“I’ve had two personal experiences here [at the Hibernian Cultural Center]:

My friend John Rooney was very involved with the Hibernians. He had put his heart and soul into the Hibernian events and he passed away. One day I came back from the Irish Cultural Center in Canton, and I was sitting in the room here, and John came in. You know when someone passes away, but then you see them so you have that moment of disconnect? He was waving across the room at me like this, and I waved back at him. I turned to my friend Des and said, ‘Des, it’s John!’ but at the same time I’m thinking to myself, ‘wait... John Rooney’s not alive...’ and of course I looked back and he was gone.

One afternoon I was coming down to get ready for Irish class and I was in here, and... you just know when something’s going to happen. I mean everything gets super quiet and, I don’t know, just... something is going to happen. I was looking out the door [into the hallway] and this place here is a storage- a cold storage- and it’s usually locked. All the food and the beer is in there, so it’s definitely locked. Only, as I came into the hallway, it slowly opened up, then slowly closed again. I said out loud, ‘I’ve got no time for this- and I don’t believe in ghosts!’ and walked right back here [to the classroom door]. Just as I got finished with, ‘I don’t believe in ghosts’ again, something pushed me right on the shoulder and gave me a spin a bit. I don’t often come down here on my own now. “

The basement classroom at the Hibernian Cultural Center on Green Street in Worcester, MA