It was an unusually still night when, without warning, a powerful gust of wind swept across Annaclone, rattling the buildings around the chapel. At that time in the 1920s, Canon McCorry served as parish priest, with Fr. Devlin as his curate. Both men heard a sudden commotion outside and were puzzled by the sound. Given the troubled political climate and the recent activity of the Black and Tans, Canon McCorry feared the disturbance might be caused by hostile forces and insisted they remain indoors.

Fr. Devlin, however, felt strangely compelled to investigate. Ignoring the Canon’s objections, he stepped out into the darkness and made his way towards the sacristy door. As he approached, he saw something impossible: a priest standing inside the sacristy, fully vested, calmly preparing to say Mass.

The unknown priest spoke to him gently and asked whether there was anyone present who could serve the Mass. He explained that he had once been paid to offer a Mass for a soul in Purgatory, but had neglected to fulfil the obligation during his lifetime—and so he had returned from the other world to do what he had promised.

Though deeply confused, Fr. Devlin agreed to assist. He served the Mass in silence, still unsure whether he was dreaming, hallucinating, or witnessing something supernatural. As the Mass concluded, another sudden blast of wind filled the chapel, and the mysterious priest lifted from the ground and vanished, rising like a dove through the air.

Fr. Devlin was profoundly affected by the incident. Those who knew him said he never fully recovered from the shock of that night, and tragically, he died at a young age—his experience in the chapel remaining one of the most extraordinary and unsettling stories ever told in Annaclone parish.