Gary Gamble is usually found bringing music and laughter to an audience, but his latest adventure involved something rather different: a reportedly haunted rectory, a famous paranormal investigator and an encounter he will not forget.
Through several years attending a psychic development course, Gary made lasting friendships with people who shared his interest in the paranormal. Among them were mother and daughter Lisa and Emma Tully. Lisa owns Sharon Rectory in County Donegal, a house known for its reported hauntings. Gary visits regularly for tea, a catch-up and conversations about all things paranormal, occasionally reading their palms along the way. The interest has family roots: one of Gary’s grandmothers read tea leaves, while his other grandmother always seemed to know things before anyone told her. Those stories, however, are for another day.
On Thursday evening, Gary arrived at the rectory carrying Irish gifts and holy water to meet a special visitor from America: Chris McKinnell, grandson of Ed and Lorraine Warren, whose paranormal investigations helped inspire The Conjuring films. Chris began accompanying his grandfather on investigations at just 16. Gary had first made contact with him several years earlier, sharing accounts of the unusual experiences he and his friends had reported during visits to Sharon Rectory.
Meeting in person inside the house made the occasion particularly memorable. Gary felt an immediate connection with Chris, whose warmth and reassuring manner reminded him of the qualities he associated with Lorraine. As they explored the rectory, Chris discussed what he believed were different spiritual presences within its rooms. Gary says the group witnessed what they believed to be a single apparition manifesting. Despite the unusual experience, he recalls feeling calm and safe, reassured by Chris’s presence and the way he guided the evening.
Joining Gary, Lisa, Emma and Chris was Mark, a demonologist from Durham who was accompanying Chris on his UK and Ireland tour. Gary found him equally engaging, and the group spent hours sharing experiences and discussing the atmosphere of the house. Conversation continued late into the night before they brought the visit to a close and headed home, ready to meet again the following evening.
On Friday, Gary joined his friends at Lifford Old Courthouse for Chris’s presentation. According to Gary, the event was sold out, with an attentive audience settling in as the talk began at around 8pm. Chris spoke about his earliest investigations alongside his grandparents, explaining the differences between the cases as he knew them and their dramatic portrayals on screen. For Gary, hearing those personal accounts brought a new perspective to stories familiar from The Conjuring franchise.
Annabelle also featured in the discussion. Unlike the porcelain figure seen in the films, the doll associated with the Warrens’ investigations is a Raggedy Ann doll. Gary recalls Chris speaking about warnings surrounding its handling and removal from the museum where it had been kept. The discussion also touched on reports that a 54-year-old man involved in a US tour featuring the doll had died during the tour. Reporting at the time stated that his cause of death was awaiting investigation.
Throughout the presentation, photographs and footage showed houses connected with investigations, the people involved and a young Chris alongside Ed and Lorraine. Gary also recalls watching footage presented as documenting exorcisms, making for an intense and absorbing evening. Beyond the frightening stories, however, it was Chris’s personal connection with his grandparents that made the deepest impression. As he spoke about Lorraine and being with her towards the end of her life, Gary noticed some audience members becoming tearful.
One particularly memorable moment came when Gary had the opportunity to hold two sets of rosary beads that Chris identified as having belonged to Lorraine and accompanied her during her work. For Gary, whose interest in the paranormal stretches back through his own family, it was a moving connection to someone whose life and experiences had fascinated him for years.
Gary also saw a keepsake that had belonged to Lorraine Warren: a linen cloth depicting a donkey and foal in an Irish landscape, which she had acquired in Ireland many years ago.
Lisa and Emma helped welcome the audience, checking tickets and guiding people to their seats. Gary also came away with a book signed by Chris and a signed copy of Emma’s book about Sharon Rectory — personal reminders of two extraordinary evenings spent among friends.
The night continued with a ghost hunt in the old courthouse jails, but Gary had to leave that part of the adventure to the others. An early departure for Spain and another week of country music performances were waiting. From tea at Sharon Rectory to stories behind some of cinema’s best-known paranormal films, it had been quite a change from his usual stage appearances. This time, Gary had taken a gamble with ghost hunting.
Gary wishes Emma every success with the Sharon Rectory Halloween tours and sends Chris his very best wishes for the remainder of his tour. He also thanks Lisa, Emma, Chris and Mark for their warm welcome and two unforgettable evenings.
Discover more about Sharon Rectory and its Halloween tours at www.sharonrectoryireland.com, and explore Chris McKinnell’s book, work and tour information at www.chrismckinnell.com.
