Maynooth’s Demon, Denial, and the Horror of Rhetoric House
In the 1840s much of Ireland was looking to God and begging for answers. Political turmoil and religious conflict collided with the Great Irish Potato Famine bringing immense suffering to the Irish people who seemed to be losing everything and everyone around them. To many young men, the priesthood could promise many positive things during a time of crushing uncertainty like a connection to divinity, the opportunity to help heal the suffering all over the land, and the ability to serve in their spiritual beliefs. For some, it was a way to guarantee a roof over their head and a meal on their plates. Laying just outside of Dublin is Maynooth’s St. Patrick’s College, the training grounds for Ireland’s Roman Catholic priests since 1795. The school was operating less than a century when it was allegedly marked with unexplained horror.
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Read the rest of the story in Hushed Up History Volume I, available now through Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com!
The outside of Rhetoric House at Maynooth (formerly known as Junior House). Image via comeheretome.com.