Ballinspittle

marty1985

Just wondering what you guys think of the moving statue stories from Ballinspittle 25 years ago.

I heard a radio documentary about it, and it just seems to be strange to me, because - although I don't believe any of it - Ballinspittle didn't really gain much from it. If it was all a sham, or a fraud, or a sham and a fraud, why didn't they try to turn it into some sort of pilgramage place and sell a few bottles of holy water? Or does anyone know if they did make any money out of it? Donations?

I think it's more likely to have been some kind of mass hysteria, people convincing themselves that they saw something.

Anyone here ever been there? Anyone ever had a statue of the Blessed Virgin wave at them?

Dravokivich

marty1985 wrote: »

Just wondering what you guys think of the moving statue stories from Ballinspittle 25 years ago.

First i've heard of'em to be honest.

mathie

There's a wh0re house in Ballinspittle called 'Ball in spittle'.

marty1985

Dravokivich wrote: »

First i've heard of'em to be honest.

I distinctly remember telling you 25 years ago.

mathie

marty1985 wrote: »

I think it's more likely to have been some kind of mass hysteria, people convincing themselves that they saw something.

Really?
You think that?
Rather that cast concrete moving due to the power of a allseeing being in the sky that no-ones ever seen?

Ha! I pity thee!

Monty Burnz

marty1985 wrote: »

I think it's more likely to have been some kind of mass hysteria, people convincing themselves that they saw something.

Got it in one. When I was about 10, I was convinced that I saw the devil in the face of a friend of mine in a church (I think we were the only 2 in there, after school for some reason). I ran from him like the clappers, poor fella just saw me look at him in horror and bolt. Naturally, he ran after me to find out what it was about him that spooked me. I was now being chased by my friend who I thought was possessed, so the two of us ended up sprinting all the way to my house where I slammed the door in his face.

Looking back, it's hilarious, but at the time I totally believed it. We'd been talking about the devil and satan a lot in school, saying prayers backwards in mirrors etc., so it was very much on my mind at the time.

kfallon

I cringe everytime I see this on Reeling In The Years!
Wogan also did a little piece on it in his 'Ireland' programme on BBC a few weeks ago, talk about making a show of us, bet everyone in the UK who watched were rinsing themselves at the stupid Paddies :rolleyes:

Dravokivich

marty1985 wrote: »

I distinctly remember telling you 25 years ago.

Sorry man... my memory is shot to pieces... just short of tattooing vital information onto me body.

:pac:

Ghost Estate

I think its a shame that the statues only move rather than spit at passers by.

temply

marty1985 wrote: »

Just wondering what you guys think of the moving statue stories from Ballinspittle 25 years ago.

I heard a radio documentary about it, and it just seems to be strange to me, because - although I don't believe any of it - Ballinspittle didn't really gain much from it. If it was all a sham, or a fraud, or a sham and a fraud, why didn't they try to turn it into some sort of pilgramage place and sell a few bottles of holy water? Or does anyone know if they did make any money out of it? Donations?

I think it's more likely to have been some kind of mass hysteria, people convincing themselves that they saw something.

Anyone here ever been there? Anyone ever had a statue of the Blessed Virgin wave at them?

There's a good doc on RTE player I saw a few weeks back called
Apparitions - about that mad lad from Ballyfermot who got thousands of travellers to go to Knock to see Mary. It also covered other "appraritions"

Very good - informative & enjoyable

Ash.J.Williams

It's proven pact, statues move and walk and cry and sing during mushroom season every year.

AnonoBoy

Man oh man we pulled some good pranks that summer!

marty1985

But this was a huge deal at the time. I mean, thousands of people were convinced. Or was it really a case of they didn't have d'internet, so they weren't as advanced and sophisticated as us.

marty1985

Fcuking hell, how could I forget something as nuts happened in Sligo or somewhere with the people and the sun and the staring. Makes Ballinspittle look normal.

Ghost Estate

marty1985 wrote: »

a case of they didn't have d'internet, so they weren't as advanced and sophisticated smug as us.

fyp

_feedback_

Think I may have been at it years ago with the parents. They certainly didn't make a fortune like yer wan out on Achill Island. Don't know who is worse, the people that make money out of that stuff, or the clowns that part with their cash.

Orando Broom

kfallon wrote: »

I cringe everytime I see this on Reeling In The Years!
Wogan also did a little piece on it in his 'Ireland' programme on BBC a few weeks ago, talk about making a show of us, bet everyone in the UK who watched were rinsing themselves at the stupid Paddies :rolleyes:

They just need to read the business section of a any newspaper in the last eight months to get their lols at paddy.

Aldebaran

marty1985 wrote: »

Fcuking hell, how could I forget something as nuts happened in Sligo or somewhere with the people and the sun and the staring. Makes Ballinspittle look normal.

Not to mention that tree stump that herself appeared in not too long ago.

biko

Had to google it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZjM83wZmWw

marty1985

Ghost Estate wrote: »

fyp

Thank you my good man, but I had already wrapped everything into a nice neat sarcastic little package.

If I could multi quote I would.

Maybe we need another Ballinspittle to lift the economy.

Donal Og O Baelach

marty1985 wrote: »

Thank you my good man, but I had already wrapped everything into a nice neat sarcastic little package.

If I could multi quote I would.

Maybe we need another Ballinspittle to lift the economy.

These things do tend to come along when the morale of the people is at a low ebb - Ballinspittle in th 80's, Knock in 1879, that whole Christ thing in Jeruselem. (and Star Wars in the 70's).

Pompey Magnus

red menace

Pompey Magnus wrote: »

was just about to Google that clip

mgbgt1978

I remember the whole "moving statue" phenomenom well. The funniest thing about it was the way it spread. Within 2 days of the original (and the best) movement you couldn't pass any statue of Mary without seeing a crowd of at least 100 staring at it.

Although, two years later myself and a friend were driving past the statue at Ballinspittle and one of the back doors fell off his Morris Minor....we just threw it onto the back seat and kept going, but there wasn't much chat in the car for the next 20 minutes.

Up de Barrs

Apparently at the height of the excitement about it there could be anything up to 10,000 people in the field opposite waiting for some movement by the statue. The burger vans did a roaring trade. A throwback to a time when religion really did hold sway over the country, I cant imagine we will ever see the like of it again, no harm either.

marty1985

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

I remember the whole "moving statue" phenomenom well. The funniest thing about it was the way it spread. Within 2 days of the original (and the best) movement you couldn't pass any statue of Mary without seeing a crowd of at least 100 staring at it.

Although, two years later myself and a friend were driving past the statue at Ballinspittle and one of the back doors fell off his Morris Minor....we just threw it onto the back seat and kept going, but there wasn't much chat in the car for the next 20 minutes.

I can imagine the statue trying to keep a straight face at the two Protestants in the Morris Minor missing a door!

She has a wicked sense of humour, Our Mary.

Dudess

Remember it well and I was only seven - it was huge news, and taken really seriously. One of the wettest summers on record, Cork had taken a real hammering in terms of job losses with two major employers, Ford and Dunlop, closing... it was as if this filled the void, gave people something to get excited about.
I remember being brought to the place and all the crowds with their binoculars. Utter ludicrousness - and straight out of Father Ted...

OP, is your username a reference to Master McFly? And if so, I'm with ya on the 1985 obsession...

marty1985

Dudess wrote: »

Remember it well and I was only seven - it was huge news, and taken really seriously. One of the wettest summers on record, Cork had taken a real hammering in terms of job losses with two major employers, Ford and Dunlop, closing... it was as if this filled the void, gave people something to get excited about.
I remember being brought to the place and all the crowds with their binoculars. Utter ludicrousness - and straight out of Father Ted...

OP, is your username a reference to Master McFly? And if so, I'm with ya on the 1985 obsession...

Yes. My mother has got the hots for me.

Dyr

I was only a kid back then but as far as I remember these moving stautes hid the kerry babies in don tideys house while he was having a nap.

I think shergar was mixed up in it all too

marty1985

Yes, it was 25 years ago, which means Bob Geldof was dining off I Don't Like Mondays even then.

There was a lot of spontanaeity to Ballinspittle. Not like JC (Joe Coleman, not Jesus Christ) arranging for people to look at that big shiny sun.

Anyone know what the local area is like now? And do the locals ever see her moving any more? Wasn't she vandalised at some time too?

Probably the two lads in the Morris Minor which was missing a door.

Jesus Wept

I'm told a sign was hung on the statue of Mary where I lived that read 'Out Of Order'.

Dudess

Bambi wrote: »

I was only a kid back then but as far as I remember these moving stautes hid the kerry babies in don tideys house while he was having a nap.

I think shergar was mixed up in it all too

Yeah and they were all watching the signing of the Anglo Irish Agreement...

marty1985

The-Rigger wrote: »

I'm told a sign was hung on the statue of Mary where I lived that read 'Out Of Order'.

She wasn't out of order, the church was out of order, the whole freaking system was out of order.

Rant over.

Ghost Estate

marty1985 wrote: »

Anyone know what the local area is like now? And do the locals ever see her moving any more?.

a few years ago anyway they did. the novelty must be worn off by now so the locals don't notice it anymore.

like i said, they should start spitting at passers by instead if they want to get noticed again. at least then Ballinspittle would be called that for a reason

Debthree

It's just what you do when you buy a chipper van. Par for the course.
- Buy van.
- Install fryers and ventilation.
- Put out rumour that yer wan with the blue veil is shaking her booty and lo and behold you've got enough business for 5 summers.

Son Of A Vidic

I remember the hype surrounding it, these things always seem to happen during the depths of a recession. So we are surely overdue another one at this stage.

Orando Broom

Up de Barrs wrote: »

Apparently at the height of the excitement about it there could be anything up to 10,000 people in the field opposite waiting for some movement by the statue. The burger vans did a roaring trade. A throwback to a time when religion really did hold sway over the country, I cant imagine we will ever see the like of it again, no harm either.

Erm, Knock Last year, people actually blinded themselves staring at the sun.

Cú Giobach

Went there at the hight of the hype and there were hundreds of people around.
Burger vans everywhere and the pubs jammed, great craic. It really lifted the spirit of the place during a very hard time for this part of the country.

The village still gets a lot of visitors coming to see the statue.

RichieC

marty1985 wrote: »

Just wondering what you guys think of the moving statue stories from Ballinspittle 25 years ago.

I heard a radio documentary about it, and it just seems to be strange to me, because - although I don't believe any of it - Ballinspittle didn't really gain much from it. If it was all a sham, or a fraud, or a sham and a fraud, why didn't they try to turn it into some sort of pilgramage place and sell a few bottles of holy water? Or does anyone know if they did make any money out of it? Donations?

I think it's more likely to have been some kind of mass hysteria, people convincing themselves that they saw something.

Anyone here ever been there? Anyone ever had a statue of the Blessed Virgin wave at them?

Its an embarrassment to the nation that we should all try to forget.

billymitchell

This is what I think of it
http://www.southparkstudios.co.uk/clips/sp_vid_155166/

mariaf24

I remember a documentary about Ballinspittle about a year ago.I don't think the witnesses were lying.
There was a local garda who said he witnessed the statue moving, he became a laughing stock and almost lost his job yet he stood by what he saw.

There are many explanations for moving statue phenomenons. I remember a Psychology lecturer from UCC on the programme and i have read much of his work.
If you 'stare' long enough at a still object it can move and even change colour. Also there is the power of persuasion (Others around you convincing it's moving)
So i definitely don't believe people have lied but rather are mis led.

Is anyone familiar with Mt. Mellery in Co. Waterford? There has been alot more reported there (again 1980's)

Canis Lupus

Was watching that Wogan show and on one of the clips you clearly hear someone say something like "yeah there, it moved just there" and then someone agreeing and it no more moved than any other statue can move.

People are tards is all.

Funkfield

Dravokivich wrote: »

Sorry man... my memory is shot to pieces... just short of tattooing vital information onto me body.

:pac:

Man, that reminds me of a movie I saw! It was about this guy who had a really bad memory. And he had to tattoo all this information on his body. And if he didn't tattoo all the information on his body he would forget what he was doing. I think it was called "The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down".

jimthemental

I went past the statue about a year ago, stopped into a petrol station then and got a newspaper. True story.

marty1985

mariaf24 wrote: »

I remember a documentary about Ballinspittle about a year ago.I don't think the witnesses were lying.
There was a local garda who said he witnessed the statue moving, he became a laughing stock and almost lost his job yet he stood by what he saw.

There are many explanations for moving statue phenomenons. I remember a Psychology lecturer from UCC on the programme and i have read much of his work.
If you 'stare' long enough at a still object it can move and even change colour. Also there is the power of persuasion (Others around you convincing it's moving)
So i definitely don't believe people have lied but rather are mis led.

Is anyone familiar with Mt. Mellery in Co. Waterford? There has been alot more reported there (again 1980's)

This is what I wanted to say, but my brain wouldn't... what's the word...

mariaf24

marty1985 wrote: »

This is what I wanted to say, but my brain wouldn't... what's the word...

BIRD is the word :pac:

mariaf24

Local witnesses from Ballinspittle on the news: 'Ya i seen em, that is to say i saw them'
Other local: 'Yeah i saw them, that is to say i seen em'...

snickerpuss

There's a pub in Ballinspittle that does the best steak sambo EVER. I rented a house nearby one summer. I've often thought of going back. For steak. Sorry Jesus.

Cú Giobach

snickerpuss wrote: »

There's a pub in Ballinspittle that does the best steak sambo EVER. I rented a house nearby one summer. I've often thought of going back. For steak. Sorry Jesus.

Don't bother with a dinner there though. Not the best.

marty1985

snickerpuss wrote: »

There's a pub in Ballinspittle that does the best steak sambo EVER. I rented a house nearby one summer. I've often thought of going back. For steak. Sorry Jesus.

He says not to worry, and he'll see you in six months.

dolphin city

its a well known fact that poltergeists and moving statues only come out to play when there is a recession on.
You do the math.