An RTÉ Archives item from 1998 records a set of claims associated with the Saggart Arms in County Dublin. The report is useful because it preserves named participants and a broadcast date, but it remains a record of testimony and interpretation rather than an independent investigation.
What the archive records
In the report, owner Sam Moorehead described a run of bad luck and unusual experiences after an extension was built. The archive summary says that a patron reported seeing a woman wearing a black shawl and hat in a toilet. Moorehead then consulted people described in the programme as a witch and a medium, who interpreted the events as involving two spirits, a mother and son. [1]
Those details should be kept in their proper category. The patron's experience is a witness account. The identity of the figure as a former owner is a later interpretation within the story. The claim that the spirits left after a ritual is also an interpretation, not a measured result.
What is missing
The surviving archive entry does not provide photographs, environmental measurements, independent witness statements or a full transcript. It is not possible from the item alone to establish when each event occurred, whether the witnesses were independent of one another or whether ordinary changes in a busy public house could account for some observations.
FI-X assessment
FI-X classifies this as a Disputed account. The 1998 broadcast is evidence that the claims were publicly reported at that time. It is not evidence that a supernatural cause was demonstrated. Further work would require contemporary local records, the complete programme material and independent accounts from people present before the broadcast.
What remains unresolved
The page identifies the public locality only. FI-X does not publish private access details or encourage visits to a working business. FI-X has not independently verified every claim in this file. The classification will change only when better evidence supports a change.
Timeline
- Owner Sam Moorehead said that unusual events had been reported after an extension was built at the pub. [1]
- RTÉ Nationwide broadcast a report by Patricia Danaher about the claims and the people asked to investigate them. [1]
- FI-X preserves the item as a broadcast record of testimony, not as proof that spirits occupied the premises.
Sources and references
- [1] RTÉ Archives. Haunted Dublin Pub. RTÉ Archives, 11 May 1998 broadcast; archive page updated 20 April 2023. Archive footage. Open source
- [2] RTÉ Archives. RTÉ News Collection. RTÉ Archives, Current collection information. Archive guide. Open source
Update history
- 3 August 2026 - Initial FI-X case study published; classification and source coverage marked for continued review.
Have information about this case?
FI-X welcomes documents, photographs, recordings, corrections and first-hand accounts. Submitting material does not guarantee publication, and FI-X may contact you to verify the information.