Spooky goings-on in County Westmeath (Part 3)

'Crown of thorns' was only prop to survive Arts Centre fire

Mullingar Arts Centre has long been reputed to be haunted, and Sean Lynch, director there, confirmed this week that he has regularly seen odd things happen, such as doors opening and closing with no one there, music playing through speakers when there was nothing being fed through them; lights flicking on and off by themselves.

However, he said, the strangest thing of all was when there was a fire at a storage area at the centre in 2004, and the only thing that survived was a crown of thorns that had been used in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

All the props and costumes, including some historic ones bought in from professional theatre companies, were destroyed. The fire also cost the centre some authentic WW1 uniforms it had purchased for a production called ‘Where Poppies Grow’.

Also destroyed were items and materials used whenever an election count was being held at the centre.

“Everything burnt, and in the middle of all the black ash, the crown of thorns was found – not burnt. I can’t explain it,” says Seán.

But the history of activity there goes back even further. Another story he recalls is from when the annual revue was held at what was then The County Hall, in the 1970s or early 1980s.

“I don’t think it would be fair to give the names, but two women saw men walking by them underneath the stage area – in what was called the Old Supper Room. But there was nobody there, so they figured they were ghosts and they mentioned it to the priest. The following week, we had Mass here, I think it was one Saturday evening.

“Fr Fay was there and Fr Cleary, but with them was a third priest, and when we left, the third priest stayed, and it turned out he was an exorcist from Maynooth College.”

Many years later, a group of paranormal investigators on their way to an event in Galway stopped off at the Arts Centre and wanted to visit the area associated with much of the ghostly activity there and so they went down to the supper room. Afterwards they told Sean that there was a malevolent spirit there and that the spirit had said something that they did not quite understand – but that made sense to Sean: “They said it said ‘men of the cloth have tried and failed; you won’t succeed’. But the investigators had no way of knowing anything [about the priests].”

Sean also recalls the time the Cathedral Choir launched a CD at the Arts Centre. At the end of the evening, when the speakers and microphones were switched off, music was still coming through. “I checked and the amps were off and the speakers were off and I brought in other people, actually including Fr Denis Nulty, who was a priest at the time but who is a bishop now, and Bro Frank Crummy. The music was just coming out of the speakers – and that ‘couldn’t’ happen.”

On another occasion, four young girls were left spooked when a glass fell off the counter by itself and rolled down the floor in a straight line.

“I was at the front and I heard them scream and I came running,” he laughs.

Another of the more dramatic incidents happened there one summer evening. Young people went into the dressing room and the looking glass was frosted over and a chilling message written in it which said ‘Leave me alone’.

Some other staff at the centre this week said they would not stay there alone in the evening and certainly would not go down to the area under the stage if they were on their own.