In the late 1970s a glassworks in Dungannon gained an unexpected reputation. Tyrone Crystal, known for its craftsmanship, had a haunting that staff insisted was real. Night after night, employees reported seeing a tall, shadowy figure moving silently among the furnaces and storerooms. What made it more than workplace rumour was that several workers, independently of one another, said the apparition identified itself as Isaac. There were also unexplained noises and a heavy atmosphere after hours.
By the end of the decade the story had reached the local press. A young reporter visited the factory in 1979 and spoke to those who said they had met Isaac. Workers described catching sight of him only at the edge of their vision, near the glass-blowing ovens, or returning to find tools moved. The coverage, according to the directory, treated the witnesses with respect, noting they were long-serving employees with no inclination towards showmanship. Management allowed after-hours visits in the hope of solving the mystery. Nothing definitive was found, and the sightings continued sporadically.
Decades later the BBC revisited the story. The identity of Isaac was never explained. The factory closed in 2010.
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