In 1864, reports began to circulate in local newspapers of unexplained disturbances at Glebe House in Aughadown Parish, near Skibbereen. The house, associated with the Church of Ireland rector of the parish, became the focus of a series of unusual events that attracted wider attention at the time.

The disturbances were described primarily as loud, persistent knocking sounds heard on the floors of the house. According to reports, these noises occurred regularly each evening at around ten o’clock and were notably absent when the then-rector, Archdeacon Stuart, was present in the building.

Following Stuart’s departure from the parish, he was succeeded by the Reverend Edward Spring. The disturbances, however, were said to continue. Although Spring reportedly heard the knocking himself, he treated the matter with calm, remarking that while the source of the sounds was unusual, it did not appear to pose any danger.

The story gained further attention when it was reported in several Irish newspapers. In response, a correspondent – claiming to be a clergyman and a sceptic of so-called “spirit-rapping” – wrote to the Cork Constitution, describing his own experiences at the same house nearly thirty years earlier, in the summer of 1835.

According to his account, he was repeatedly awakened in the early hours of the morning – between approximately 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. – by loud disturbances coming from the kitchen. He described the sounds as if heavy objects were being violently moved or thrown: chairs lifted and slammed down, and items such as kettles, pans, and fire irons apparently hurled about. Yet when he went to investigate, everything appeared undisturbed. Household staff, when questioned, denied any involvement or knowledge of the events.

The matter took a more grounded turn later in 1864. On 25 November of that year, Reverend Spring wrote to the Skibbereen Eagle offering an explanation. He stated that the noises ceased after he dismantled a large, old bedstead that had recently been acquired at auction. Following its removal, no further disturbances were reported.