We were neighbours.

Degsy

Des wrote: »

Are you sure it was a picture of the Blue Boy?

I remember a picture of a little crying boy that used mto hang in my grandmothers house. It was a fairly mass produced painting, with a blue tinge.



We were neighbours.

Did you hear the legend attached to those crying children paintings?
I'm not sure whether it was the boy or the girl,but word was one of them was cursed in some way and the chances are your house would burn down.
Dunno where the idea came from,but back in the late 70's people were actauly worried and throwing those pictures onto halloween bonfires.
I even think my mother got rid of hers.

dade

punchdrunk wrote: »

I went to channel after primary though

one of them are ya;)

punchdrunk wrote: »

also we had loads of stories about woodville house up behind where the log yard used to be,no that was one scary kip!!!

i remember the name but cant recall where that place is. where was it again?

humberklog

dade wrote: »

no idea where they are.

That part ran from the orange brick buildings that back onto the laneway that seperates Thorndale from David's. They are now Dublin team and David's gyms. But there were more buildings that ran along same line and across the road parrallel to them. Would have been demolished by about '81.
That was a cracking pool. 5p for an hour of bomb diving. The very dodgy fire escape was always worth a good scale up too.

JoeSchmoe

My girlfriend is from Malahide and has heard stories of the Malahide Castle, she's pretty blurry about the details but it's something along the lines of: the white lady was originally a maid in the castle, one of the men of the house fell for her and married her, he was later killed in a fight (or battle- I told you the details were sketchy) so she went from a maid to a wife to a widow in one day. She then killed herself from the sadness.

Doesn't sound like very reliable but that's the legend she heard as a child

Degsy

JoeSchmoe wrote: »

My girlfriend is from Malahide and has heard stories of the Malahide Castle, she's pretty blurry about the details but it's something along the lines of: the white lady was originally a maid in the castle, one of the men of the house fell for her and married her, he was later killed in a fight (or battle- I told you the details were sketchy) so she went from a maid to a wife to a widow in one day. She then killed herself from the sadness.

Doesn't sound like very reliable but that's the legend she heard as a child

As befits the oldest inhabited castle in Ireland, Malahide Castle has many ghostly traditions. Many historic castles and houses have one ghost, some have two or three, but Malahide Castle has five. Fist there is the spectre of young Lord Galtrim, Sir Walter Hussey, son of the Baron of Galtrim, who in the 15th Century was killed in battle on his wedding day. This Lord Galtrim wanders through the Castle at night pointing to the spear wound in his side and uttering dreadful groans. He is supposed to haunt the Castle to show his resentment towards his young bride, who married his rival immediately after he had given up his life in defence of her honour and happiness.

The second spectre is that of the Lady Maud Plunkett who does not appear as she did on the day of her marriage to Lord Galtrim, but as she looked when she married her third husband, a Lord Chief Justice. At this time she had become notorious as an un-equalled virago, and in her ghostly appearances chases her husband through the corridors of the Castle.
The third ghost is that of the Chief Justice himself, who merely appears to furnish his spectral spouse with an opportunity of taking a little nocturnal exercise.

The fourth ghost is more interesting, historically speaking and is that of Miles Corbett, the Roundhead to whom Cromwell gave the Castle and property during his protectorate. At the Restoration Miles was deprived of his property and made to pay the penalty of the many crimes he had committed during his occupancy, and which included the desecration of the chapel of the old abbey near the Castle. He was hanged, drawn and quartered and when his ghost first appears it seems to be a perfectly whole soldier in armour, but then falls into four pieces before the eyes of anyone who has the unpleasant experience of meeting it.

The story of the fifth ghost has a certain amount of pathos. In the 16th Century, as befitted a family of importance, the Talbots always had a jester among their retinue of attendants. One of these jesters, “Puck” by name, fell in love with a kinswoman of Lady Elenora Fitzgerald, who was detained at the Castle by Henry VIII because of her rebel tendencies. On a snowy December night the jester was found close to the walls of the Castle stabbed through the heart, a tragic figure in his gay jester suit and cap and bells. Before he died he swore an oath that he would haunt the Castle until a master reigned who choose a bride from the people, but would harm no one if a male Talbot slept under the roof.

Poor little Puck and his last appearance were reported during the sale of the contents of the Castle in May 1976. His little dwarf figure makes its appearance in many photographs of the Castle and one outstanding photograph shows his old bewitching and wrinkled face peering out of the ivy on the wall. The Castle with its 800 year old family history is haunted with many unseen and unknown spirits and their presence is felt in every room.