Julia Irvine

It was with great sadness that we learned of our beloved friend Julia's passing on Sunday evening after having battled with her illness for some time.

Julia, an animal lover and dedicated veterinary nurse for many years, also had a great passion for the work that we do, and was a valued member of the PSI team and a very dear friend.  Always a smile and a joke for everyone, she was known for her sharp sense of humour and for keeping the boys in check if we ever stepped out of line! 

She was greatly missed during her recent absence from the team and during filming of the 2nd GH series.  A beautiful and unique individual, she has left a space in all of our hearts and will be remembered forever as a free spirit who liked to enjoy life and the company of all those she loved.

We would like to convey our deepest sympathies to family and friends at this difficult time.

We love and miss you Julia.  Rest in Peace.  xx

 

 

Andy & Marion join the PSI team

We are delighted to announce that Andy Matthews & Marion Goodfellow have now joined the PSI team as associate members. 

Having worked with them on both series of 'Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts', we have finally added Andy & Marion as associate PSI  members.  Better late than never guys!  We look forward to our continued work with Andy & Marion on research and experiments both on and off TV. 

 

PSI - ROI

PSI have recently set up a new team in the Republic of Ireland.  Ally O'Flynn, our newest addition to the team, is based in Dublin will head up the team. 

Ally, already a valued team member has been busy researching locations in the south with a view to visiting these with the core team throughout 2010. 

We would like to put out an invitation to those individuals currently residing in ROI with an interest in the study of alleged paranormal pheneomena and who also have skills in Audio/Visual Analysis, Technology Development, Psychology, or any other relevant areas.

As we develop the team and our presence in ROI, we will keep you posted on any news on investigations and research on this page.

 

Latest PSI Experiments 

Over the past number of years, PSI have been developing several audio & visual experiments in order to better understand phenomena captured and also to rule out the possibility of outside influence/contamination.

Viewers will get the chance to see the success in the groundbreaking results achieved, which have never before been seen on television or to our knowledge been attempted by any other research group.  We are limited to the amount of information we can currently disclose due to media embargos.  We will be working to refine these ideas and expand the use of these across the wider spectrum of paranormal research.

 

NIPRA Charity Evening in Richhill

We would like to make an announcement on behalf of NIPRA (Northern Ireland Paranormal Research Association), who are holding a charity overnight stay on Saturday the 24th April in Richhill castle, Armagh, in aid of Cancer Research.

 

 NI Greatest Haunts - Series 2 Filming Completed

Greatest Haunts is back!  For all those who watched the 1st series and anyone who didn't catch it, series 2 has just completed filming on Sunday 15th Feb and will air in April 2010.  For obvious reasons there's a certain amount we have to keep quiet for now, well we wouldn't want to spoil it for you now would we?  We will however, keep you posted where we can.  For all the latest info, check out the Greatest Haunts group page here

 

Gordon Lyttle

It was with great sadness that we received the news during the week that Gordon Lyttle, owner of Richhill Castle had passed away.  Gordon, a dowser at one time himself, took great interest in our work and that of many other groups coming to visit the castle over the years.  We were always made to feel welcome at Richhill and even through his illness Gordon would often still take the time to have a chat with the team when we would arrive. 

Our thoughts are with his beloved wife Helen, son Paddy and the whole of the Lyttle family at this difficult time.

 

PSI meet Lorraine Warren

PSI were privileged to have an opportunity to meet Lorraine Warren and Tony Spera (New England Society for Psychic Research) prior to Lorraine's public talk at the Hilton Hotel, Belfast.  Whilst in Northern Ireland, Lorraine also spent some time at a private home in Belfast where alleged activity has taken place over the years.  PSI were asked to join Lorraine on her walk around of the location and we also had the opportunity to carry out an interview with both her and Tony, gaining an insight into some of the work that they do.  Both were interested to hear some of the theories and current research being worked on by the team in preparation for the 2nd series of NI Greatest Haunts.

For those unfamiliar with Lorraine and her work, she is a world renowned Psychic and Demonologist famous for investigating the likes of Amityville along with her late husband Ed Warren.  She has also appeared in the USA based hit series 'Paranormal State' and is regarded as one of the original 'Ghost Hunters'.

After sharing some ideas, we intend to keep in touch with both Lorraine and Tony to exchange views on various areas of research.  We would like to thank both for taking an interest in the team and allowing us to conduct an interview, which will be added to the Multimedia section in the next few days.

 

U105 Interview

We were contacted by U105 today to give our opinion on a photograph taken at the Limavady Workhouse, which featured in the Daily Mirror on Thursday 12th November.  The image was what seemed to be the ghostly apparition of a nurse holding her baby.  Both seemed to be dressed in period clothing.  After having filmed an episode of NI's Greatest Haunts at the Workhouse, and upon initially studying the photograph, it seemed to tie in with a number of eye witness accounts and documented reports over the years from staff working with the Roe Valley Hospital of a tragic incident involving a Nurse and her newborn child.

Mark, having a wealth of experience in analysing both audio and visual evidence was asked to give his opinion on the photograph.  His view was that although this was an extremely interesting image, given the complexity of this kind of analysis and the various domestic possibilities, it would take further investigation and visits to the location in order to come to a final conclusion.

Since the article was published, there has been a lot of media interest.  The team intends to spend some time at this location in the near future.

 

British Armed Forces Radio

PSI took part in an interview for British Armed Forces Radio and were joined by some initially skeptical staff from the station on an investigation at Richhill Castle.  Whilst no physical phenonena was experienced, after demonstrating our investigation techniques including EVP analysis we were able to show that investigations can often be a complicated and laborious process, yielding few results.

Always wanting to remain balanced we carried out a psychological test with 2 members from the station whereby we fed them some false information on the history of the building and in particular a room where no activity has been reported.  Following this, the guys started to associate otherwise environmental stimuli to that of a 'paranormal experience'.  Creaks and taps suddenly became that of a ghostly nature and they soon became pretty freaked out, believing that what they were experiencing fell in line with what had been suggested.

 

NIPS/PSI attend Dublin Paracon...

NIPS/PSI attended the Dublin Paranormal Convention on Saturday as one of the exhibitors. Paracon was a fantastic success and a great opportunity to meet other groups and experts in the field. We have formed new friendships with the guys from PRAI, Leinster Paranormal, The PIGs, Spiritfinders Scotland to name but a few and very much look forward to a long working relationship with these groups in the future.

We also got advice from Ciaran O'Keefe and Steven Parsons on some ongoing research and caught up with our old friend Barry Fitzgerald of Ghosthunters International. We would like to thank the organisers for a great setup and for those groups and indivduals who made us feel very welcome in Dublin on the day. Looking forward to Paracon 3 already!

 

NIPS becomes PSI...

Following a change in direction for the group, it was felt that a name was needed which would reflect  the team’s new interests and identity as the consensus within the team was that the previous group name ‘NIPS’ was not representative of the new direction we wanted to take. 

After much discussion, the name PSI (Paranormal Study and Investigation) was decided upon. We will shortly be adopting the new name and brand with the new PSI website currently in development.

As the team have been busy with these changes and in preparation for a 2nd series of NIGH, website updates have fallen by the wayside, however you can look forward to all thes best bits of the existing site along with all the new research and ideas the team have been working on.

 

NIPS on Féile FM

NIPS carried out a live investigation for Féile FM at the Conway Mill, Falls Road, Belfast on Friday 30th Oct 09. Over the years, the mill has allegedly been host to a number of spirits including an old lady who is reputed to wander the corridors.

Accompanied by members of the public, during the investigation the team recorded a number of interesting EVPs which were broadcast live on the show. The group intend to return to the Conway mill in the near future to carry out a more in depth investigation.

 

Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts

In preparation for a possible second series of NIGH, we are currently searching for locations with stories or reported paranormal activity. We currently have a number of locations under consideration. If you would suggest any locations, please email a member of the team using the details on the contacts page.

IPA - Important Announcement

The IPA have an important announcement regarding the recent spate of supposed Parapsychology courses being offered and individuals using the weight of these imaginary qualifications in order to gain access to properties and businesses. Read more here...

Following recent discussions within the committee, a list of IPA guidelines has been drafted within the following four areas:

• Team Unity
• Research
• Discipline
• Recruitment

Current IPA members include NIPS, UFO Society of Ireland and NIPRA, with the IPA committee currently made up of Darren Ansell (NIPS), Warren Coates (NIPRA) and Betty Myler (UFO SI).

The group is currently in talks with members of C.A.P.R.A. on joining the IPA having met this promising group in recent weeks.

We aim to have a dedicated site for the IPA up and running within the next few months. Further updates can be found on the Blog.

In May 2007 NIPS founded the Irish Paranormal Alliance (IPA), a body with the primary aim of enabling groups with a genuine interest in the paranormal to share knowledge and research, and also to help provide some discipline & guidance in the field of paranormal study in Ireland. Whilst the group have been heavily involved with new research and most recently with the filming of NI's Greatest Haunts, there has been a shift of focus from the IPA. However, the group have now reopened the opportunity to apply for membership of the alliance. The Alliance will hold a twice yearly conference in the North and South of Ireland.

As membership is by application, if you would like to put your group forward, please contact Darren in the first instance.

 

Change of direction for NIPS...

After much discussion, we have taken the recent decision to step back from private home investigations as we feel we can be of limited assistance in resolving these cases. Occasionally with pyschological issues contributing, we feel a moral and professional responsibility to ensure these cases are dealt with by the correct people. We will be spending much more time on research, experimentation and investigating claims of paranormal ability.

If you feel you have any kind of ability we would be delighted to speak to you. A few examples of areas we are particularly interested in are Psychokinesis, Psychometry, Telepathy, Bilocation, Clairvoyance, Extra Sensory Perception, Precognition, Pyrokinesis, Astral Projection, Out of body experience (OBE), Healing, Levitation, Dowsing etc. etc.

Please feel free to contact us.

Equally however, if you are experiencing unsettling events at home and have exhausted all other possibilities, we would invite you to contact the team for advice.

 

NIPS NW One Year On...

Well, they've made it to the one year milestone. The NIPS North-West team that is. Headed by Roddy '40 cameras' Breslin from Omagh, the team have come on in leaps and bounds in terms of both the equipment and knowledge they have amassed in such a short period of time. Always on the lookout for new cases, and helping recently with the Greatest Haunts series, the NW team have become an integral and valued part of the greater NIPS team.

Congratulations and thankyou guys. Here's to many more years to come!!

 

Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts

We are currently awaiting news of a 2nd Greatest Haunts series. Details to be published when we have them.

The final episode of 'Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts' first series went out on Weds 25th February. The show has been a fantastic success and NIPS would like to thank all those who watched the show and for the kind comments which have been flooding in by email. Watch this section for more Greatest Haunts news in the near future. ..

Filming on the series was completed late November 2008 with the first episode airing on Wednesday 21st January 2009 on BBC1 NI.

The buildings being investigated were: Armagh Gaol; Direct Wine Shipments, Belfast; Woburn House, Millisle; Bellaghy Bawn; Limavady Workhouse/Roe Valley Hospital and Galgorm Castle. The six-part series made for BBC Northern Ireland by Coco Television is an entertaining and unusual mix, where real history meets compelling personal stories, investigation and offers unusual insights into the world of the paranormal.

You can now see some photos of the team filming in the gallery. More to be added shortly..

We are also delighted to announce that narration of the series is delivered by the instantly recognisable voice of James Nesbitt.

NIPS were selected last year to take part in this six part TV series for BBC Northern Ireland, which is presented by well known paranormal investigator Andy Matthews and will feature guest clairvoyant medium Marion Goodfellow.

NI Greatest Haunts is not another Most Haunted. This series promises to deliver new scientific research and experimentation never before seen on TV to gather evidence for and against the existence of spirits. The series is honest, true to life and very fly-on-the-wall in its approach.

NIPS have been approached by the Belfast Telegraph who wish to run a story on those who feel they have been contacted by their deceased loved ones whilst in their sleep.

We would like to encourage anyone with such experiences to contact us by Weds 3rd June 2009 so that these details can be passed on for inclusion in the article. Please contact Darren on 07834719079 with details.

 

Charity Investigation at Crumlin Road Prison

The team are delighted to be asked again to carry out a charity investigation evening for the HIV Support Centre in Belfast. The event will take place in the famous Crumlin Road Prison on Saturday 28th February 2009.

Click here for details of the event

All places have now been filled, however NIPS will be holding similar evenings in the future. If you would like to register your interest in attending one of these events, please contact Darren and further details will be sent to you closer to the time.

 

Investigation with 'Hidden Realms'

The team were delighted to welcome Chris from Devon based group Hidden Realms recently. Along with Chris, the team carried out an investigation of Richhill Castle in Armagh where we picked up some interesting EVPs which will be updated in the Gallery in the next few days.

We would like to thanks Chris and Hidden Realms for their help and advice on ideas & equipment, and we hope to join them on an investigation in England in the near future.

 

New Audio/Visual Equipment

The team have recently purchased an 8 camera CCTV DVR system and also a condenser microphone system with mixing desk. More details can be found in the equipment section

 

We are currently working on NIPS TV which can now be found in the What we do section of the site. This will enable us to stream back to back videos relating to the group or the paranormal in general. If you would like to see your group featured here, contact Mark or Tony.

On behalf of The HIV Support Centre, NIPS held a presentation of our work and a guided investigation of Richhill Castle in Co. Armagh on Saturday 23 February, raising a substantial amount of money for the Centre. The evening was a great success and enjoyed by all. We would like to thank everyone who attended and for allowing us the opportunity to demonstrate what we do. For more info, click here. You can now also see images from the evening in our Gallery.

• We have acquired a new piece of kit from the USA called the K2 Meter. The difference between a K2 meter and a standard EMF detector is that the EMF detector uses a needle to indicate the presence of energy (when the needle swings between 2.0 and 7.0, it is indicative of a nearby energy source) whereas the K2 meter uses a series of LED lights (green-yellow-orange-red) to provide a reading. We plan to use the K2 on location and in a number of planned experiments.
• NIPS are now working with Sharon Neill, a well known local medium, who carries out work across the UK. We will be working with her on many levels, including testing and experimentation in the phenomenon of Mediumship itself. More details on this will be added soon...
• NIPS will be hosting a series of Public Investigations in various 'haunted' locations across Ireland throughout 2009. There will be a fixed cost per head for partaking in one of these events which will go towards helping the group to fund new equipment and research.

  If you would like to take part in any of these events, please register your interest by contacting Darren with your details. Further information on the above will be released early next year.
   

• NIPS have launched a new Blog where we will update you on current developments in Equipment, Research, and Public investigations. It will also act as a forum for your questions, comments and also suggestions for locations for upcoming TV and radio work. You can find the blog here. As always, if you would prefer to contact us regarding a private investigation or query you can do so by using the details on our Contacts page, and your query will be handled in the strictest confidence.
• We will be aquiring a new digital voice recorder in the coming months, which will enable us to record in the very low end of Infrasound right through the audible spectrum to the extremely high frequency of Ultrasound, meaning that we will be able to capture sounds as they happen regardless of the frequency. The hope is that this will result in better quality EVP.
• NIPS would like to thank all those members of the public who have submitted photographs and video footage for analysis. NIPS are dedicated in attempting to provide answers to your questions on these. We would also like to thank those who have made suggestions for locations for public investigation. Please keep these suggestions coming in.
• Sunday Life have published an article on NIPS in their new magazine 'True Life'. This appeared in the 7th Oct edition and we will soon be including this on the website so you will be able to read the full transcript here.
• We have now added a recording of the Rowan Hand Show, which can be found here. The group were privileged to have been invited on Five FM's 'Rowan Hand Show' on Sunday 29th July to discuss our experiences and views on the paranormal. This was a great chance for Darren and Mike to chat about some of the projects we are currently working on and we would like to thank Rowan and the Five FM team for the opportunity.
• An overnight trip to Ross Castle took place in September 2007, where a number of guests from 'Friends of NIPS' were invited to take part in the investigation. Overall the night was fairly uneventful, with not much to report. The team plan to make a return visit to the castle next year.
• After some hard work from the team we have secured the use of a thermal imaging camera for use on investigation. This is a fantastic development and will become a vital piece of equipment for detecting and recording real-time fluctuations in temperature.