People in the Mullinabro area of South Kilkenny, close to Waterford Golf Course, have claimed that the cries of a banshee have been heard recently by locals and by some members of the Golf Club still on the course as dusk approached. The eerie manifestation is being blamed on construction workers employed on the Waterford City Bypass.
Older residents, who know the history of the area, claim that the wails are those of a Miss Jones whose family once owned most of the land in the Mullinabro area. “One night last week, the screeching was so terrible that my skin crawled and the hair stood on the back of my neck”, one frightened resident told The Munster Express.
According to folklore, the Jones’ only son was returning from a night’s drinking in Waterford when he attempted to get his horse to clear a locked gate onto their estate. The animal failed to make the jump and Master Jones was impaled on the gate. One of his heartbroken sisters declared that the gate should never be opened again and vowed that, if it was ever opened, her spirit would come back to haunt and torment the area.
Another local person said that, covered in grass and weeds, the cursed gate remained closed ever since until a few weeks ago when construction workers were observed preparing to bulldoze it down. When told about the legend surrounding the gate, the workers refused to carry on and moved away but, some days later, it was noticed that the gate was open and that a small area of trees, known locally as Jones’ Wood, had been levelled.
“Most people, including myself, would laugh at such stories and at the superstitious people who believe in them”, said a member of the Golf Club. But he added: “That said, after what I experienced the other night, I wouldn’t walk home from the club after dark on my own. I still don’t believe in banshees but there are some things best left alone.”
omg that is soo odd.i would be very scared by best friend leaves up there!!
Thanks for the interesting story, Mr. O`Connor.
Perhaps it would be possible to ask Ms Jones to take back the curse now?
It should be possible for a shaman or somebody who does geomancic work.
Greetings from Bavaria
Tini Schwarz
is this true if i go up will i hear the banshee?
Historically she laments the death of a member of a local old family usally with the prefix, O or Mac,and was proported to occur along the Blackwater Valley between Mullinavat and the Suir, Last heard about 1958, but she was reported previous as keening at the death of a famous hurler in the area . The Jones of Mullinabro were a family of Cromwellian origins, Many of the family are buried in the old church in Dunkett. May they all rest in peace.
PS I suspect this latest report is a bit tongue in cheek.
Slan
An Fear boct.
Pity they “levelled” the wood and opened the gate
I live in Mullinabro and have often hear this noise, its sounds exactly like a woman screaming but it is just a vixen (a female fox). The gate never being opened is untrue too, my friends and i have went through that gate hundreds of times since we were kids and i’ve seen local farmers using it too
i have just come across your site as i was reserching banshees. the reason i am reserching them is because i have seen one recently on the navan road in dublin.i work with land energies and was doing a clearing in that area.i was totally surprised to see it.to be honest i didn’t beleive in them but i do now. our land over centuries has been through some difficult times, the land like ourselves holds memories, these memories are what we call “energies”. the land is going through a period of cleansing these energies,so nature spirits e.g. banshees are assisting in this clearing and healing process.so there is nothing to fear. it is a great honour to be able to see the spirit of mother earth.
i lived i kilkenny a few years ago and was walking passed the castle when i heard and saw the banshee at 9:30pm she was screaming and was crazy,i was never so scared in my life, the next day an aunt of mine died she was a mac !!!!
Ha ha, think I know you Brian C – are you originally from Tramore? I have a friend who saw the banshee in Kilkenny a good few years ago. One of my other friends actually saw a ghost or the possibly the banshee in Tramore a few weeks ago, on the roof of a house she was.