It comes as something of a surprise to hear that apparitions of The Devil have been claimed in one’s own extended (if former) neighbourhood – at least according to *The Echo* newspaper, published in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford in September 1987. Mind you, the article in question, which made page 1, did itself seem fueled with a considerable amount of Devilment.
+Lucifer in the Lav+
The “gentleman with a worldwide reputation since the dawn of civilisation” had first come to public notice after reportedly bothering a certain young Michael Kennedy of Craan, Bree, while he was visiting the Gents in a certain public house, in Davidstown, Co. Wexford (*not* ‘near Waterford’) as Michael Goss wrote, in *Fortean Times* (FT50:19). Kennedy apparently exited the toilets after “a most ferocious rumpus”, having seen Satan “in full regalia”.
Mr. Kennedy wasn’t available to comment to *The Echo*. However his father said it was all “grossly exaggerated” and that his son was suffering from “worm-fever”, a mysterious ailment which Blather’s medical division is “grossly” unfamiliar with. This writer’s father having some 40 years more experience of Wexford residency than his son, was duly consulted – “He had worms?” was the response (as in intestinal parasites). Kennedy Jr. was “cured” by a Mrs. O’Brien, and hoped to be back playing for Bree United soccer team by the following Sunday.
Oddly enough, Kennedy Jr. was not the only one to meet the Devil, according to his father – in fact he claimed that several *young* men had such encounters in the general area. One individual was driving home from a darts match when Old Nick teleported into the back seat of his car, an experience for which the driver was somewhat the worse for wear. Apparently this too was “worm fever”, and the enigmatic Mrs. O’Brien was back on dispensing duty.
Other matters surrounding this string of incidents are worth noting – the *Echo* was threatened with legal action by the solicitor of the publican (whose toilet had been used by Lucifer) if the newspaper printed the story, but on contact with forthcoming witnesses, went ahead anyway.
On a curious, if not altogether surprising parallel with Blather’s recent ravings about the ‘desecration’ of a standing stone site on Montpelier Hill, Dublin (for the construction of a building later to be used by the Irish Hell-Fire Club), people in the Bree area (near Davidstown) attributed the Satanic appearances to the clearing of a megalithic site for the construction of a housing estate, i.e. Cloney Park.
The Devil is variously depicted (for various reasons too lengthy to entertain here) as a form of humanoid ungulate. It may or not be significant that the village of Oilgate is 5km (3.1 miles) west across the river Slaney from Bree (which itself is about the same distance south of Davidstown). The Irish (i.e. Gaelic) name for Oilgate is *Maolán na nGabhar*, which Blather would loosely translate as ‘the hornless goat’.
Also, presumably unrelated is the capture of an *African* nyala antelope found inexplicably wandering about in some woods near Ballinaboola (16 or 17km south-west of Bree) in January 1997, as there was nothing particularly humanoid about it, though it was sporting a fine pair of prongs.
*The Echo* (Enniscorthy), September 18th 1987
*The New Ross Standard*, January 15th, 1997
Hell-Fire Club/Standing stone desecration
Earlier Blather reports on Wexford antelopes
+About that Skull+
Back in June 1998, Blather gave coverage of a little *Irish Times* sidebar which told of the finding of a *human skull* by the Wellington Memorial, in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. Blather wondered if someone had been doing some nocturnal exhumation work at nearby Croppies Acre, apparent burial ground of 1798 rebels.
This patch of ground in front (south) of Collins Barracks was then undergoing *official* archaeological assessment. A letter to the *Irish Times* on November 30th, however, claims as that the “recent dig on the site is reported not to have uncovered any remains”, and that the most likely site seems to be to the *north* of the barracks, this puts pay to Blather’s theory for the origin of the skull (we must now chase up *where* it came from). It also means that this writer may currently be sitting atop a two-hundred year old mass grave.
*Skull Found in Phoenix Park*
*The Irish Times*, June 19th, 1998
*Croppies’ Acre*
(PATRICK FAGAN, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14)
Letter to the *The Irish Times*, November 30th, 1998
*How to Get A Head in Dublin*
+Fortean TV? Ireland?+
The Irish-based TV series (Avoca, Co. Wicklow, to be precise) *Ballykissangel* appears to have take quite a turn of late. The last series spent much time dealing with the flirtations between the troubled local Catholic priest and the wickedly attractive pub owner. It all ended in tears.
Ballykissangel: The Final Frontier. This season has become totally bizarre – last week a Soviet satellite was mistaken for a piece of Spanish agricultural equipment when exhumed from its watery grave in the village’s Golf Course – this week the town was beset by a fantastic storm (the likes of which I have *never* seen in Ireland, interesting special effects though), and a visitation by a roving (and raving) ufologist, ‘Uncle Minto’, who makes a large cross in a nearby field using… wallpaper.
It was noted by this journal that while presented as more of a traditional snake-oil salesman or magician than the average mild-mannered extra-terrestrial proponent would be able for, this character did start rattling on about ‘flight-paths’ and geographical patterns of abductions. Have Bally-K researchers been following the antics of Eamon Ansbro of PEIR and the Irish Centre for UFO Studies?
Which reminds us – Mr. A has predicted a night of ufological importance for December 14th. Blather would recommend watching the skies the night before for the Geminid meteor showers…
World Productions, the makers of Ballykissangel
