In Irish Ghost Stories, Padraic O'Farrell has included both well-known stories and some lesser-known tales, most of them previously unpublished. The Ghost Story holds a special place in Ireland. It provided the raw material for evenings of storytelling that were a common feature of country life up to the 1950s (and frequently beyond). Unexplained psychic phenomena fascinate people from all walks of life. Many are afraid, ashamed and embarrassed to come forward for fear of not being taken seriously. Of course, we can't prove that ghosts exist - we are in a different realm of consciousness when we talk about ghosts. But however strange or unusual the feelings that people exerience, the experiences themselves are none the less real.