COOL AIR
[SHORT-STORY]
Based on the short story by H. P. Lovecraft…
The Mark Ratcliffe show” on Radio1 FM, UK ‘Joolz’ narrates the story “Cool Air” in Spring 1994
Website bio: “Joolz is an experienced and valued broadcaster, having worked regularly for Radio
Four (including many broadcasts for 'Woman's Hour'), and Radio One, where she was a monthly
guest for three years on "The Mark Radcliffe Night Time Show".”
VIA POST: Joolz Denby, Castle Dragonbat, PO Box 162, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD3 8PY,
UK.
VIA E-MAIL: postmaster@joolz.net or direct personal e-mail to joolz@joolz.net
19 Nocturne Boulevard is a podcast audio drama anthology series. Among the episodes are
several dramatized H.P. Lovecraft adaptations. These are Chillin’ (a modernization of Cool Air),
Within the Walls of Eryx, and The Temple. Julie also hints of several more Lovecraftian pieces in
the works.
And for those who like me, were wondering, here’s the hidden podcast feed for the show:
http://neohoodoo.libsyn.com/rss
…a new series from Wheeality Productions: 19 Nocturne Boulevard, a half-hour anthology series
of the fantastic, chilling, and speculative in the vein of The Twilight Zone. The series is created,
produced, and written by Julie Hoverson of Wheeality Productions. You may recognize her voice
from The Unspeakable and the Inhuman since she plays Dallas Lansdale, or may not since she's
talented like that.
NeoHooDoo Studio will host the acclaimed series beginning in November. New episodes will be
uploaded on the 10th and 20th of each month.
You will be able to hear promos for the series at the beginning and end of the next episode of
The Unspeakable and the Inhuman on Monday, November 3rd.
Subscribe to the show at: http://neohoodoo.libsyn.com/rss/nocturne
Find show info at: http://www.19nocturneboulevard.com
Catch some of the previously released episodes on Season of Screams at BrokenSea Audio:
http://brokensea.com/halloween2008/
[Program information]
ORIGINATION:
DURATION:
PERSONNEL: Joolz Denby (reader—1994, The Mark Ratcliffe Night Time Show), Ryan Hirst
(recording—200?, 19 Nocturne Boulevard), Julie Hoverson (editing, sound—200?, 19 Nocturne
Boulevard), Kevin MacLeod (music—200?, 19 Nocturne Boulevard).
CAST [200?, 19 Nocturne Boulevard]: Krystal Baker (Amber Sorensen), Joel Harvey (Simon
Strong), Julie Hoverson (Det. Phyllis Jermyn), Reynaud LeBoeuf (Det. Howard Upton).
EXTANT RECORDINGS:
[Program log]
THE MARK RATCLIFFE NIGHT TIME SHOW (RADIO 1, LONDON—BBC)
[
Circa 1994 “Cool Air”
19 NOCTURNE BOULEVARD (NEOHOODOO STUDIO)
ca. 200? “Chillin’”
[“…When eccentric recluse Simon Strong, who lives in a perpetually
chilled state, vanishes (leaving some rather suspicious remains behind),
his only known associate—a teenage delivery girl—is interviewed by the
police…”]
THE COONEEN GHOST
[FOLK-LEGEND; RADIO-SCRIPT]
Fabled poltergeist haunting…
[Shane Leslie’s Ghost Book, 1955] “…Sir Shane Leslie’s account of the Coonian ghost in county
Fermanagh, concerns the most pointless of all ghostly phenomena, a poltergeist. Its antics, dating
from about 1913, were attested by three priests at different times and make a story such as Le
Fanu might have imagined.”
“In 1913, Widow Murphy, her son and five daughters, lived in a mountain cottage near
Brookeborough, Co Fermanagh. Their lives were plagued by a poltergeist that appeared
determined to evict them from their house. Many other people witnessed the amazing events that
occurred. One such visitor was the MP, Cahir Healy and another was Father Coyle from
Maguiresbridge. Rapping was heard both during the night and day. One source says these
rappings were sometimes to the rhythm of tunes. A couple of favourites were Boyne Water and
The Soldiers Song.
Mysterious shapes appeared and disappeared and music would waft across the room. Father
Coyle described seeing clothes rising and falling on an empty bed as if someone was underneath
breathing. Pots and pans would suddenly fly across the kitchen.
Eventually the family were forced to flee not just because of the unsettling happenings in their
home but also driven out and (cid:0)pparently by superstitious neighbours. The family took the boat
for America but even then, to their horror, the poltergeist continued its terrible deeds in their
cabin on board and even followed them to their new home in the United States. Eventually, after
many years, its manifestations subsided and the family was able to rest and get on with their lives.
It is said that the “Coonian Ghost” is the best-recorded and authenticated ghost in Irish History.
“Cooneen is a small town in west Fermanagh. It is more famous for it’s ghost than anything else.
Back in the 1940’s a family had to leave Cooneen and emigrate to America to escape the wrath
of this ghost which (cid:0)pparently them and despite numerous holy men who exercised many
exorcisms on their home the ghost refused to budge. Eventually the house had to be closed up and
the windows and doorways were bricked up as was the normal (cid:0)pparent in such events.
Whether this was to keep the supernatural in or to keep the curious and unwary out the result
seemed to work OK.
As the years passed the tales of this haunting abounded. Local drama groups staged plays about
it and even the BBC’s Wilfred Pickles narrated it on radio and scared the wits out of his listeners.
More years passed and by now it’s the 60’s. The Cooneen Ghost had been forgotten about apart
from a few old folk who spoke in hushed voices and turned an unusual pallor when reminded of
the times this ghoul struck dread into every living creature in the town of Cooneen. Now that was
only silly superstition and who could possibly believe those silly tales of ghosts and poltergeists.
Certainly not the young, brave lions of the 60’s and certainly not the clever men-of-the-
world showband heads.
It was 1964 or 1965 when the Skyrockets played Cooneen Carnival. I remember the carnival
went on into early October, probably because the weather was fine or perhaps not to clash with a
neighbouring parish. On the night we played it was warm and when we finished for the night we
packed up and loaded up the band bus. Tea for the band had been arranged at the home of one of
the carnival committee members and since the house was only a short way from the marquee we
decided to walk.
After the meal we left the house and we were standing on the road chatting and having a
smoke. One of the boys just remembered and said “Isn’t this the town with the haunted house”.
Our conversation immediately changed to the Cooneen Ghost. Someone said he knew where the
haunted house was so we decided to walk to it since it was only a few hundred yards up the road.
Now as everyone who ever played in a showband knows there was always a few hangers on who
(cid:0)pparent with the band. These were fellows who helped carry the instruments in order to get free
admission to the dance. In other words there were eight in the band and another four or five
hangers on, so a fine body of twelve or thirteen brave men proceeded up the road in search of this
ghostly house.
Eventually we reached the top of the narrow street which was poorly lit by a solitary, flickering,
street lamp and there before us stood a large manor-like building silhouetted against a cloud
covered moon. Two large pillars stood as sentries supporting a wrought iron gate which was half
open as though it was inviting us in.
So this was the abode of the dreaded Cooneen Ghost. Was it really imprisoned behind those
stark walls ?. We ventured closer. Everybody was silent. A silence only broken by whispers of
“Yea it sure looks spooky” and “Couldn’t you imagine bats flying around it” and other such
utterances as from a Vincent Price movie. A chilly breath of air touched us causing some to
shiver. Silence ! One could almost hear the silence.
I remember getting a feeling of another presence apart from all of us. The only way I could
describe it is, if you shut your eyes tight and hold your hand about an inch from your face. Even
though you can’t see it you can feel it’s there. Well that’s how I felt. I was scared, no, I was
petrified. Nobody wanted to admit it, we were all petrified.
Then, suddenly someone started to run. Now, nobody wanted to be left behind so there was a
frantic charge down that dark road. Not only did nobody want to be left behind but nobody
wanted to be last in the race to the safety of our bus. Upon reaching the bus we jammed each
other in the doorway trying to get in and eventually everyone was in, the door closed, we were
safe.
You know how your imagination can play all sorts of tricks ? Well I put it down to a trick of my
imagination when I felt certain I saw the ghostly figure of a woman move in the overgrown garden
in front of that house. This was just before the stampede started down the road for the bus. I
never said anything at the time because as I said I thought it must have been my imagination.
Many years passed and I was back in Enniskillen on holiday. I happened to meet one of the
boys from the Skyrockets. We talked about what we were doing now and soon the chat came
round to the old times. We laughed at the thought of thirteen grown men running for dear life
that night in Cooneen. That’s when I said “You know Paddy I never told anyone this, but.......” He
stopped me there and said..... “So you saw her too”.
© Ivan McBride 2004
I pronounce it: KUN-yeen.
“…strangely we have a place name Cooneen — Coinín near Fivemiletown which although small
became famous through what became known as The Cooneen Ghost — it is the only recorded case
of a ghost following a family across running water (the atlantic ocean) that has been
‘authenticated’ in the history of spirituality!
You’ll have to check the case notes out for yourselves but apparently it’s quite startling — and has
never been disproved by modern science. I know the family involved still swear it to be authentic
(on both sides of the atlantic) and there are many who believe them...
Niall Mór
“Sir Shane’s own original contribution to his collection is what he calls “the last word” on the
Coonian Ghost—a Thing that troubled the peace of a house in Coonian, Ireland with rappings,
rushings, snatchings, snorings and putting out of lights. Three priests were sent by the bishop to
cope with it by exorcism and prayer. One reported that he felt it like an eel twisting around his
wrist; another saw the bedclothes of an empty bed heaving where the chest of an occupant would
be. “Soon we could hear the heavy breathing, the gurgling in the throat . . . what country people
would call ‘a hard death.’ “ The Thing won out in the end. The haunted family eventually went off
to the U.S., and “the gallant clergy, who made such constant efforts on their behalf, seem to have
been the worse for it. One priest had a nervous breakdown, another spinal meningitis and the
third facial paralysis.”
[The Impartial Reporter, October 25, 2001, “Ghost Stories Inspire Young Artists.”
Mullaghfad Crocknagrally Ghostly Trail—“A ghostly trail zigzagging through Co. Tyrone and Co.
Fermanagh along river beds, country roads, through forestry and over streams… Hidden among
the trees lie the ruins of the Cooneen Ghost House. In 1913 the Murphy family were plagued by a
noisy and disruptive poltergeist. The family fled to America to escape but the being left with them
and created havoc on the ship. But in 1915 the ghost mysteriously disappeared—maybe he was
homesick.
Issue: 25-10-2001
The Impartial Reporter
Almost 90 years ago it was an invisible, terrifying presence and local people were demanding
exorcisms to rid their area of its curse. This year, locals have taken the unprecedented step of
giving it a discernible, concrete presence in the centre of town. The Murphy family, in whose
house the infamous Coonian Ghost first appeared, will be turning in their grave, while the ghost
itself will be turning in whatever restless place it now inhabits.
Funded by the South Tyrone Area Partnership through STAY, a youth led group which aims to
give young people a sense of pride in their area, artists Joe Mallon and Michael Baker worked
with local young people over the summer to create a sculpture commemorating the ghost that
would be erected in Market Square in the town. After an intensive three week period in the art
rooms of Fivemiletown High School, the sculpture was finished and unveiled in the Square last
Friday.
The Coonian Ghost story is one of Ireland’s best known supernatural tales. The story began in
1913 in an isolated farmhouse in the townland of Cornarusland, the home of the Murphy family
which comprised a widow, her son James, and five daughters. The ghost was a poltergeist which
would regularly disturb the family with a range of antisocial behaviour, smashing plates and mugs
on the ground, throwing clothes around the rooms, tapping on walls and hissing hysterically, as
well as snoring loudly.
When asked before the summer what aspect of local life they would like to commemorate in the
form of a sculpture, the story of the ghost was a popular reply among the young people involved in
the STAY project, as it was a very prominent part of their local folklore, and something which they
had all learned about in school.
Michael Baker explained at the unveiling that visits to the Murphy’s house, still standing but
now derelict, influenced choices like the physical form of the sculpture, choices which were made
by a combination of the artists and the young people. It was decided that a mosaic of clothes
floating around- one of the ghost’s favourite tactics, would be used to illustrate the poltergeist’s
presence. The clothes embedded in the sculpture were all created in the image of clothes owned
by each of the young people involved, so that each participant would be represented in their
creation.
Joe Mallon, speaking to the crowd gathered for the unveiling, joked that a friend had told him
that with the clothes floating around on the sculpture, it was more reminiscent of Cooneen
Knitwear than the Coonian Ghost. Wilfie Anderson, chairman of the Fivemiletown Community
Development Association, said that it was “a pleasure” to have the sculpture in Fivemiletown, and
congratulated everyone involved with the project on their hard work.
[Program information]
ORIGINATION: Northern Ireland Programme, Belfast (BBC).
DURATION: March 23, 1939; June 19, 1939.
PERSONNEL: N. C. Hunter (scriptwriter), James R. Mageean (producer).
CAST [3/23/39]: James Connolly, Theodora Dolan, Winifred Greenwood, Sheila Grogan, James
Hodgon, John McDade, James McDowell, Nan McGuigan, Jack McQuoid, Charles Owens, Hubert
Quinn, Geoffrey Thallon, Rosemary Thallon, Joseph Tomelty, Lucie Young.
EXTANT RECORDINGS: None.
[Program log]
(NORTHERN IRELAND PROGRAMME, BELFAST)
[Thursday—8:05-8:45 PM]
March 23, 1939 “The Cooneen Ghost”
[“…a dramatic reconstruction of a haunting in County Fermanagh, by N.
C. Hunter from material supplied by Cahir Healy…”]
[Monday—8:00-8:40 PM]
June 19, 1939 “The Cooneen Ghost”