The Man In The Yard

I moved into my house on the north side of Dublin, Ireland four years ago November. I was living down in the country at the time and wanted to take my children back to where I grew up. I had arranged to meet the agent at the house to sign papers and collect keys. We were in the kitchen sitting at the table, I was asking when the rubbish would be collected and other things of that nature when I inquired about the small yard just outside the kitchen where we sat. 'Oh is there someone out there cleaning out the yard?' I asked. The agent looked at me bewildered, 'ha you nearly had me there' he laughed. I clicked that he could not see the man right outside the window in the yard so I just laughed along with him.

I moved in regardless and me being me I started to ask my neighbours about my previous owners. I then looked up census on my computer and there it was: the man who had first lived there worked on the railway which is behind my house. The man I had seen had a uniform on, wore a mustache. He stood at the wall in the yard smoking a cigarette and looking right at me. I then tracked down old photos of the people who worked on the railway and I eventually found him. One hundred and twenty five years ago he had lived in my house with his wife and two children.

I have seen him a lot since, his name is Michael. He does not frighten me at all, I always feel a very warm feeling when I come home. There has been a lot of other activity that has gone on and I have seen other spirits but they are other stories I will share if anyone is interested.