Haunted areas in Bray

Turquoise1

Do any of you know of any haunted places, Or have any of you experienced the paranormal in Bray?

Bray has a long history so I would imagine there are a few haunted places around the area. Would love to hear your experiences and stories.

Calibos

There are no haunted places in Bray because.........

there..is..no..such..thing..as..ghosts

yogidc26

Calibos wrote: »

There are no haunted places in Bray because.........

there..is..no..such..thing..as..ghosts

LOL

Turquoise1

How funny and original!... :rolleyes:

Anyway, I have always heard various stories about haunted areas in Bray from the old folks, stories that were passed down to them through the years and I am interested in folklore in general.

So I was just curious whether anyone had any paranormal stories they would like to share? perhaps from their own personal experiences or else stories they heard.

I'm probably posting this in the wrong forum though, but thought I would post here since its the Wicklow section.

Calibos

My ancestors go back to the 12th century in this town. Not one ghost story handed down through the centuries. We must have been rationalists and skeptics even then Yay for the critical thinking genes!!

RosieJoe

Calibos wrote: »

My ancestors go back to the 12th century in this town. Not one ghost story handed down through the centuries. We must have been rationalists and skeptics even then Yay for the critical thinking genes!!

Your ancestors have been in Bray for around 800 years and didn't have the sense to leave :eek: Darwin's theory must have evaded you lot

Turquoise1

lol! RosieJoe!

Not one story? What a pity...I guess we will have to make up some then!

However, I do remember reading in one of Henry Cairn's books (it was a book published back in 2006 or thereabouts, with all old photos of the people of Bray in it) there was an article in it, that was published years ago about a haunted house in Galtrim Park. Quite interesting too. However more likely a made up story for the tourists, since I never once heard anything about this house from anyone else.

Annasopra

Calibos - are your ancestors the Meaths

danjo

Johnnymcg wrote: »

Calibos - are your ancestors the Meaths

The Brabazon's ??? or maybe Cassoni's

Calibos

danjo wrote: »

The Brabazon's ??? or maybe Cassoni's

Quite right old chap...what what!!

Nah, kidding. Do ya want salt and vinegar with that??

Nah Kidding.

The Brabazons?? Bloody 15th century blow ins!!

Put it this way. There is a book on the history of Bray with a picture of the oldest town document that listed all the land holders in Bray from the 12th century. All norman names of course. Only one name was a recognised name from today. Ours but with a 'le' that seems to have been dropped since then probably so we could blend in with you bogger celts

I'll try and find the name of the book and yiz all can see if there is one name that stands out.

However more likely a made up story for the tourists

Aren't they all

tdv123

Heard a few stories about a few places around Bray alright. Never heard or seen anything.

The old graveyard at the back of loreto school. Apparently people have seen nuns walking around that area at strange times at night.

Someone told me they seen what looked like a monk walking around the church near the old golf course on the side of bray head.

And something about a cult that used to sacrifice sheep & stuff up bray head. I know its not paranormal but it sounded like pretty disturbing ****.

Turquoise1

Thanks tdv, very interesting.

Do you mean the old graveyard located between St. Patrick's NS and Loreto?

I remember when I was younger (before the estate was built on the avenue leading up to Loreto) there was a graveyard that was surrounded by a wall and it was all overgrown and weeds covering it and such. Is that the same area you are talking about? Of course I maybe wrong since I was really young at the time.

I heard quite a few stories about Loreto myself, and also about the old Loreto School that was located down towards Covent Avenue/Sidmonton Gardens. Remember that old building? Of course its gone now, I remember it was infested with mice but never saw any ghosts though.

As for Bray Head, the only story I heard was of the Headless Horseman who rides up through Lord Meaths and on up to the back of Bray Head. Don't know anyone who actually saw him thou!

Calibos

The only Spirits I've seen up by the ruined chapel on Brayhead were empty naggins of Smirnoff and Jameson which probably explains the sightings of the other kinds of spirits

kingtorres9

I don't believe any of you people have ever heard about the tunnel in corke abbey going from nypro to the beach. Do any of you actually live here.

tdv123

Turquoise1 wrote: »

Thanks tdv, very interesting.

Do you mean the old graveyard located between St. Patrick's NS and Loreto?

I remember when I was younger (before the estate was built on the avenue leading up to Loreto) there was a graveyard that was surrounded by a wall and it was all overgrown and weeds covering it and such. Is that the same area you are talking about? Of course I maybe wrong since I was really young at the time.

I heard quite a few stories about Loreto myself, and also about the old Loreto School that was located down towards Covent Avenue/Sidmonton Gardens. Remember that old building? Of course its gone now, I remember it was infested with mice but never saw any ghosts though.

As for Bray Head, the only story I heard was of the Headless Horseman who rides up through Lord Meaths and on up to the back of Bray Head. Don't know anyone who actually saw him thou!

Eh, to the left of that picture theres a woods down there & somwhere around that area there was a few graves. And yeah it was very over grown. Think there might have been a crypt in it as well & I think they had a gate surronding the graves. Been a few years since I was down there myself.

Turquoise1

Yeah, that's the one I was thinking of as well...I remember there was another little garden with a grotto in it among the woods near to the graveyard as well.

Thanks for the clarification, TDV123. Are there just nuns buried there? or were there other people buried there do ya know?

Kingtorres9, a tunnel going down to the beach? I can't recall hearing about that...want to explain further?

tdv123

Turquoise1 wrote: »

Yeah, that's the one I was thinking of as well...I remember there was another little garden with a grotto in it among the woods near to the graveyard as well.

Thanks for the clarification, TDV123. Are there just nuns buried there? or were there other people buried there do ya know?

Kingtorres9, a tunnel going down to the beach? I can't recall hearing about that...want to explain further?

As far as I know it was just used to bury nuns who lived in the convent.
Maybe other people were buried there but I was only told that it was used for nuns so not 100% sure on that.

Another one I remember is Joe Tynans factories beside the harbour.
A friend of mine used to work there back in the late 80's. And well he was working a night shift by himself one night & apparently the power went off in the place & the door slammed shut on him & he couldnt get it open for a minute & he claims he seen a white shadow walking past the door when he finally got it open & the whole room went freezing.

I have a few other ones but there not located in Bray.

Evolute

Its in between corke abbey and woodbrook just across the bridge after the underground sewage plant.
Its blocked now because a chinese girl was killed down there by her boyfriend a few years ago never heard of ghosts and I used to go drinking down near there and sometimes there too.
There is a graveyard that is pretty much a swamp now down beside that tunnel too not sure who are buried or anything about it

Dr Strange

Turquoise1 wrote: »

...Are there just nuns buried there? or were there other people buried there do ya know?...

tdv123 wrote: »

As far as I know it was just used to bury nuns who lived in the convent.
Maybe other people were buried there but I was only told that it was used for nuns so not 100% sure on that. ...

First, thanks for bringing up the topic. Very interesting and I remember asking Henry Cairns about possible ghost stories etc in and around Bray and he said there were some but not written in a book or something. Might be a nice project for someone.

As for the Convent graves, they are mostly, or better all but one, nuns. As far as I know. The only person buried there who wasn't a nun was one of the pupils who died tragically.

Turquoise1

Thanks for the clarification about the graves and the tunnels tdv123 and Evolute.

I agree Preusse, it is an interesting topic and it would make a great project indeed. If I remember or hear anymore interesting stories about Bray or nearby areas, I will post it here.

jfrmbray

The nun's graveyard is in San Souci....freaky place,used to scare the **** out of me whenever I walked home from school.

If you want to be scared just walk into old court with a rangers jersey on,hope this helps!:D

Judgement Day

When I was a kid growing up in Bray in the 1960/70s we used to play in a lane known amongst us as "The Ghost Lane" it ran parallel to Novara Road from just opposite the little cottage behind the old French School (on Sidmonton Place) to Loreto Avenue, the road that comes down from the right just before the Garda station.
Just had a look at it here: http://www.maplandia.com/ireland/east/wicklow/bray/
and it still appears intact. If you look about halfway between the two sets of words saying Novara Avenue, a narrow path led in past some allotments (now appears built on) and a large field (still there) which separated the Ghost Lane from the Loreto Convent.
It was a spooky enough place and nobody but us kids ever went there. Great for birds nesting, conkers and robbing the apple trees in peoples back gardens. The large field (green on the satellite pic) was even more scary as the farmer would often give chase as we helped ourselves to his spuds. There was/is a Rookery in the convent and although we always wanted to cross the very wide field to get to it, none bar one that I know of ever did - I won't mention his name here.

ciaran67

Never seen a ghost in the area but i did see a 184 bus once... once.

Turquoise1

lol!!!!!

John Mason

kingtorres9 wrote: »

I don't believe any of you people have ever heard about the tunnel in corke abbey going from nypro to the beach. Do any of you actually live here.

i know it and have been there

i could tell you of my parents stories when they lived in galtrim house but it has been knocked down now so i am not sure if there is any point

White_Wolf

What about The Bray Head hotel, creepiest place I have seen around Bray the pub is open at night yet I never se anyone in it apart from the bartender just standing there.

http://www.circlehotels.co.uk/images/hotel%20img/Crofton%20Bray%20front%201.jpg

ciaran67

Funny thing is that i used to believe in the paranormal until all these programmes came onto tv to prove their existence. All they've done is prove there isnt. You stick someone in an old building in the dark and it wont take long before you think you're hearing and seeing things.

Son of Jack

Re Tunnel

Evolute wrote: »

Its in between corke abbey and woodbrook just across the bridge after the underground sewage plant.

True

Evolute wrote: »

Its blocked now because a chinese girl was killed down there by her boyfriend a few years ago

More likely it was blocked to deter trespassing on the railway line in the area.

Xiang Yi Wang who was 21, died a little way into the valley area, not near the tunnel. A cherry tree has been planted at the spot.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/cwausngbmhcw/

Very sad.

wjrobin64

the brabason family were popular around westmeath an kings county

Rasmus

The only nuns graveyard I knew of from back then was the grotto and 'crypt' style circular wall as mentioned above.
If I remember correctly, there could have been surrounding earth graves too, but can't be sure.
It was the on the old way that led you from St. Patricks to Loreto Secondary school.

In it, the nuns were buried in the walls, and the gravestones that had a rat engraved/superimposed on them was supposed to mean that the nuns succumbed to the plague.
Although I believed it wholeheartedly, I'm thinking now that's a bit far-fetched considering the time-line?
Can't figure out why there were rats on nuns' gravestones though - this is true, as I saw it myself several times (I went to St. Patricks).

Anyone know if this grotto area is still intact? I'd love to check it out!

HalloweenJack

The nun's place between Loreto, Cronin's and Thomas' is still there. It's fenced off at parts but I think you can still get up to it. I used to go drinking there with friends when I was younger and never encountered anything strange there.

I was up in Sans Soucci the other day and a guy I was with was ****ting himself when he caught a glimpse of the trees near the place. So maybe there are some stories about the place, I've never heard any.

Also, I thought I heard some sort of ghost story linked to Kilruddery House or just to the Brabazons but can't remember the details and could well be confusing it with a different house and a different family altogether.

Rasmus

There was an article about the Grotto in Loreto in The Bray People on the 27th of October. Only viewable online though as premium content...

Onslaught

King Edward road? Or something liek that anyway... apparently some weird stuff has been seen on that road .. and some older folk in bray won't walk down it at night.. Been told of different incidents on that road by different people .. been down it few times in the middle of the morning.. there is just something about it... Apparently a lot of stuff happend under the town hall also years ago..

Annasopra

really? Never heard anything about King Edward road before and I lived just off it on herbert road for 27 years and my cousins lived on King Edward for about 20 years so I was a regular visitor

bernard0368

The ones I remember as a kid,
The old graveyard in loreto as already mentioned.
Giltspur house, this was pobably a scout thing as it was a hostel on the side of the sugarloaf.
Bentley house stables, long gone now Murphy's funeral home on the Boghall road.
There was also supposed to be a tunnel from Pres down to base of Bray head pirates cove or something similar.
The sheep Sacrifices on Bray head, If I am right this was just something that was spread around to keep people of Old Reds land.

lucy2010

Hollybrook/Ballywaltrim lane ( Behind hills Garage)

We were always told banshees up there - never detered us as teenagers walking it night & day

gcgirl

ciaran67 wrote: »

Never seen a ghost in the area but i did see a 184 bus once... once.

Pics or GTFO

braycrazy

kingtorres9 wrote: »

I don't believe any of you people have ever heard about the tunnel in corke abbey going from nypro to the beach. Do any of you actually live here.

that tunnel i belive was used as an easy way for the nuns who ran the abbey there to get easy access to the back beach, its blocked off now.

Eirexile

Turquoise1 wrote: »

Thanks tdv, very interesting.

Do you mean the old graveyard located between St. Patrick's NS and Loreto?

I remember when I was younger (before the estate was built on the avenue leading up to Loreto) there was a graveyard that was surrounded by a wall and it was all overgrown and weeds covering it and such. Is that the same area you are talking about? Of course I maybe wrong since I was really young at the time.

I heard quite a few stories about Loreto myself, and also about the old Loreto School that was located down towards Covent Avenue/Sidmonton Gardens. Remember that old building? Of course its gone now, I remember it was infested with mice but never saw any ghosts though.

As for Bray Head, the only story I heard was of the Headless Horseman who rides up through Lord Meaths and on up to the back of Bray Head. Don't know anyone who actually saw him thou!

Aah ... that's my old school you're talking about, Loreto Convent. Yes, the nuns were buried there in the circular wall - buried standing up! (I'm sure I heard of a legendary reason for that, but can't for the life of me remember what the story was). Someone mentioned about one of the pupils that was buried there, died in tragic circumstances? That was in my time, she was in my year - going back a good few years now, I can't remember her name but I do remember she had lovely thick, very red, curly hair. She was drowned whilst on holiday in Spain.
General Franco of Spain's granddaughter was a boarder there in my time too.

There was an article about the Grotto in Loreto in The Bray People on the 27th of October. Only viewable online though as premium content...

Any chance of a link to that article? I would be really interested to read about it.

Dr Strange

Eddie Tynan brought out a booklet called "Haunted Bray and Environs".

You can get it in Dubray in Bray or online I think.

Annasopra

Preusse wrote: »

Eddie Tynan brought out a booklet called "Haunted Bray and Environs".

You can get it in Dubray in Bray or online I think.

I was googling it and couldn't find it

It's just called "Haunted Bray"

http://www.eason.ie/look/9781845889951/Haunted-Bray/Tynan-Eddie

---

http://www.omahonys.ie/catalog/books-by-author-Eddie%2BTynan.html

Dr Strange

Johnnymcg wrote: »

I was googling it and couldn't find it

It's just called "Haunted Bray"

http://www.eason.ie/look/9781845889951/Haunted-Bray/Tynan-Eddie

---

http://www.omahonys.ie/catalog/books-by-author-Eddie%2BTynan.html

Yes, online it is but on the actual cover the full title is Haunted Bray and Environs

Whippersnapper

I remember a story from inside Loreto. In the convent part of the school there is a staircase leading to the top of the building and at the bottom is a marble floor. Story went that on a certain night each year you could hear a girl scream after falling over the top banister and you could see a red stain appear on the floor. We were told that by the teachers and I vaguely remember sleepovers being held on the night so people could scare themselves silly.

JayMul

I know its an old thread but just wanted to share, lived in a haunted house in Bray for around a year. The front lodge Woodbrook House, owned by Cochrane of C & C.

Thought I was seeing things first few months, but when my other half got locked in the toilet which was bolted shut from the other side, we realised what we were dealing with. Lampshades would rock, doors would visibly close by themselves, objects would move. Sound of moving furniture upstairs (one storey house), I'll just add there were no draughts in the house.

At night the temperature around the perimeter of the house was about 5-10 degrees colder than if you walked twenty meters away. Heard the guy who lived there before us went berzerk and smashed all the windows. Moved out a few reads back now, never looked back.

Annasopra

Has anyone ever heard of a story on the Herbert Road? Specifically between the End of Ardmore Hill and the End of Kind Edward Road?

Prometheus

Remember when growing up, used to have friends in Fassaroe Park. There used to be a lane called the blind lane. Led from Fassaroe to St Gerards and on to the refuse dump. A lot of stories around the same theme. In medieval times, two guys on horseback, and one decapitates the other. And ever since the ghost of the headless rider, roams still.
Also a ghost wagon or chariot in the same area.

SparkySpitfire

https://www.facebook.com/braydidyouknow?fref=ts

There's a few scary stories to be found there! Interesting to peruse in itself too

briano.de.rhino

http://youtu.be/HFNvrzNUoVc?t=22m40s

I made a video recently on vevay house in Bray in which this gentleman recounts a scary story of oldcourt castle. Nice bit of Bray folklore caught on tape.

Wicklowandy

Very good video, well done:)

MissingBray

I know this is a few years after the other posts, but having lived a good amount of time in Bray in Sancourt Lodge, the house next door to the Martello Tower that Bono bought, I can tell you that there are haunted places, or at least one. As for the folks who posted here, I don't know what to say to those who have never even heard of anything, because my very first day at Loreto, I will never forget (and that is not counting watching the dead nun that was carried in a coffin past all of us standing solemnly outside (I was fresh from California - so a bit of culture shock). When I told everyone where I lived, Sancourt Lodge, the entire classroom knew about the strange happenings there. They had their own ideas of what was behind it. For example, several girls I heard, muttered, "That's where the witch lived!" Well, of course, I didn't believe in any so-called witchcraft. Anyway, as a scientist/research chemist for many years, I am one of the last to believe in something such as this. However, that said, what I do believe is that there are things we are just unable to measure these days, for whatever reason, yet. If you had taken a flashlight back to an ancient time, you could have been burned as a witch. That is how I view what I experienced in our house, every single blessed night I slept there, without variation as to time and the events. Yes, repeated every single night. It took me three months before I could finally sleep an entire night and not feel terrified. I finally realized that what was going on outside my bedroom door was not going to come into my room, at the top of the landing, as I eventually discerned there was a rigidly defined pattern. I am fairly tired right now, so I'll not go into more detail at this time. But, if anyone wishes, I can come back and elaborate. These events were very well known, however, in the early 70s, at least, many townfolk knew that the place had "things" happening in it. I was surprised, myself, when the other girls at Loreto seemed to know more about the house than I did. How it had been exorcised by previous owners with no effect. And how, after a few years, the owner, Anna Dolan, told our family all of what she had experienced in the house. I am curious to know, after all these years, if the same things are still happening in that house, but wonder if I'll ever get back to visit Bray. In spite of the house, I still loved it, and the town. Both lovely!

Wicklowandy

Please tell, i know of the house but never heard stories