By Shane Cochrane
On the night of Friday, 1 March, 1901, an ‘unearthly shrieking’ woke the people of the townland of Bawn, near Nenagh, in County Tipperary. One man said it was like the sound of a horse screaming. Whatever it was, it continued throughout the night, unsettling everyone who heard it.
On that first night, a ‘party of investigation’ was formed to find the cause of the shrieking. And though at times the party seemed to get close to it, they never got close enough to discover what it was.
Thankfully, in the early hours, the shrieking finally stopped. And six peaceful days followed. Then Friday came again – and so did the unearthly shrieking.
The residents of Bawn called in the police.
They arrived on Sunday night and were immediately greeted by the “cries of a most terrifying description.” Led by Head Constable Horgan, and joined by a number of plucky volunteers, they headed into the night to find the source of the nightmarish noise.
And though the shrieks continued at intervals during their search, the men never got close to finding it.
