Hauntings

The Ghostly Guardians of Tullyhogue

Tullyhogue Fort, near Cookstown

Undated; reported in the 21st century

Tullyhogue Fort is a large mound on the edge of the village near Cookstown, the traditional site where chiefs of the O'Neill clan were inaugurated. The last inauguration there, of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, took place in 1595. The inauguration stone, a large boulder called Leac na Rí, the flagstone of the kings, was smashed in 1602 by Lord Mountjoy to symbolise the end of O'Neill sovereignty.

Spirited Isle says the site has a wealth of ghostly tales. Locals speak of Ghostly Guardians, shadowy figures said to watch over the place and to guard it against those who fail to show proper respect. Some visitors claim to have seen faint outlines of ancient warriors on the earthen banks at twilight, blending into the mist as the sun sets over the Sperrins. On still nights, strange lights are said to flicker over the hilltop, and cold spots are reported near the old inauguration stone.

The entry gives no dates or witnesses. The reports belong to the general atmosphere of the site and can be taken as local belief, not as documented incidents.

Evidence
Long-standing local tradition
Access
Open ground
Location
54.610, -6.723 (Parish-level only, treat as an area)

Sources: Spirited Isle, "Tullaghoge Fort" [other]; Wikipedia, "Tullyhogue Fort" [other]

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