34 Mr. E. J. M'Kean on 



further told him that he would be dead within twelve months. 

 'And sure enough, he died on that day twelvemonth.' 



There is a belief in Dublin that to have any dealings with a 

 ghost means death within the year. 



Another town of superstitions is Drogheda. There is a ghost in 

 the barracks there, said to be that of the occupant of an old 

 barrow on which part of the barracks is built ; and a fairy dog is 

 seen in one of the streets at twelve o'clock each night. The fol- 

 lowing story was given me by a servant coming from this town : 

 A landlord in the neighbourhood of Drogheda, as he lay dying, 

 had all his live-stock brought under the window of his room, 

 where he could see them. As he died, he exclaimed, " — town, 

 beautiful — town! how can I leave you?" After his death "his 

 spirit " haunted the place for many a day. It attacked men in the 

 grounds and "walloped them so that they never got over it." No 

 one could live about the place, and priests were got to lay the 

 ghost. The first ten or eleven priests were unsuccessful, and none 

 got over their dealings with the fierce spirit. The eleventh or 

 twelfth priest succeeded. When the ghost saw him, " having got 

 leave to speak," he said, " You're the man for me." The priest 

 got him into a " wee red house " that had been built on the hill, 

 and there he remains. He was the great-grandfather of the 

 present owner of — town. 



Belfast is a more modern city than any of these three places, 

 yet it has its ghost stories. 



Donegall Street has had its ghost, that of a well-known Belfast- 

 man, who was seen after death walking about his office and 

 sometimes coming to the window and looking out. He always 

 appeared after nightfall, and was always in evening dress. 



Another ghost came every night for his horse. He was not 

 seen, but at twelve o'clock each night three blasts of a horn 

 were heard, the horse went out of its stable, and was afterwards 

 found covered with mud. This ghost was laid by a priest, as I 

 was told by an old beggarman. The priest — who was afterwards 

 Roman Catholic Bishop of Belfast — laid the ghost by long fasting 



