stradbally hall

my_house

I just found an interesting bit of history. first though, I'll outline the rumours.

After talking to a few people from Stradbally (I work in Portlaoise), a few of them mentioned the Devils Chair - and one even reckoned a friend of his witnessed this (probably mean he hear of it from someone).

Anyway, the Devils Chair is all about a tree in the grounds of Stradbally Hall where some locals have saw figures that werent there, and generally felt was haunted. people have seen a figure lurking around this tree and of seeing figures within the tree, hanging off it.

anway, I decided to do a bit of research on Stradbally Hall and found this:

"Francis Cosby, Governor of Leix, and his son Alexander, raged with merciless fury against the Catholics of every class.……He mostly resided at Stradbally, where in front of his house there grew a great wide-spreading tree. Upon this he was accustomed to hang not only men, to whom no crime was imputed, but also women and even children. He used to experience unspeakable delight-at the same time that their mothers were being thus strangled,- in putting their children also to death by hanging them by means of the long hair of the mothers. When this tree happened to have no dead bodies of the Catholics attached to it, it is related that he used to apostrophize it thus - "My tree, you appear to be very sad; nor do I wonder at it, as you are too long bare. But I shall soon relieve your sadness. I shall soon adorn your branches with dead bodies."

Now i just wonder did someone know the history and spread the rumour or could the history back up the rumour? Im seriously considering contacting the current Mr Crosby and seeing if I could get permission to check it out for myself

6th

Hanging trees were very common so I'd have little doubt the acts were carried out, they stories my be hyped up a bit but i've have no problem believing it happened.

As it was a place of suffering I'm sure there are some residual energies and every possibility of hauntings.

Well worth checking out.

my_house

aye - i may do a bit of research into getting in touch with this mr cosby. mightnt be too easy these days what with the electric picnic etc etc

thomascosby

The two are totally unrelated.The Devils chair as it is refered to locally, is in a cross of yew trees (with some ornamental stones in the axis) that were planted at least 200 years after francis Cosby died and are about 700 yards from the alledged hanging tree.It has only in the last 20-25 years been refered to as the devils chair after some teenagers of unknown state of mind thought they saw the underlord himself late one night.
If you wish to know a more balanced account of the life and times of francis cosby then it would be best to write to my father Adrian Cosby stradbally hall stradbally co. laois and arrange a visit.

yours

Thomas Cosby

iamhunted

thats excellent information - thank you

mickymike

The devils chair is located else where on the grounds. the area mentioned above is known locally as the dogs graveyard. the chair is a bit aways from there.

Gokei

mickymike wrote: »

The devils chair is located else where on the grounds. the area mentioned above is known locally as the dogs graveyard. the chair is a bit aways from there.

I wonder if he'd let us in this weekend to do research?
Has to be this weekend mind.. moon phase and what not..

Jessica xxx

If you wish to know a more balanced account of the life and times of francis cosby then it would be best to write to my father Adrian Cosby stradbally hall stradbally co. laois and arrange a visit.

yours

Thomas Cosby[/QUOTE]

If thats not an open invitation i dont know what is!