Haunted Room at Queen's University in Belfast

Queen's University is in the city of Belfast (Irish: Béal Feirste) in the north of Ireland (Irish: Éire). Close to the University is Queen's Elms Village that provides accommodation for students. A tower block, now demolished, once stood in the village. It is the site of a story of a haunting that once terrorised a student allocated room 611 in the block 40 years ago. It has been the subject of reports in the Belfast Telegraph and BBC Northern Ireland over recent days. Needless to say the approaching of Halloween always sees an increase in reports of ghost stories. This story involves an account given by a man called Ken, who is described as a respected geneticist, now in his 60s. 

He has told how he and other students at Queen’s University’s Alanbrooke Hall, were haunted by a figure of “pure distilled evil” in the same university room over three years in the early 1980s. His story is told in a new BBC podcast, Uncanny; the first episode of the series - The Evil in Room 611 about his experiences in Alanbrooke Hall. He described how students had all experienced supernatural activity. in the same room over a period of three years. He went on to say that he’d later learned that three former residents of the room had allegedly died.

The former resident, who only wants to be known as Ken, described seeing an apparition of a large, black silhouette which he described as "pure distilled evil". He says his friend and roommate told him he had had a similarly disturbing experience. On another occasion Ken says he was alone on the sixth floor of the halls one weekend when he heard loud footsteps approaching his door. They stopped outside his door. After a short period the door started to be violently kicked and banged. Ken opened the door but there was no-one there and the corridor was empty.

Both Ken and his roommate James also witnessed desk drawers opening by themselves, pages of books turned by an invisible hand, flying cutlery and other incidents. Although sceptical about ghosts, Ken cannot get over the fact that he believes he saw one 40 years ago. Other students who had previous similar experiences are coming forward now that Ken has decided to tell his story.

Links:

Belfast Telegraph - Former student recalls ‘evil spirit’ in hall at university.

BBC N. Ireland - Alanbrooke Hall: Scientist tells of 'evil' apparition at QUB.

Image - Room 611 Alanbrooke image courtesy of Belfast Telegraph.