In the mid-twentieth century, a peculiar and unsettling event was said to have taken place at a country house near Ratheniska, County Laois. Two elderly sisters lived there quietly, keeping to themselves, until one afternoon a hired handyman experienced something he would never forget.

While working high on a ladder, cleaning and repairing the gutters, the man suddenly heard the distinct sound of car tyres crunching over the gravel driveway that led up to the house. The sound grew louder and closer — yet when he turned to look, no car was visible.

Thinking perhaps his ears had deceived him, he paused to listen. The unseen car drew right up to the front of the house. Then came the unmistakable sounds of car doors opening and closing, followed by laughter and chatter, as though several people had just arrived for a visit. Moments later, he heard the front door open, close again, and footsteps inside the hall — all while nothing could be seen.

Overcome with unease, the man climbed down from the ladder and went straight to the front door to tell one of the ladies what had just happened. She listened politely but dismissed his story with a smile, assuring him there was “no one about at all.”

The handyman was so disturbed by the experience that he refused to return to the property, insisting that what he’d heard had been real, but invisible.