Seafield House (1900s Poltergeist infestation)

AI

Visited this place a few days ago:-

Owen Phibbs an eminent archaeologist in the 1800s began to fill the house with ancient treasures from the Far East, Syria, and Egypt. The objects were housed in a long gallery on the first floor which became known as ‘The Museum’.

Trouble started soon afterwards when the house became infested with a particularly unpleasant and malicious poltergeist. A strange figure was often seen on the stairway at night accompanied soon afterwards by terrible loud crashes heard throughout the house. Broken pottery and ornaments would be found the next morning. On one occasion the whole house shook violently - all in the house fled in terror. After this event servants refused to stay inside the house. Shortly after a gardener was terrified by a tall dark shadowy figure seen disappearing into the sea laughing maniacally. The gardener was also said to have fled in terror never to return.

The house had such a bad reputation that it’s name was changed from Seafield House to Lisheen House to try to conceal it’s past history.

Eventually in the 1900s the house was handed over to a group of Jesuit priests who performed mass daily for some weeks in an attempt to exorcise the poltergeist.

The priests attempt failed, they also fled the property never to return.

Unable to rid the house of it’s infestation D.W.Phibbs sold the house in 1940.

Shortly after the house was dismantled and left as a roofless ruin.

Write up on my website:-
http://www.abandonedireland.com/Seafield.html

Anybody know any other places with documented history of poltergeists?

bigeasyeah

Is www.abandonedireland.com your website?!
Well done-its great! Very interesting.

AI

Thanks. Yep it is my website.

holly1

The hair was standing up on the back of my neck looking through the photos,great site AI.

Lobelia Overhill

Kewl story, what's the place like when you visit it now? Any 'vibes' from it?

AI

Lobelia, there's a write up of my visit on my website
more pics and virtual reality

http://www.abandonedireland.com/Seafield.html

Yes there were vibes.

Lobelia Overhill

I swear a shadowy figure moves across the empty window frames.

Ooh I wish I could go there, I'm great, I scream louder than Yvette Fielding!

that VR is better than Google Street view!

Thanks

JerryHandbag

Some excellent photos on that site, well done. Particularly interested in that ghost that flits across the lake in curraghchase in Limerick as I dont live too far away!:eek:

holly1

Can anyone go and look at this house AI,or is it on private property??.

Ziycon

Do you know where the articles that supposedly led to the poltergeist activity have gotten to?

AI

Seafield House is located on private property

Not sure about where the Archaeological artefacts got to, that was the first thing I checked up on! They were not acquired by the national museum so probably the only person who would know would be one of the Phibbs family descendants.

magenta73

a cool location, I think, would be "Killakee House" lots of fasinating history and the site also of the famous Hell fire club. A few years ago I spoke to the then owner's and lots of cool things happening. They said that the BBC and the Discovery Channel had both documented events there.

Ziycon

magenta73 wrote: »

a cool location, I think, would be "Killakee House" lots of fasinating history and the site also of the famous Hell fire club. A few years ago I spoke to the then owner's and lots of cool things happening. They said that the BBC and the Discovery Channel had both documented events there.

Personally i think Killakee house and the area are over hyped, I've spent may of nights in that area and never experienced anything out of the ordinary!

magenta73

you may have spent night's in the area but have you spent time in the house (not the hell fire club) Killakee? I also have been in the area on many occasions but killakee house is something else!! the atmosphere changes as soon as you set foot inside the door. The last time I was there I was lucky enough to speak to the owner and he'd had enough and was putting it back on the market.

holly1

What sort of things are happening?

magenta73

When I was there with my husband, about 3 years ago, two brothers had bought it and turned it into a restaurant. They both lived upstairs with their girlfriends. We went for a meal and when you drive in (where the stables are) I was overcome with a sense of being watched. the husband just laughted it off! but to be honest I think he felt it too. When we went into the house the first thing you see is the famous painting of the black cat. We both had a very over-powering sense that we were intruding - if that makes sense. The guy who took our order was one of the owners, and we started chatting about the place. He said that everyone (including him and his brother and partners) had the feeling of being watched all of the time and they too felt like they were intruding. he also said that they could cope with that, but during the day, doors upstairs would open and close by themselves, followed by footsteps and the front door would then open and close by it's self. He had withnesed this him self on many occasions. He also said that some customers where pushed, prodded, and had their hair pulled on many occasions. and one of the biggest problems they had, not only with themselfs but with customers too, was things going missing. coats from coat stands would go missing only to turn up at the top of the stairs. Keys and lighters would also go missing to turn up under pillows and stuff. His girlfriend was in the middle of moving out as she had had enough and he said he did too!. About 1 year after this myself and the family went back only to find that they had sold up and moved out and new people had moved in (as a family home). I was only up that direction a few weeks ago and it's vacant once again!.

Lobelia Overhill

holy bejeebus, I think I'll avoid that place at all costs! :eek:

Lobelia Overhill

AI wrote: »

Seafield House is located on private property

Not sure about where the Archaeological artefacts got to, that was the first thing I checked up on! They were not acquired by the national museum so probably the only person who would know would be one of the Phibbs family descendants.

I sent the link to your site to a friend and we were chatting about seafield house and your experince, is it possible there's a cellar or a basement that you can't access these days (where the artifacts might be stored?)

bigeasyeah

What artifacts were they? Where did they come from and from what historical period did they come from?

Lobelia Overhill

bigeasyeah wrote: »

What artifacts were they? Where did they come from and from what historical period did they come from?

from the OP

AI wrote: »

Owen Phibbs an eminent archaeologist in the 1800s began to fill the house with ancient treasures from the Far East, Syria, and Egypt. The objects were housed in a long gallery on the first floor which became known as ‘The Museum’.

bigeasyeah

I m afraid I need more detail than that.From the places named they could be anywhere from Central Europe to Japan:) Not to mention the date of said artifacts.

AI

Haha gas

No I fully explored the house from top to bottom as I do with all the places I visit and document. Check some of the other locations on my website:-
http://www.AbandonedIreland.com

There was not much left of the basement at Seafield and nothing of interest in them whatsoever! Definitely no archeological objects down there

Forget the articles guys, they are long gone!

Lobelia Overhill

I was going by the assumption that the artifacts were in some way connected to the hauntings. If the artifacts aren't there any more then why is the place still affected by strange happenings?

magnumlady

Whereabouts is the house in Sligo? I'd love to have a look, but on second thoughts I'd be terrified.

AI

I thought you guys would come up with something more than Killakee

I think you need to get out more!

Anyway you might be interested to know I tracked down one of the priests who performed the exorcism.

He returned to the British Museum in London to carry out further research. Shortly after he was mysteriously knocked down by a car after leaving the museum on his way to the Jesuit house where he was staying. He was carried unconscious to the hospital and died shortly afterwards.

Sounds a bit like "The Omen"!

6th

I'm looking into a place in Drogheda at the moment and while talking to a historian he mentioned that there was a poltergeist case back in the 1850 and he's pretty sure its in the house I'm looking at.

magenta73

AI wrote: »

Visited this place a few days ago:-

Owen Phibbs an eminent archaeologist in the 1800s began to fill the house with ancient treasures from the Far East, Syria, and Egypt. The objects were housed in a long gallery on the first floor which became known as ‘The Museum’.

Trouble started soon afterwards when the house became infested with a particularly unpleasant and malicious poltergeist. A strange figure was often seen on the stairway at night accompanied soon afterwards by terrible loud crashes heard throughout the house. Broken pottery and ornaments would be found the next morning. On one occasion the whole house shook violently - all in the house fled in terror. After this event servants refused to stay inside the house. Shortly after a gardener was terrified by a tall dark shadowy figure seen disappearing into the sea laughing maniacally. The gardener was also said to have fled in terror never to return.

The house had such a bad reputation that it’s name was changed from Seafield House to Lisheen House to try to conceal it’s past history.

Eventually in the 1900s the house was handed over to a group of Jesuit priests who performed mass daily for some weeks in an attempt to exorcise the poltergeist.

The priests attempt failed, they also fled the property never to return.

Unable to rid the house of it’s infestation D.W.Phibbs sold the house in 1940.

Shortly after the house was dismantled and left as a roofless ruin.

Write up on my website:-
http://www.abandonedireland.com/Seafield.html

Anybody know any other places with documented history of poltergeists?

I do get out quite a bit thanks, and YOU did ask if anybody knew any other places!

bigeasyeah

AI wrote: »

Shortly after he was mysteriously knocked down by a car

or just knocked down.

tumbleweedman

magenta73 wrote: »

When I was there with my husband, about 3 years ago, two brothers had bought it and turned it into a restaurant. They both lived upstairs with their girlfriends. We went for a meal and when you drive in (where the stables are) I was overcome with a sense of being watched. the husband just laughted it off! but to be honest I think he felt it too. When we went into the house the first thing you see is the famous painting of the black cat. We both had a very over-powering sense that we were intruding - if that makes sense. The guy who took our order was one of the owners, and we started chatting about the place. He said that everyone (including him and his brother and partners) had the feeling of being watched all of the time and they too felt like they were intruding. he also said that they could cope with that, but during the day, doors upstairs would open and close by themselves, followed by footsteps and the front door would then open and close by it's self. He had withnesed this him self on many occasions. He also said that some customers where pushed, prodded, and had their hair pulled on many occasions. and one of the biggest problems they had, not only with themselfs but with customers too, was things going missing. coats from coat stands would go missing only to turn up at the top of the stairs. Keys and lighters would also go missing to turn up under pillows and stuff. His girlfriend was in the middle of moving out as she had had enough and he said he did too!. About 1 year after this myself and the family went back only to find that they had sold up and moved out and new people had moved in (as a family home). I was only up that direction a few weeks ago and it's vacant once again!.

Well I must add something to all these coments that are being made by people about killakee house. My family have owned it for at least 15 years, we ran it as a restaurant for five of those and had small weddings and functions in it. Ive lived upstairs on my own, ive renovated it and im up there at least three times a week, day and night. I have found killakee to be a beautiful place to live or just frequent and I have never in 15 years saw or heard anything out of sorts or paranormal in the slightest. Its just that it is old and stories have been made up. Two weeks ago the sci fi chanel came over from L.A. and done a two night investigation in the house and surrounding area, nothing was discovered. The appartment upstairs will be available to rent in a couple of months when its fixed up again and would really suit a couple or a couple of lads who work and can afford to put the heating on for 3 or 4 hours a day. There is nowhere as nice and peaceful as here but winter can be harsh. If you like the outdoors, walking, cycling, hiking this is perfect. 10 mins from the M50. Regards.

Best username ever

tumbleweedman wrote: »

Well I must add something to all these coments that are being made by people about killakee house. My family have owned it for at least 15 years, we ran it as a restaurant for five of those and had small weddings and functions in it. Ive lived upstairs on my own, ive renovated it and im up there at least three times a week, day and night. I have found killakee to be a beautiful place to live or just frequent and I have never in 15 years saw or heard anything out of sorts or paranormal in the slightest. Its just that it is old and stories have been made up. Two weeks ago the sci fi chanel came over from L.A. and done a two night investigation in the house and surrounding area, nothing was discovered. The appartment upstairs will be available to rent in a couple of months when its fixed up again and would really suit a couple or a couple of lads who work and can afford to put the heating on for 3 or 4 hours a day. There is nowhere as nice and peaceful as here but winter can be harsh. If you like the outdoors, walking, cycling, hiking this is perfect. 10 mins from the M50. Regards.

Thinly veiled I have a room to rent thread

screamer

Perhaps you could rent it by the weekend for ghosty hunters to check if they can experience anything ghostly, or have a weekend ghost hunt ...... I'm sure you could make money out of it.