A Visit to the Library

We went to the appointment in the library, for sure we would be laughed out of the library.  We were taken to the back area where all the archives are keep.  The girl explained that a lot of the records pre 1912 were lost in a fire.

She produced some maps to see if we could find the site of our house.  Each map we could pinpoint the area of our house until the 1876 map were there was no distinguishing areas on the map.

We located the Moore House on the maps and could work out roughly were it should stand today.

The site of our house stood on the agriculture land of the Moore House.  Our house was approximately 20 meters to a roadway.  This road was present on all the maps up to the 1876.  The archivist explained that this road marked the boundary of Newbridge town and the county side.  This meant that the Pontiffs land backed on the road way at the edge of the town.  the Pontiffs land stretched to the edge of the Curragh in the other direction. 

We asked about any murders in the area and the girl said indeed there was.  As it was a barracks town, it was a violent town.  She directed me to the newspaper archive area on their website and said that I would find it difficult to find an issue without a murder for the Newbridge area.  That was a bit chilling.

The archivist took our number and said that she would contact us if she uncovered anything else.

More Research

I once again returned to the internet for information.  My research moved away from the actual house to what was there before the houses were built.  I searched old church of Ireland records, the census of 1908 and anything else I could get my hand and eyes on.

I discovered that the land that the house was built on may have belonged to Ponsonby Moore.  He was a wealthy land owner of a very prestigious family.  Around the famine time he had a daughter named Catherine who married an Alfred.  I could not find out much else.  I was unable to discover maps to see exactly where Moore House was located.

There are some very old houses in the Newbridge area.  We took a drive and walk around the area.  We discovered several houses that would be over a hundred years old and some nearer two hundred.  The names on these houses did not match the Moore House that we sought, but names can change.

My husband mentioned the EMF reader, my ongoing research and our experiences to a few colleagues.  One lady was a native of Newbridge and it turned out that her uncle had done quite a bit of historical research in the area.  She put us in touch with a contact in the local library.

I rang to make an appointment as the sounds and smell continued.

The Curragh Wrens

I was listening to the radio on my way back from college last night.  An advertisement for a play called the Curragh Wrens was played.  The advertisement went on to say that the Wrens were ladies of the night who lived on the Curragh.  This intrigued me as I had not heard of any such happenings and wondered if it was fictions.  All I had ever heard was the Curragh was formed during the ice age and St Bridge won it off an English Lord with the swing of her cloak for her convent,

I discovered it was not fiction.

Apparently the Curragh was in the late 19th Century one of the most notorious red light districts outside of Dublin.  Innocent girls would follow their first love to Newbridge where they were based in the barracks (where Bord na Mona now Stands OMG).  The soldiers would have nothing to with them.  The girls often had fallen pregnant due to the charms of the young solider would end up on the Curragh given birth. These girls set up camps under the bushes on the Curragh and survived by selling their only possession, their body on the outskirts of Newbridge town.  Many would have gone missing.

Could the spirit in my house be one of these poor girls.  Maybe dragged and murdered on to the Pontiffs land by a punter. Maybe the Pontiff or his family had gotten sick of girls taken a short cut over his land and murder someone.  Maybe the Pontiff as a religious man had taken matters of redemption into his own hands and decided to send to hell these sinning women.

I felt I was getting closer, that little clues where starting to appear

The OMG above at Bord na Mona is due to the fact that I have worked in Bord na Mona in Newbridge for the last three years in around the time I spoke to my family about my experiences in the house.  Is it a coincidence or is it the spirit leading me on a path to find the truth.

The sounds, smell and shadow continues.  Thank God nothing has gone missing in quite a while.

Wicklow Gaol

I 

I am so getting one of these EMF readers, they are so cool.   I could ask the ghost some questions and hopefully find out what it wants.

We googled the EMF.  It got good reviews and was not too expensive at €50.  I purchased it and I await its arrival.  Excitement is building could I possible get some answers or will it be a big disappointment and a loss of €50.  Oh I can't wait only another few days.

 

Leap Castle

I found this on you tube and I am planning on visiting Leap Castle on Sunday, just to see.

Voters Register

Voters Register 1835 - 1839
Qualifying Freeholders and Leaseholders

 

Moore, Ponsonby, esq.		Occupation:		Tenancy:	Freeholder
Address:	Moorefield, Moorefield or Jigginstown, Kildare	Property:	House and lands	Value(£):	50
Parish:		Note:	To register anew.	Date:	27/12/1839
Barony:	Connell

The map below shows Newbridge in 1772.  The location of our house is near centre of the map close to the y in the road above the house near Jigginstown.

Above is an extract from the voters register that shows that an area with the same name as mine estate existed in Newbridge prior of 1840.

The name Moore of the voter is actually the same name of the previous owners of the house .  Maybe they are related. 

Map of Newbridge in 1972