Sir, – The Irishman's Diary about the existence (or not!) of the banshee, reminded me of an incident from my youth (Frank McNally, October 31st). The years have made me an agnostic and a sceptic I'm afraid, but the memory of a particular event still sends a shiver down my spine.
I was six years old, the eldest of four children. Our family had only recently moved into our brand new corporation house in Ballyfermot, and all six of us, mother and father included, slept in the one and only bed.
Late at night, I was awakened by a long drawn-out howl of anguish which seemed to emanate from close by. I was not unduly disturbed by the sound until my mother said quietly, “That is the banshee. She will cry three times”. Well, so she did, and I heard it through the blankets covering my head. It was a cry that seemed both human and animal, with each emission ending in a sobbing finale.
My mother was a Dublin woman, from the south inner city, but she was a great believer in all the old folklore and pishogues. Incidentally, we found out next day that an old man living nearby had died overnight. Kennedy was his name. – Yours, etc,
A JONES,
Mullagh,
Co Cavan.