In 1946, a report carried by a London-based newspaper – identified in later retellings as the Evening News – described a series of unusual disturbances at a farmhouse in the Ballymakea district, near Mullagh in County Clare.

According to the report, the events unfolded over a period of several weeks and were attributed at the time to what was described as a “poltergeist” – a term commonly used to explain unexplained physical disturbances within a household.

The activity was said to be persistent and disruptive.

Household items were reportedly moved or interfered with in ways that could not be explained. Butter was thrown at the farmer’s wife, sometimes striking her in the face and frightening the children. Windows were broken, chairs damaged, and pieces of china displaced from the dresser. Food was also affected: fingerprints were said to appear on freshly baked bread, while dishes left on the oven were found covered in ash. On other occasions, bread was discovered submerged in pails of water, and butter was thrown directly into the fire.

The disturbances were not limited to the kitchen. Lamps were reportedly extinguished without cause, and bedclothes were found stripped back during the night.

No clear explanation was established at the time, and the incidents appear to have been reported as genuine occurrences rather than hoaxes. As the disturbances continued, it was suggested that, if they did not stop, a formal clerical investigation would be carried out – reflecting a common response in mid-20th century Ireland, where religious authorities were often called upon to examine such claims.

While the precise location of the farmhouse is not clearly documented today, and no independent archival source has yet been confirmed, the specificity of the report has allowed the story to endure as part of local folklore in the Mullagh area.