Tuamgraney Woods Manifestation - Ireland

On the 31st October and around Halloween generally, some choose to avoid Tuamgraney Woods in County Clare, it is said that the hollow changes into dense woodland from which one can not escape, and within lurk dark creatures with glowing red eyes.

One tale tells of a young man who decided to ignore the warnings, he entered the woods carrying a large stick when soon a feeling of melancholy and fear came over him, the woods quickly became so dense he could not find the footpath to get out again.
Shortly after this, he saw a large black hound in front of him, with glowing red eyes, it glared at him a while before vanishing, this was followed by a hare, usually a passive  animal, but this one was also menacing, when it disappeared a large, hissing cat was seen, he could feel the threat and anger in the beast and he turned to run. However, the trees were so tightly packed, and the ground so uneven that he could not flee, he simply stumbled headlong into the branches. As it started to grow dark, the man appeared in a clearing where he saw an imposing black ram with the same glaring red eyes, and a cowering deer which was clearly near death following an attack. He became emboldened now, and attacked the ram with his stick, his blows went straight through the ghostly beast, but it in turn knocked him to the ground. When he awoke, the woodland had returned to normal, the trees were easy to navigate and the feeling of fear was gone...but he felt the physical pain of the struggle with the ram.

On telling this tale afterwards at home to his family, they said that others too had this experience, and Tuamgraney Woods were definitely best avoided at Halloween.


Sources: www.yourirish.com www.paranormaldatabase.com

Gorleston-on-Sea Black Dog

While on duty at the rescue headquarters on the 19th April 1972, Graham Grant is said to have watched a very large black dog running on the sand, it would stop every so often to look around, then before his eyes vanished in the middle of the beach!

There are lots of books about Norfolk Folklore, here's a good place to start:

Blue Monday...how are you feeling?!

Hi all, well it is officially the saddest, most depressing day of the year in the northern hemisphere apparently. I hope you are all coping and not getting too down - I am actually quite chipper today, but then I have always been a bit odd and I don't tend to conform...

It has been calculated (by an actual mathematical formula no less) that typically the third Monday of January is the most depressing of days. A combination of post Christmas blues, self-hatred of failing in New Year's resolutions (a great reason not to make any in my opinion), bills arriving through the letterbox and the generally dark, dull, damp, cold weather. I do agree that January seems never-ending, it's only the 21st today and it feels like the month has gone on for ages.

The thing is, if this is the drabbest of days, things surely can only get better...the days increase in length and although we are bound to get colder weather yet, spring is on the way - snowdrops are peeping through and there is light at the end of the tunnel. So I try to look forward, take my vitamin d supplements and think of this all being over.

Far too cheerful...back to researching dark things!

The Buckhurst Hill Shuck, Essex.

One of the most recent sightings of this spectral black dog was in 1989. A small group of teenagers were walking through a local graveyard one night when a large hound appeared and scared them, shortly after this, the beast leaped the churchyard wall and 'landed' on the bonnet of a passing car, much to the driver's shock.

The vanishing hound of Aylesbury.

This account dates from before the 20th century. For many nights in a row, a farmer walking to milk his cows early in the morning, came across a large, black dog which blocked his path. Gradually he became annoyed with having to walk around the dog and hit the creature which instantly vanished...the man however was said to be paralysed from that moment, never to speak or move again.

The horse-dog of Clackmannanshire.

Last reported as recently as 1997, and before that 1975, this entity is a strange one. Described by witnesses as a horse with the legs of a dog, this creature is seen around the woods in daylight hours, vanishing very quickly once spotted.

Black dog of Luskentyre - Outer Hebridies.

Reported in recent times, a hound is said to leave large paw prints on the wet sand of the beach at Luskentyre which disappear half way across, no dog is seen.

Hound with horns - Clacktoll, Highlands.

A ghost hound is said to chase people who use the road through the village late at night, he is said to have horns - quite rare in the legends of black dogs and shucks.

Messy Dog - Selkirk, Scottish Borders.

A grey hound is said to haunt the road between Selkirk and Langholm and has been reported at both dusk and dawn - a 'messy looking' animal the size of a normal dog, it wanders the road without making a sound.

Galashiels - Scottish Borders

Every June at Buckholm Tower, hounds are heard and are said to be chasing the soul of the Laird of Buckholm on the anniversary of his death, reportedly a cruel and evil man. The dogs are said to roam the dungeon at the tower for the rest of the year.

Ayrshire - Scotland.

Near Ayr there is a tale of a shuck who was not guilty of a crime he was blamed with. The dog is said to run around a local woodland on occassion at night - once blamed for killing a child, the hound was later vindicated, he was trying to protect the infant from a wolf.

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