Local author's book to recall history of Coppinger's Court

By Peter allen

A WEST Cork man is to to release a book on the history of the Coppinger’s Court castle, located west of Rosscarbery, this summer.

 Barrie Jordan, from Rosscarbery, is a member of the Cork Paranormal Society or ‘CPI’ – a ghost-hunting and paranormal investigation group.

 Barrie has always been interested in paranormal activity, starting when he was two or three years old, when he claims to have seen shadowy figures sitting in a wicker chair at the end of his bedroom. 

 The Coppinger’s Court ruin is something he passed cycling during his youth. The image of the ruin has remained with him since, and his strong curiosity will now be realised in his historical book.

Barrie explains that in the world of paranormal activity, ghosts cannot be seen by by picking up light reflection, as like every other object. Ghosts make themselves known by a vibration of energy that can only be seen by some psychically-sensitive individuals. 

 The Rosscarbery man asserts that that he has heard the banshee near the old Clonakilty railway station, where he and his girlfriend heard the  wailing. He explains that the banshee’s scream is more ‘vibration than sound, it rocks through you.’ 

 He believes there is actually no specific category of people that the banshee will follow, contrary to beliefs that some families are followed and others are not.

 The widely held superstition of fairy forts and the risk of fairy revenge is something Barrie also believes. 

Barrie has attended a number of ghost-hunting expeditions in West Cork with CPI. The most haunted place in West Cork, according to Barrie, is Ballinacarraiga Castle, outside Dunmanway. The site, when investigated, confronted the team with a lady’s scream and other spectral EVP (electronic voice phenomenon).

Barrie has also experienced other powerful phenomenon, he has glimpsed the ‘cloudy outline of a child’ in an old house where the IRA had previously murdered a young child.

 Another house that he had investigated had a wide range of mild phenomenon, knocks in the night, closing doors, TV screens turning on and so on. Two girls that Barrie knew, moved into the house, moving out six months later due to this phenomenon. 

In most cases of houses that might have some spirit meddling going on within them, Barrie recommends that someone needs to acknowledge whatever it is that is in the house. ‘Like a child, when it is acknowledged, it will be quiet,’ said Barrie.

 Photos are an unreliable medium of recording proof. The common conception of ‘light orbs’ in photos as spirits or angels is easily refuted, says Barrie: ‘In 99.9% of cases it is dust on the lens. Bugs, bats and shutter speed can also cause photo imperfections.’

Barrie finds video, sound recorders and the K2 meter which detects fluctuations in electric spectrums, more reliable proof-recording equipment.  He will be self -publishing his Coppinger’s Court story as an e-book and with a small number of paperbacks available to buy in the locality during the summer.