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Vanishing House Of Windy Willows

 

Back again! This is not my story but one of my brothers' experiences. It has to be one of the strangest stories that stuck in my mind for years. I'm not revealing my brother's real name so we'll just call him G and my other brother E (both older than me so I wasn't even thought of when this happened).

It was the summer of 1965, every summer G and E would hitch from the North of Ireland (Ulster) to the Free State (The Republic of Ireland) to go and see aunts and relations that were residing in the South. This was before the Northern Irish Troubles started and, well, things were "peaceful" then.

Getting back to the story before I get into politics. G and E were hitching their way down to the South and would stop at different houses, ask for directions to so and so, maybe get a glass of Lemonade or maybe a sandwich. So, it was G's turn to ask for direction when they came to this long, windy driveway. E stayed at the bottom, sitting on the old stonewall while G walked up the driveway. Like I said, it was a warmish summer day, maybe a few clouds skirting the pale blue Irish sky, when he came to a farmhouse.

The farmhouse was your typical Irish farmhouse; painted white with faded blue windows sills, a thatched roof, a barn attached to the rear of the farmhouse (which, I should say was single storey) but the strangest thing was there were cats. Cats all different shapes and sizes and colours, all meowing. He couldn't believe it as he walked across the cobblestone courtyard. They were in their millions, rubbing themselves against him, purring, meowing as he pushed through the crowd (what else do you call a group of cats?) then he went up to the front door and knocked on it. No answer. He tried again, this time louder still no answer once more and still no bleedin' answer. The cats were all getting in closer by this stage, hanging off the roof, coming out of the barn, crossing the courtyard towards G. He walked to the big bay window and looked in and got the biggest damned frighten of his life. There, sitting in a circle were 13 cats all looking down in a hole. Then they all looked up at him and grinned (LOL like a Cheshire Cat). G screamed, kicked a few cats out of the way and ran screaming for E to come and have a look at this but E was already halfway down the road, screaming himself.

Afterwards, he came home and my late Granny (now, she got great ghost stories which I'm going to post up soon) called him into the kitchen. Somehow she got the wind of what happened and listened to his story. When he finished, she told him that that house was infamous. It was known as the Vanishing House of Windy Willows and it only appears every fifty years. How's that for a ghost story?

Postscript: He went back with a few mates a few weeks later and there were no sign of the house. So did I. I got the direction from him when I was there in 94 and went in search of this place. I couldn't find it... I would have go back in 2015, fifty years to the day, and see if the house re appears... Never know, eh?

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, AussieRedDog, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

goblinkwain (1 stories) (15 posts)
+2
4 years ago (2020-11-09)
now that was an excellent irish ghost story. Thank you for sharing
JennyTee (1 stories) (12 posts)
+2
12 years ago (2012-09-02)
i wonder why they were all gathered around a hole? That's weird with the smiles and stuff! Great story, I enjoyed reading it!
polyphenols (2 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-12-20)
Man, a friend of mine loves cats so much that visiting this house would be like heaven for her. I personally find cats terrifying. What time of year does this house usually show up?
Staris (11 posts)
+2
15 years ago (2009-12-16)
Me too! I'd love to search for the house myself and bring equipment for recording,etc. Just to see what we could get! Magentastarx [at] yahoo.com! 😉
garbagegigo (guest)
 
15 years ago (2009-10-17)
loved your story and would love to visit the house in 2015. My email add is garbagegigo [at] gmail.com. Let me know when you are going to the house.:)
Jmak (6 stories) (156 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2009-02-21)
😆 Wierd but very good. So none of the locals could/would give you nay information on the house? I would like to hear the other experience your brother had, ask him and if it's ok with him you can e-mail, my e-mail address is in my profile page, me the experience. I promise not to publish it in any form or place. I look forward to reading more of your families experiences. God bless.
AussieRedDog (26 stories) (85 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2009-02-21)
I'm not sure what the cats were looking down at and why there were 13 of them? My brother didn't stick around long enough to find out 😆. Why does it appear every fifty years? Wish I could help you there. It was well known through out the district and the locals avoided it as well. The house, according to my late granny, would only stay for a day, maybe two, but no one knows WHY the house only appears fifty years. I did warn you that it was a strange story to begin with. My other brother got another weird story but he refuses me the permission to put it up here... Fair enough... Stay tune for more... My granny got a few beauties and same with my mum!
troyarn (5 stories) (479 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2009-02-21)
I enjoy disappearing stories very much and must say this one was VERY weird. I think the thing that freaks me out most is wondering what (or who) was stuck down in that hole they were looking into.
Jmak (6 stories) (156 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2009-02-21)
Thank you for sharing this experience with us, I really enjoyed it. Could you tell us what significance the 13 cats around/looking into the hole is? What is the background on this house? Why does it appear every 50 years? For how long does it stay? Why all the cats? I look forward to reading more of your experiences. God bless.
AussieRedDog (26 stories) (85 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2009-02-20)
Sorcha, it's on the East Coast, I think near Waterford. Think that's where it was, that's where I went looking. I could have been miles from the damned thing LOL.
Cholulteca (148 posts)
+3
16 years ago (2009-02-20)
WoW!, Interesting story, we have a similar legend in Mexico, (actually in my home town), there's a store (one of those... How you called it?)...not vintage store but stores that have a little bit of everything, from jewelry to small pieces of furniture...?,...anyway, it only shows every 5 years and people that goes in, gets mesmerasided by all the stuff and when they get out, it turns that they have been missed for years!...obviously legend says that you can only go out when someonelse steps in... 😭
Sorcha (59 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2009-02-20)
Hi there!
What part of Ireland?
I'm from Dublin myself but in Canada right now. When I return home for a visit I would like to see if I can find that house!
I liked your brother's story very much!

XXX
Sorcha
AussieRedDog (26 stories) (85 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2009-02-20)
Thats what he told me, he saw 13 cats sitting around a hole. Funny enough, I asked the same question and got a clip around the ear for being cheeky 😆
JamesRobiscoe (419 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2009-02-19)
AussieRedDog--
A bit unusual for brother G to look through a window and see well enough to count 13 cats. I bet your Gran has a dozen more stories like the Vanishing House of Windy Willows.
By the way, it's "a clowder of cats."
AussieRedDog (26 stories) (85 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2009-02-19)
The troubles in the North (at JennusDemenus.) My family had enough so we decided to come to Australia and to FRAWIN, it is a true story. My brother told me that one for years. I know it is hard to believe but it is true.
FRAWIN (guest)
+2
16 years ago (2009-02-19)
Hello AussieRedDog. I'm not going to say if I believe this story but I will say that it was a mighty fine story and I enjoyed it very much. Thanks for sharing it with us and I'm looking forward to hearing Granny's stories 😊. Take Care.

FRAWIN 😊
ThatRandomGuy (1 stories) (75 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2009-02-19)
Nice story. I know if I saw cats grinning like that at me I'd be gone pretty fast to 😜 Thanks for sharing.
JennusDemenus (1 stories) (7 posts)
+2
16 years ago (2009-02-19)
Creepy! You should try going back in 2015 and see if it is there. It's odd, I've heard similar stories from my Irish family. (County Cork) I've read most of your stories on here and I have one non-ghost related question: What made you jump from Ireland to Australia?

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