An Irish ghost has made himself famous in Argentinian lands, according to Sofía Stupiello.
Stupiello’s article first appear in a newspaper called The Southern Cross. It is a journal specifically for Irish-Argentinians. There are circa 500,000 readers, all fascinated by all things Irish. Irish Argentines are Argentine citizens who are fully or partially of Irish descent. Irish emigrants from the Midlands, Wexford and many counties of Ireland arrived in Argentina mainly from 1830 to 1930, with the largest wave taking place in 1850–1870. The modern Irish-Argentine community is composed of some of their descendants, and the total number is estimated at 1 million people.
Irish Ghost Makes Itself Known
In 1921 a paranormal event caught the attention of the national media who reported on it widely: the spirit of an Irishman tormented the people of San Andrés de Giles in Argentina. It was thought to be the soul of a labourer who worked in the fields and drowned, drunk in a ditch with water. The field was right near the train line that took passengers into Buenos Aires.
The rumours of the Irish ghost and its appearances spread throughout the region. The police authorities and later even the priests had to intervene to try to somewhat reassure people of the area. But the Irish ghost persisted. Journalists from the daily La Nación and La Razón turned up to San Andrés de Giles to cover this inexplicable event that disturbed a small town. The person most disturbed by the ghost was the owner of the ranch where the Irish ghost chose to appear: Santiago Mealey.
Spiritualists to the Rescue
Joaquín Trincado, a Spanish spiritualist based in Buenos Aires, had an explanation for these events. Trincado reported that the Irish subject’s name was Pedro Rositer. He said that Rositer was very drunk at the time of his death. Because he died in this state, his body transmitted his intoxicated state to his spirit. This made him a very obnoxious ghost.
Trincado gathered the stories published in national media and testimonies from residents of the area who told him what happened. He penned a book about the Irish ghost in 1921.
As for the tormented family who owned the field, Trincado said that the Mealey family ranch, “is near the ditch in which Rositer drowned, so that all the occupants and people in the field say they have verified the phenomenon.”
In 1921 Humberto Terrery, a resident of San Andrés de Giles, confirmed the existence of the ghost. Terrery reported that he “feels that when one speaks to him, insults him and insists that he leave the field; the spirit takes over the boys and they get angry; the lady also says it speaks for her.”
The Irish ghost was terrifying. Trincado reports in his book that the neighbours and the family are assured that “the spirit of Rositer does not let them live in peace or dedicate themselves to their tasks. They say that he appears to them, speaks to them and mistreats them harshly, even applying hand blows to their faces and bodies.”
Here Come the Priests
Trincado also said that priests from Giles, San Miguel and Capitán Sarmiento came to the ranch to try to solve the problem of the Irish ghost, but the torments continue. In his book, Trincado mentions Víctor Carolán, a priest of San Pablo. This priest came to the city to scare away the ghost and rid the Mealey family of their problems with it. “Father Carolán prepared to call the unruly spirit of Rositer to order, arming himself with all the divine resources. At the haunting site, he officiated a mass and administered communion to several children, performing the ceremony as an exorcism to ward off the devil. Many families attended the event, but contrary to what was expected, the phenomenon occurred in the presence of Father Carolán and everyone. The crucifix of the altar fell to the ground, the candles extinguished themselves and the building vibrated as if it were shaken by all the fury of hell.”
This fact was also reported by La Razón newspaper. “The priest celebrated a mass, and here, the spirit not only mocks this pantomime but also pulls over the priest, knocks down candles and Christ cannot demonstrate his power. The police took over, revolver in hand.”
The police that intervened in the case, including the San Andrés de Giles commissioner and a police officer from Carmen de Areco, reported, “Strange noises, whistles and 235 voices are heard in all the rooms of the room, in the event that family members have had to leave the house, under the action of fear.”
One has to wonder if the Irish ghost is still there today… or if he has sobered up and moved on to his afterlife. I guess the lesson here is don’t drink too much – if you die you’ll be an obnoxious ghost.
Interested in other ghost stories? Then check this out!
