Anthony Kerrigan - GhostÉire - Interview
Spotlight
Wednesday 10th, April 2024
We run a regular series of interview articles with individuals in the Irish Paranormal community, this interview is with Anthony Kerrigan of GhostÉire.
Name:
Anthony Kerrigan
Group/Team:
GhostÉire
What sparked your interest in the paranormal?
There were probably a good few sparks that ignited my interest to start up a paranormal group. My father use to tell me stories when I was young child, a tale of the headless horseman was one, and the devil appearing to a young lady at a community dance was another. I use to watch the X-Files and The Outer Limits when I was a teenager, I found these TV programs fascinating, yet Ghost Watch was the one that terrified me the most, which left a lasting impression on me. I had a near death experience (NDE) when I was in my late teens, from a motorbike crash. I remember leaving my body, and travelling back to my former family home in England. Somehow, I knew I had to return back. I had quite a considerable amount of operations for an illness (crohns disease) when I was in my mid-twenties too, then my enthusiasm peaked when Most Haunted came to air on TV in the early 2000s. When injuries and illness hampered my rugby career I decided to take the pathway of paranormal investigating in my late twenties.
What area (ghosts, ufos, aliens, cryptids etc.) of the paranormal is most interesting to you and why?
Some of these could be connected, the ghosts and the aliens for example, nonetheless to answer the questions, we mainly focus on ghosts and PSI, but interestingly as we chat about this, our next investigation will involve a UFO/UAP watch. We delve into all aspects of the paranormal, the psycho-physiological, environmental, technical and spiritual side.
What is your favourite place/location to visit/investigate?
I would say Muckross Abbey in Killarney, County Kerry. It is very close to where everyone in the team lives. We haven’t exactly investigated it, yet we have visited it many times, done podcast shows, photoshoots etc. Since it is probably the best preserved (ruined) uninhabited abbey in the country, it boosts many vaulted rooms. It is eerie even during the day, and at night you even feel more secluded, and scared. We take newcomers to the team to the abbey for an initiation test, to see how they cope. If they are okay, then we know they stand a good chance at coming along to future investigations. Muckross Abbey was also said to be the birthplace of 'Dracula'. Bram Stoker stayed close by, and visited, and with stories of the 'Brown man' who was said to eat the bodies of corpses, and John Drake, a
gentleman who use to sleep in the coffins at the abbey at night, then we can say there is a strong possibility that the 'son of dracula' was born in Kerry.
What does a paranormal investigation look like?
As in the previous question, we never have investigated Muckross Abbey, because we have never done the baseline testing prior to doing it. I think an investigation should only be valued if baseline testing has been done before it. In fact, the paranormal investigation starts weeks, months or even years before it. Preparation is the key, and evaluation too, afterwards. We would have a set of questions lined up before we investigate, maybe connecting with our spirit guides weeks, or days beforehand to find what to ask. We plan the format of the investigation, the setup, sessions, equipment and gear needed for it. The days, weeks and months post the visit are taken up by reviewing photographs, footage, audio and the psycho-physiological, spiritual, environmental or technical aspects or
experiences felt by team members or data that has been registered on devices.
What is the strangest experience you’ve had that you can’t explain?
Umm, that’s a tough one. They’ve been a few. NDEs, time lapses, botched exorcism, legendary animal encounters etc. Lets do the legendary encounter, we use to rent a house on the Cork road of Killarney, near Glenflesk. The name of the area ardaneanig in Irish is ‘High land of the Fair’, the fair people, Fairies. One glorious mid-summer night/early hours of the morning I remember going for a cigarette out the back door of the house. I heard the sound of hooves and glimpsed around to the gable side end of the building. I was struck with amazement to see the hind of what I assume was a horse, yet it must have been large, similar to a Suffolk punch horse. It had an unusual pattern, like a cow. I heard snorting, and quickly ran back in the house to a safer spot, to look through a side window to see if I could get a closer glimpse, but the 'animal' had vanished. It must have been drinking out of the small paddling pool we had out for the kids, as there was a drought. Though, it never happened again, and it would have been untypical to see a horse that size wandering near a busy road. That side of the house always had an otherworldly feel to it.
What tools or equipment do you use on investigations?
I love my four-in-one environmental metre. It only comes out for baseline testing on arrival to a location. It reads temperature, relative humidity, decibel level, and illuminance. I can’t stress enough, any devices/equipment we use on a scientific level must deliver data, which would be based around fact, but then there is software we use to connect in on the spiritual side, that we don’t consider to be directly evidential, yet may back up the data, for example psycho-physiological sensations individuals may have perceived.
Are there malevolent forces at play in the paranormal world?
Maybe malevolent consciousness’s, the mind of the past and future. When we talk about 'ghosts' people reflect on them solely based around our common senses, what we see, hear etc., then this is unwise. PSI can play a major part, and the main hardware controlling our senses is our cerebrum, our brains. I believe, in particular, if there are residual energies, then it can be from the past/future and the 'dead' and 'living'. We could even 'haunt' ourselves. The mind is powerful, and what we construct with it is immense, so imagine what we leave behind, i.e my conscious imprint on a 'ghost hunt' in a building could intrude with another teams a few weeks later, which reverts back to PSI again, our ability to sense what has happened, retrocognition. So when people mention or relate to 'energies', it is largely not centred on what is around, but what our minds are picking up. We transmit and receive the signal, that 'energy' doesn’t intentionally come to us.
Why do you think Ireland has so many locations that investigators can choose from to investigate?
I suppose it has to come down to a good few elements. We’re a compact country, easy enough to find ancient sites and historical buildings within a couple of kilometres in the locality. I think the advent of dark tourism has played a part too, and open-mindedness of the general public to the subject of paranormal investigating. The owners and establishments overseeing the historical venues have greeted paranormal investigators for a variety of reasons. One is for intrigue, to see what really is around. Another is for the upkeep and maintenance of a building, as the price in material and work time has gone up. Several buildings have become obsolete, and have become perfect spots for
trophy urbex and rural investigators to explore. Ireland has a rich and bloody background and air of mystery to it, mostly attributed to paganism and its fight for freedom.
What advice would you give to someone with an interest in the paranormal that wants to get involved?
Probably to search around, check what paranormal groups are around, locally and nationally. The world-wide-web is handy for that, yet don’t focus your attention too much on pages, groups or teams that have a large amount of subscribers/followers, that doesn’t mean anything. Possibly go to a public paranormal event, 'ghost hunt' or convention. There are also worldwide organisations people can check in on for advice, and there are online courses by respected individuals in the field. 'The School of Parapsychology' is one, run by Dr Ciaran O' Keeffe. Having your own transport would be one advantage to get around, plus for safety, and paranormal investigating can be an expensive
choice, so be prepared to be asked for money in advance for a venue, or insurance purposes. There is the option too, to establish your own paranormal group, and equipment is not essential at first, but I'd advise never go to a location/property without asking for permission, nor on your own.
If you had conclusive evidence to prove the paranormal world existed would you continue to investigate or is that enough of an answer for you as an investigator?
I suppose if we found conclusive evidence to suggest a paranormal world existed there would be an astronomical shift in people’s beliefs, culture and actions. The term 'paranormal' would have to change first. Paranormal investigators would have to adapt, become councillors in some respect. Parapsychologists would have to alter their views and study the mind and behaviour of the dead person. Then, there is the question of immortality. I would probably venture down the side of 'spiritual counselling'.
What's the most heart racing experience you’ve had that turned out to not be paranormal related?
That is a difficult one. There are numerous when I would get a shock from say something falling to the ground suddenly, or a door slamming in another room, but it is only just a brief few seconds, then I become curious, rather than nervous. Most anomalous occurrences can be connected to psycho-physiological changes within us and environmental differences around us, so with a rational mind most anomalies can be explained.
Anything else you'd like to add that we haven’t asked?
There would be quite a considerable amount more I’d love to add, but I’ll leave it as that... hold on, there is one thing. I’d like to say a huge thank you to Unexplained.ie, for giving us this opportunity to be interviewed on Unexplained.ie and all the hard work put into alerting us with the latest news on the paranormal and forteana, nationally, internationally and beyond.
If you are an individual researcher/investigator in Ireland or a member of a paranormal group in Ireland and would like to be interviewed please drop us a message through the contact us page, we look forward to hearing from you.
Name:
Anthony Kerrigan
Group/Team:
GhostÉire
What sparked your interest in the paranormal?
There were probably a good few sparks that ignited my interest to start up a paranormal group. My father use to tell me stories when I was young child, a tale of the headless horseman was one, and the devil appearing to a young lady at a community dance was another. I use to watch the X-Files and The Outer Limits when I was a teenager, I found these TV programs fascinating, yet Ghost Watch was the one that terrified me the most, which left a lasting impression on me. I had a near death experience (NDE) when I was in my late teens, from a motorbike crash. I remember leaving my body, and travelling back to my former family home in England. Somehow, I knew I had to return back. I had quite a considerable amount of operations for an illness (crohns disease) when I was in my mid-twenties too, then my enthusiasm peaked when Most Haunted came to air on TV in the early 2000s. When injuries and illness hampered my rugby career I decided to take the pathway of paranormal investigating in my late twenties.
What area (ghosts, ufos, aliens, cryptids etc.) of the paranormal is most interesting to you and why?
Some of these could be connected, the ghosts and the aliens for example, nonetheless to answer the questions, we mainly focus on ghosts and PSI, but interestingly as we chat about this, our next investigation will involve a UFO/UAP watch. We delve into all aspects of the paranormal, the psycho-physiological, environmental, technical and spiritual side.
What is your favourite place/location to visit/investigate?
I would say Muckross Abbey in Killarney, County Kerry. It is very close to where everyone in the team lives. We haven’t exactly investigated it, yet we have visited it many times, done podcast shows, photoshoots etc. Since it is probably the best preserved (ruined) uninhabited abbey in the country, it boosts many vaulted rooms. It is eerie even during the day, and at night you even feel more secluded, and scared. We take newcomers to the team to the abbey for an initiation test, to see how they cope. If they are okay, then we know they stand a good chance at coming along to future investigations. Muckross Abbey was also said to be the birthplace of 'Dracula'. Bram Stoker stayed close by, and visited, and with stories of the 'Brown man' who was said to eat the bodies of corpses, and John Drake, a
gentleman who use to sleep in the coffins at the abbey at night, then we can say there is a strong possibility that the 'son of dracula' was born in Kerry.
What does a paranormal investigation look like?
As in the previous question, we never have investigated Muckross Abbey, because we have never done the baseline testing prior to doing it. I think an investigation should only be valued if baseline testing has been done before it. In fact, the paranormal investigation starts weeks, months or even years before it. Preparation is the key, and evaluation too, afterwards. We would have a set of questions lined up before we investigate, maybe connecting with our spirit guides weeks, or days beforehand to find what to ask. We plan the format of the investigation, the setup, sessions, equipment and gear needed for it. The days, weeks and months post the visit are taken up by reviewing photographs, footage, audio and the psycho-physiological, spiritual, environmental or technical aspects or
experiences felt by team members or data that has been registered on devices.
What is the strangest experience you’ve had that you can’t explain?
Umm, that’s a tough one. They’ve been a few. NDEs, time lapses, botched exorcism, legendary animal encounters etc. Lets do the legendary encounter, we use to rent a house on the Cork road of Killarney, near Glenflesk. The name of the area ardaneanig in Irish is ‘High land of the Fair’, the fair people, Fairies. One glorious mid-summer night/early hours of the morning I remember going for a cigarette out the back door of the house. I heard the sound of hooves and glimpsed around to the gable side end of the building. I was struck with amazement to see the hind of what I assume was a horse, yet it must have been large, similar to a Suffolk punch horse. It had an unusual pattern, like a cow. I heard snorting, and quickly ran back in the house to a safer spot, to look through a side window to see if I could get a closer glimpse, but the 'animal' had vanished. It must have been drinking out of the small paddling pool we had out for the kids, as there was a drought. Though, it never happened again, and it would have been untypical to see a horse that size wandering near a busy road. That side of the house always had an otherworldly feel to it.
What tools or equipment do you use on investigations?
I love my four-in-one environmental metre. It only comes out for baseline testing on arrival to a location. It reads temperature, relative humidity, decibel level, and illuminance. I can’t stress enough, any devices/equipment we use on a scientific level must deliver data, which would be based around fact, but then there is software we use to connect in on the spiritual side, that we don’t consider to be directly evidential, yet may back up the data, for example psycho-physiological sensations individuals may have perceived.
Are there malevolent forces at play in the paranormal world?
Maybe malevolent consciousness’s, the mind of the past and future. When we talk about 'ghosts' people reflect on them solely based around our common senses, what we see, hear etc., then this is unwise. PSI can play a major part, and the main hardware controlling our senses is our cerebrum, our brains. I believe, in particular, if there are residual energies, then it can be from the past/future and the 'dead' and 'living'. We could even 'haunt' ourselves. The mind is powerful, and what we construct with it is immense, so imagine what we leave behind, i.e my conscious imprint on a 'ghost hunt' in a building could intrude with another teams a few weeks later, which reverts back to PSI again, our ability to sense what has happened, retrocognition. So when people mention or relate to 'energies', it is largely not centred on what is around, but what our minds are picking up. We transmit and receive the signal, that 'energy' doesn’t intentionally come to us.
Why do you think Ireland has so many locations that investigators can choose from to investigate?
I suppose it has to come down to a good few elements. We’re a compact country, easy enough to find ancient sites and historical buildings within a couple of kilometres in the locality. I think the advent of dark tourism has played a part too, and open-mindedness of the general public to the subject of paranormal investigating. The owners and establishments overseeing the historical venues have greeted paranormal investigators for a variety of reasons. One is for intrigue, to see what really is around. Another is for the upkeep and maintenance of a building, as the price in material and work time has gone up. Several buildings have become obsolete, and have become perfect spots for
trophy urbex and rural investigators to explore. Ireland has a rich and bloody background and air of mystery to it, mostly attributed to paganism and its fight for freedom.
What advice would you give to someone with an interest in the paranormal that wants to get involved?
Probably to search around, check what paranormal groups are around, locally and nationally. The world-wide-web is handy for that, yet don’t focus your attention too much on pages, groups or teams that have a large amount of subscribers/followers, that doesn’t mean anything. Possibly go to a public paranormal event, 'ghost hunt' or convention. There are also worldwide organisations people can check in on for advice, and there are online courses by respected individuals in the field. 'The School of Parapsychology' is one, run by Dr Ciaran O' Keeffe. Having your own transport would be one advantage to get around, plus for safety, and paranormal investigating can be an expensive
choice, so be prepared to be asked for money in advance for a venue, or insurance purposes. There is the option too, to establish your own paranormal group, and equipment is not essential at first, but I'd advise never go to a location/property without asking for permission, nor on your own.
If you had conclusive evidence to prove the paranormal world existed would you continue to investigate or is that enough of an answer for you as an investigator?
I suppose if we found conclusive evidence to suggest a paranormal world existed there would be an astronomical shift in people’s beliefs, culture and actions. The term 'paranormal' would have to change first. Paranormal investigators would have to adapt, become councillors in some respect. Parapsychologists would have to alter their views and study the mind and behaviour of the dead person. Then, there is the question of immortality. I would probably venture down the side of 'spiritual counselling'.
What's the most heart racing experience you’ve had that turned out to not be paranormal related?
That is a difficult one. There are numerous when I would get a shock from say something falling to the ground suddenly, or a door slamming in another room, but it is only just a brief few seconds, then I become curious, rather than nervous. Most anomalous occurrences can be connected to psycho-physiological changes within us and environmental differences around us, so with a rational mind most anomalies can be explained.
Anything else you'd like to add that we haven’t asked?
There would be quite a considerable amount more I’d love to add, but I’ll leave it as that... hold on, there is one thing. I’d like to say a huge thank you to Unexplained.ie, for giving us this opportunity to be interviewed on Unexplained.ie and all the hard work put into alerting us with the latest news on the paranormal and forteana, nationally, internationally and beyond.
If you are an individual researcher/investigator in Ireland or a member of a paranormal group in Ireland and would like to be interviewed please drop us a message through the contact us page, we look forward to hearing from you.
