The Cratloe page in the Dúchas Schools' Collection is a compact example of local supernatural geography. It does not describe one event investigated by police or scientists. Instead, it preserves stories connected to named roads, a lodge, a cottage and a railway bridge in County Clare. [1]
The woman on the car
The first account concerns a man named McNamara travelling home from Limerick at night. A woman is said to have appeared and sat beside him on the car. The horse became difficult to control, and the woman later disappeared near Keynes cottage. The account ends with a claim about the man's death after he returned home. The source does not give dates, independent witnesses or a contemporary newspaper record.
The railway bridge figure
The same entry records John Naughton standing on a railway bridge near his home and seeing a ghost beside an avenue at a distance. The wording shows how separate stories could be collected under the heading “Ghost Stories of the Locality”. It does not establish that both accounts referred to the same apparition or that the bridge sighting was first-hand.
Why the distinction matters
Night travel, horse behaviour, unfamiliar figures, grief and local storytelling can all shape an account. The later claim that someone died after an encounter may be a narrative association rather than a documented cause. FI-X will not rewrite it as a death omen without independent evidence.
FI-X assessment
This is a Folkloric or cultural record. Its strength is its exact locality, named collector and preserved wording. Its limitation is that the surviving page does not establish dates, first-hand status or corroboration. Any future research should examine maps and railway history only to understand the setting, not to imply that the locations are currently haunted.
What remains unresolved
The page identifies the general Cratloe locality. FI-X does not publish precise private addresses for the named lodges, cottages or homes. FI-X has not independently verified every claim in this file. The classification will change only when better evidence supports a change.
Timeline
- Michael Keane recorded local ghost stories at Cratloe from an informant in the district. [1]
- The record describes a woman appearing beside McNamara on a car from Limerick and disappearing near Keynes cottage. [1]
- The same page records John Naughton seeing a figure from a railway bridge. [1]
Sources and references
- [1] Michael Keane / National Folklore Collection. Ghost Stories of the Locality. Dúchas.ie, Schools' Collection, Volume 0597 Page 048, 1930s collection. Folklore record. Open source
- [2] National Folklore Collection / UCD. The Schools' Collection. Dúchas.ie, Current archive collection. Archive guide. Open source
Update history
- 3 August 2026 - Initial FI-X case study published; classification and source coverage marked for continued review.
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