You know that one picture that Liam showed us that kind of looked like a person?
>> Yeah. It was like a head at the top.
>> Yeah. Well, when you were looking at the cell across the way, your reflection was in the plexiglass.
>> Oh, really?
>> I snapped a picture of it. Check it out.
>> Oh, look at that. It totally reflects off of this plexi. So, maybe that’s what somebody snapped in their image.
>> Yeah, that may be able to explain it.
>> Totally. Right. If you were taking a picture against this highly reflective plexi and somebody was standing out in the hall or across the hall, >> it would look like a ghost. So that’s me.
>> Yeah.
>> And then this big shadow is you.
>> Yeah.
>> Who’s this?
>> What do you mean?
>> The hell is this?
That’s not me or you. That’s a face.
I’m Josh. Nice to meet you.
>> Hi, Lorraine.
>> Experts in Spike Island’s dark past and the paranormal activity that’s reported today.
>> Welcome to Spike Island.
>> Thank you. I’m kind of gobsmacked. This is such an amazing looking place.
>> Yeah, it’s a it certainly is full of history. And so over the years it’s been a prison, a fort, >> a prison, a fort.
>> A prison, a fort, back and forth.
>> Yeah. Back and forth.
>> So during its its main use as a prison, what was life like out here?
>> Horrendous.
>> This will be a place of labor and work.
In the early part of the famine, the convicts were used as a labor supply to finish off construction, a prison.
>> Wow.
>> The working day was about 14 hours a day in the summer. If you didn’t do your work, you were made an example of they would have been flogged. We know that there was isolation cells.
There was so much brutality and cruelty here.
>> So, with all of this history here, it’s maybe no surprise that there are also paranormal reports.
>> Yeah, you can’t have that much suffering in one place without having a residue left over. We are inundated with reports here. It is overwhelming.
>> Wow. How long have these paranormal reports been going on for?
>> Well, the earliest written account we have dates from the 1940s when the Irish army was in occupation in fort a century. One night on duty over by the main gate saw a figure crossing the square in military garb. But the closer the figure came to him, the more he realized there was something quite unusual. The figure wore a uniform from a different era and his eyes are hollow, almost socketlike.
He became so unnerved at what he saw that he fired his rifle at the figure.
>> He actually shot at a ghost.
>> That’s what the account says.
>> Wow. This may be the first account I’ve ever heard of a soldier shooting at a ghost.
>> Well, yeah. He was quite unnerved at the at the experience.
>> And has he been seen since?
>> Yes, indeed.
>> He’s become known as the Gaunt Gunnar of Spike Island. He’s probably one of the more famous figures of the island.
>> And what about the buildings themselves?
Where are the hot spots? I can start with the building behind me here. AB block. A block was built 1810 to house 300 soldiers, but by the time the famine came, there was up to 700 convicts in here.
>> Wow.
>> We’ve had a lot of reports with faces in windows, shadows, figures walking up and down the back of it. And we have a very notorious scard who worked in this building, William Ready.
Ready was a cruel man. He ruled with an iron fist.
And when he was patrolling one night, he had a run in with these two young inmates. Parsing around boys who were sentenced during the famine for petty crimes, Ready reprimanded them. They got 2 and 1/2 years added to their sentence.
>> Just for horsing around, >> just for messing around. William Ready was a brutal man. Any kind of happiness wasn’t tolerated. A few nights later, Ready was passing again. These two lads picked up this metal bar they had hidden earlier that day, clobbered reading over the head with it. He got such a blow to the head they killed him.
>> We do think the figure that we see at the back of this building could be ready.
>> And what are the paranormal reports from the punishment block?
>> People hear footsteps upstairs. They see shadows. They see figures.
I actually have a photograph that somebody sent in.
>> This was submitted by what? Got a visitor here?
>> Yes.
>> Oh, on the stairs.
>> Oh, legs.
>> Look at that. You can see two legs and it looks like the outline of an individual.
>> That’s a good picture.
>> It’s scary.
>> So, this is a very active area.
>> Very, very active. Yeah.
>> Sounds like we’ve got our work cut out for us.
>> Yes.
>> And the two of you, are you staying here?
>> We’re going to catch the last ferry back. There are no more boats until the morning. So, you are here on your own.
I’m going to hand you these. These are the keys to the fort. These are literally the keys.
>> Yes, indeed.
>> Okay.
>> All going well, we’ll see you in the morning.
>> What do you mean if all goes well? We’ll see you in the morning.
>> Hopefully.
>> Hopefully.
>> Have fun.
>> Okay. Thank you guys. All right. Look at this. We got the literal keys to Spike Island here. I mean, I have no idea what these open.
>> We’ll figure it out.
>> Okay. Should we do it?
>> Heck yeah.
>> Come on.
As the last ferry departs Spike Island with Lorraine and Null on board, Heather and I and our crew are Spike’s only residents until sunrise. We get to work setting up our base camp before fanning out with infrared cameras to cover the prison’s reported hotspots. A block, where the spirit of murdered guard William Ready is said to keep watch through burned out windows. That looks pretty good. The punishment block where prisoners were confined in total darkness for weeks and strange smells and shadow figures have recently been reported. And the courtyard Oh, it’s Heather. I thought you were the Gaunt Gunner for a second. Came out of nowhere.
>> Where Spike’s most infamous spirit, the Gaunt Gunner, was first cited.
>> How we looking?
>> We’re looking great. I think we’re in good shape.
>> So, what’s the plan?
>> Well, I don’t know. What would Phil do if he were here? probably fix his hair or talk about insects.
Oh, I’m kidding. I want to go to Ablock.
That’s where I want to go. People say they see faces in the windows. They see shadows. Plus, the place is a ruin. I love exploring a ruin. Nobody’s been in there since 85. Like, the staff doesn’t even go in there. So, I want to check it out.
>> Well, I want to go to the punishment block. It’s a no-brainer.
>> You’re a glutton for punishment.
>> No, I’m a glutton for paranormal activity.
>> Okay. Should we divide and conquer?
>> I think so. Stay in touch by walkie-talkie. See what we see.
>> All right.
>> Good luck out there.
>> Thanks.
Okay.
That is the stairwell where the photo of that shadow figure was taken.
Take out my SLS and see if I can get anything. Okay, let’s see. Get anything on these stairs.
Is there anyone there? We saw that picture that was taken right here at these stairs.
Can you show yourself to me?
My name’s Heather.
Trying to communicate.
You can make a sound.
We can use this device.
I’ve got a hit.
Were you imprisoned in here? Wave your arm if you were. There he is. There he is. Waving his arm. Waving both arms.
Okay. All right. It looks like you’re kicking the walls, pushing at the walls, just trying to get out.
Holy, he’s gone.
This cell is so small. That’s like a what? 2×2 ft cell? I would call it a closet. Can you imagine being stuck in here for 23 hours of the day? I mean, I would go absolutely crazy.
Did y’all hear that?
Is there anyone there?
>> What was that? Did y’all hear that?
Hello.
Is anyone here with me?
Is that you?
Are you the one that was just on my camera?
This definitely feels different. This feels a lot more oppressive.
We got one. It looks like he’s curled in the fetal position.
Were you tortured here?
Is that why you were in a fetal position?
Oh, it’s gone.
Holy the Did you hear that?
>> Dad, do you copy?
>> Go for Josh.
>> Hey, did you just hear that?
>> Hear what?
>> It sounded like this >> wailing of agony.
>> Sorry. It sounded like a person wailing.
>> Yes, >> like they were in pain or something. I did not hear that at all, but I’m really far from your location.
>> Look, I’ve been hearing things all over this building. My adele has been going off. You got to get over here.
>> Okay, so >> we’re on our way over. You stand by.
>> Copy that.
>> Let’s head over to her.
>> Hey.
>> Hey. What’s going on? Are you okay?
>> Yeah. I got so much activity on my SLS.
It looks like one spirit was pushing and kicking against the walls. Looks like another one was curled up in the fetal position inside the cell.
>> This is like the exact opposite of my experience. I got birds over there. So, it sounds like we should focus our efforts here.
>> Oh, yeah. It seems like whatever is here is still being punished. I want to try to put myself in the same head space that these prisoners were in when they were locked up in these cells.
>> You mean you want to actually what? Sit in one of these cells.
>> Yeah. I want to experience that isolation and see if that triggers something.
>> Okay.
[Music] Come here.
>> After capturing multiple figures on her SLS, Heather thinks getting into the headsp space of an inmate could help her communicate with whatever may still be imprisoned in the punishment block.
Using remp pods and an audio recorder, she’ll undertake a call and response session while I monitor her on the infrared cameras back at base camp.
Okay, you ready for this?
>> Yeah.
>> Where’d you get these from?
>> I got them from the museum. They are replicas, but they are accurate to the period. So, this is what prisoners here would have worn.
>> Okay.
>> All right. So, you are locked in. I have the key.
>> Now, the hood.
>> Are you sure you really want to do this?
>> This is the way the prisoners were held, and I want to get as close as I possibly can to their headsp space.
>> Okay. You ready?
Can you see anything at all?
>> No.
>> Okay. We’ve got an open walkie so I can hear your audio. I’m going to go back to the command center and monitor you from there. Okay.
>> Okay.
>> All right. Good luck. Here we go.
>> Okay.
Okay. Hey, we got good picture from here.
>> Can you hear me through the audio?
>> Yeah, I can hear you loud and clear.
>> Okay, great. I got here as well.
>> I’m turning off my mic for a minute and uh good luck.
>> This is Heather.
I’m in the dark cell.
Is there anyone here with me?
Feel free to use these re pods. Feel free to make a noise. Was that tap mute?
I just heard a tap on one side of >> a tap on the other side of me. Who’s there?
Are you a prisoner that was kept in the punishment block?
>> What’ you hear?
>> I heard the tap closer right outside of a cell >> or sound farther away.
>> Maybe try to move one of those re pods if you can >> feel it closer to the doorway.
>> Okay.
[Music] Okay.
Are you standing in the doorway right now?
Okay.
Were you a prisoner?
Were you a guard?
Is that why you’re in the doorway?
>> Okay. Maybe William Ready, the Notorious Guard.
>> Are you William ready?
>> Still going.
Oh, >> do you see anything in this room?
>> Nothing. I can see that you’re reacting to something, but >> cameras are totally clear. There’s nothing in there with you. What are you What’s happening?
>> I just heard a footstep come into this cell.
The >> What’s up? Are you okay?
>> I think I’m done. I think I went out.
>> Okay, hold on. I’m I’ll be right there.
I’ll be right there.
[Music] Heather.
>> Yeah.
>> Hold on.
>> Hey, are you okay? What happened?
>> Let me turn these off.
>> What the hell is going on?
>> It It felt like something was in the doorway and then I heard this noise.
this noise. It was like >> in the room. You heard that? Do you think it was a person?
>> Yeah. You know, the rimp pods were going off when I was asking if it was a guard, if it was William Ready. And then that noise.
>> Look, the audio recorder is still running. So hopefully if that noise was in this room, we got it.
>> Yeah.
>> Are you okay?
>> I’m a little shook up. Yeah, it >> it is very uncomfortable being in this room by yourself.
>> Let’s get you out of these. Come on.
>> Okay.
>> Okay. Come on. Let’s get out of here.
Let’s get some fresh air.
>> Yeah.
>> Handcuffs.
We keep watch on our cameras in the solitary confinement cell and throughout Spike’s other hotspots, but no new activity surfaces.
Heather and I head to the abandoned cells where prisoners believe they communicated with a demonic presence.
>> Okay. Into the abandoned cells. Pretty forboding.
>> Yeah. What could go wrong?
>> Ooh.
>> Wow. This place is abandoned. All right.
Look at it. Oh my word. It just goes on in both directions. Wow. Let’s try to find that really notorious cell B9, right?
>> Let’s check it out.
>> Oh, wow. These aren’t numbered.
>> Okay, these must be the old cells.
This This is definitely creepy. Take a couple pictures.
How creepy is this place?
>> Hey, Gates.
>> Yeah.
>> Come here. Check this out.
>> You know that one picture that Liam showed us that kind of looked like a person?
>> Yeah. With like a head at the top?
>> Yeah. Well, when you were looking at the cell across the way, your reflection was in the plexiglass.
>> Oh, really? I snapped a picture of it.
Check it out.
>> Oh, look at that.
It totally reflects off of this plexi.
So, maybe that’s what somebody snapped in their image.
>> Yeah, that may be able to explain it.
>> Totally. Right. If you were taking a picture against this highly reflective plexi and somebody was standing out in the hall or across the hall, >> it would look like a ghost. So, that’s me.
>> Yeah.
>> And then this big shadow is you.
>> Yeah.
>> Who’s this? What do you mean?
>> The hell is this? That’s not me or you.
That’s a face.
You could see the bridge of the nose, the mouth. You can almost see like hair.
>> The eyes.
>> Black sockets for eyes.
>> You know what it looks like? It’s like the gaunt Gunner, >> right?
There’s nothing in the window itself.
>> There’s no smears. No, no, >> no. I mean, it’s a dirty old piece of plexiglass, but there’s nothing in there that if you just take a picture of it, it doesn’t reflect back as a face.
Let’s try to find that really notorious cell B9. Right.
>> Yeah.
>> That’s where these prisoners said they thought something demonic showed up.
Let’s go.
>> Okay.
Knife B9 right there.
[Music] Oh boy.
This place is so off thecharts scary.
>> I got a surprise for you.
>> What?
>> No.
>> Come on.
>> This is exactly what we shouldn’t be doing.
>> You’re always talking about trigger objects. Yeah, >> this is the trigger object of all trigger objects for this room.
>> This is incredibly dangerous. You shouldn’t be doing this. And who knows what the hell they brought up in here.
>> You think this works?
>> Yeah, this is not a game.
>> It literally is. They sell it at Target.
>> Just because they do doesn’t mean that they should.
>> We know there were prisoners in this room using homemade spirit boards and that they contacted something. Isn’t that why we’re here? Trying to figure out what’s in this room?
>> I I I don’t disagree. We just need to be extremely careful while using this.
>> We’ll be careful.
>> Okay, >> let’s do it. Come on.
>> You ready?
>> I’m ready.
>> Okay. The most important detail is when we are done, we have to close the session down. We are not going to do what these prisoners potentially may have done and left something open. We move the planchet to goodbye. We say goodbye and then we remove the planchet from the board.
>> Okay. So, it’s one hand, two hands. Two >> two hands, one finger.
>> Yep. Ready?
>> Okay.
>> Okay.
>> If there’s anyone here with us, can you move the planchette?
>> It’s moving. It’s moving. It’s moving.
>> G, >> are you trying to communicate with us?
Oh my god.
Yes.
You’re not pushing it.
>> No, I’m not pushing it.
>> I’m not pushing it either.
>> Were you the face in the window?
>> No.
>> No.
>> Were you a prisoner in this room?
[Music] Four.
>> Four prisoners. Four prisoners in here.
>> When you were a prisoner here, did you use a spirit board like this?
And did that spirit board work?
>> Yes. Yes.
Okay.
>> Do you know what you contacted in this room?
H E L L Hell. Hell as in they thought there was a demonic presence in this room.
>> Yeah.
Is there anything that you want to tell us?
>> R you >> N >> run >> run.
>> What the was that?
