Ireland is filled with a myriad of wonders each one of its landmarks bearing a legacy that acclaims to the ancientness and greatness of its people. There is so much to see and so much to know when you visit Ireland. The land is ancient and filled with so much mystery. Take a walk and you will wonder about every nook and corner you cross. There are the beautiful ancient castles which lie close to the shores of some of the most pronounced lakes and rivers in Ireland and there are of course plenty of historic locations like the Mussenden Temple Library built in 1785 with the architectural design reminiscent of the Temple of Vista in Rome, Italy. No one knows what sat before in this structure but there are stories about blood appearing from nowhere on the floors and then disappearing right before your eyes! Then there was the story of a pentacle that was found in the library which was quickly rubbed away. No one knows why it was there at all and this is the mystery that pervades the country. There is never an explanation for everything paranormal that happens in Ireland because the historical information is timeless and if those mysterious sites are believed to be Druid linked, there's no information about it at all because the ancient Druids never believed in recording their knowledge of the elements of nature and the rituals acquired through years of practice. They learned everything by heart and passed on their wisdom by word of mouth only.
But deep in Larne, Northern Ireland where the northeast section of Ballyboley Forest lies there is a site thought to be the site of ancient Druid worship. It is a site many have kept away from even though the Northern Ireland government has opened it up as a park for horse riding, camping and fishing activities. While some people may dispense the stories as mere chance, many have claimed experiencing an eerie feeling that they are watched in the area. There are claims of shadowy figures, black smoky trails and loud screams even though no one has been spotted in sight. Some have claimed to hear inhuman growls and noises which are not of this world, sending chills down the spine. The place simply terrorizes and no dares walk the area even with the sun up so high. In all, Ballyboley Forest is just not the kind of place to be in least of all being visited in the late hours of the Irish night.
As stated earlier, Ballyboley Forest bears some traces of what could have been an ancient Druid site, possibly a place where human sacrifice and cult worship was practiced. There are many traces of that Druid influence. Even till today despite the strong woody and grass overgrowth, there are still the signs of circular trenches and stone formations which attest to this culture and history has notated that during the 15th up to the 17th centuries, many people disappeared in the forest and never returned. It is not known where they went but many claim the site is an opening to the Celtic spirit world. Could it be that in walking the wrong path, these people simply walked to another world not their own? That's a wonder but many people think this section of the forest is like an opening to the Druid world and the wrong move could cost you an unpleasant journey indeed! The Druids practiced human sacrifice and although we shun may them as heathens or barbarians maybe, they were the wise people of the ancient Celtic days, the high priests and priestesses who knew the secrets of the ancient world and those secrets are the kind that told on nature that the average man may not know about.
In 1997, two men in the forest heard a strange sound more like that of a woman in pain. They desperately sought the source of the voice believing that someone was in trouble and in need of help. Little did the men expect to see anything so bizarre! According to them, they had walked sufficiently deeper in the forest before they felt something strange was happening to them. Their fears grew to horror seeing heavy blood stains on trees. Although the sounds of a woman in trouble had gotten louder with them being where they were, nothing was in sight. They couldn't find any woman but what they saw on the trees was enough to make them sprint miles away. As they ran, one of the men had a compulsion to turn around and there right before where the bleeding trees were, he could see four men all wearing brown. They stood somber and frightening, their heads all covered with hoods. The sight naturally frightened the men and for years, there have been claims about Ballyboley Forest pointing to the occult and shadows being present. There's just something in the forest that frightens everyone and there are no explanation for those screams and shadows which originate in this area. Just what are they?
No one really knows…