[McSwiggins]

I've not had any but my mother is very sensitive when it comes to spirits. I dont mean she sits around channeling them but she has had many different experiences in many different places.

One I will always remember her telling me is that when she was 4 or 5 years old in Ireland, she lived at some place called Dyke Parade in Cork City, County Cork, Ireland. No, I am not being rude or slandering others, thats actually what this place is called. She said that living there she knew a boy. I dont recall what his name was but I've heard it before. Anyway, she was apparently the only one who could see this boy. She had no idea no one else could see him for quite a while to. Declan! Thats the kids name. It just popped in my head. Anyway, she used to play with Declan and people would ask her who she was talking to. Everyone brushed it off as an imaginary friend until one day she told her da that Declan was burried under a bush in the garden and that he had been for longer than either of them were alive. My granda told her to stop being a messer (meaning a fool or jokster in Irish slang). He told her Declan didnt exist and told her to drop it. She didnt. Word apparently got out and the neighborhood kids were teasing her. She continued on about Declan and her parents had enough amd moved.
Fast forward to when she's 16 in 1979. She's an unwed teen expecting twins (my brother and I). Ireland was a very Catholic nation at this point. Contraceptives were illegal as well as divorce (even in circumstances of abuse and adultery) along with other things along this nature. Her parents disowned her for "bringing shame on their good Catholic name". My father lets his older brother, my Uncle Levi know whats up and he invites them to stay with him and his family in Dublin City, County Dublin. My Uncle is a retired history professor and at the time was still working. He was headed back to Cork City to do some research about something he planned on teaching. My mother asked him if he could look up death records for the Dyke Parade area and gave him Declan's full name. Sure enough he came back later than evening and said he found Declan's death record. He apparently lived in Dyke Parade and died of hunger in the potato famine. Apparently the family burried him under the bush because they couldnt even afford food, so how would they be able to afford a funeral?
So, Mammy's "imaginary friend" was the spirit of an actual deceased boy.

Like I said, she's spiritually sensitive and has more than just this story.