WATERFORD GHOST STORY FESTIVAL UPDATE

The Ghost Story festival would like to thank everyone who has helped us with stories, information and offers of work. Unfortunately we are going to have to postpone the festival to 2015 due to external circumstances (sadly not paranormal circumstances!). We are still here of course and can be contacted at ghoststorytelling@gmail.com In the meantime we would still like to hear your stories. Please keep them coming. Don’t worry you still retain the copyright unless we come to a contractual agreement with you on the piece.

Regards – Conor

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The family ghost…

Skeleton in your closet? No, its the ghost in the family that’s far more interesting! The Irish Ghost Story Festival wants to hear your scary story. Be it Great Aunt Meg’s rocking chair that still creaks, or the shadow that refuses to budge from the doorway or the scent of a scarlet lady at the ancient sallyport.

Did you know, for example, that a vampire, or a Dearg-due, is said to have plied her bloody trade beside Reginald’s Tower? Or that a former Bishop of Waterford was said to have been haunted by his late mother-in-law?

Many stories can be explained within the contexts of terrain, light, weather and yes, occasionally, lurid rumours. Some of these strange occurrences surround bad or tragic events. Every now and then, though, there are things that just don’t make sense. Every family history has some of these inexplicable occurrences and the Irish Ghost Story Festival wants to know all about them. Obviously the more salacious the better, but even the small ones will be looked at and, possibly, given a grand outing.

Do you have a story to tell? 

Festival organisers are looking for Waterford stories. You don’t have to be an ancient family – maybe you are someone who just moved to the South East but with a story about an ancestor? The organisers also wants to hear ghost stories associated with Waterford area families such as the Fennesseys, the Tobins, Widgers, Powers, Beresfords, Brazils, Walshes etc.  They promise to gather the tales, explore them, bring them back to life with the aim of scaring the living daylights out of you.

Once the stories or anecdotes are communicated with the Festival organisers they will look to see if there a message behind them, or a communication, or advice from beyond. Working with established writers, researchers and storytellers, the tales will be presented at a series of ‘families’ sessions over this year’s Halloween weekend in the historical setting of the Viking Triangle – the oldest part of Waterford – in Ireland’s oldest City.

The Irish Ghost Story Festival wants your involvement. They ask you to write down the bare bones of your story and email it to them at ghoststorytelling@gmail.com and they will contact you by return. Of course, the more information the better (reports, published accounts, first hand experiences etc). If it is of a confidential nature – don’t worry – they will keep it that way. But whatever it is that you want to tell – big, small, strange or unusual – the festival organisers want to explore it, gather it all together and share it on All Hallow’s weekend this year in Waterford.

The inaugural Irish Ghost Story Festival runs from Friday October 31st to Sunday November 2nd in Waterford City. Apart from the tales, there will be Children’s workshops, Ghost trails & tours, films, adult workshops, spooky food and the Haunted Waterford Fancy Dress Ball.

For further details, or if you would like to be part of this fun family festival –  email Conor –  ghoststorytelling@gmail.com