Help! My House Is Haunted: 'The Demon of Donegal' - Series 5, Episode 3 Review

In the latest episode of 'Help! My House Is Haunted,' Barri Ghai, Jayne Harris, and Ian Lawman tackle a haunted home with a gruesome past and a seemingly malevolent entity. The episode, entitled 'The Demon of Donegal,' explores the sinister goings-on at Sharon House, a former rectory that has been home to Lisa, her daughter Emma, and their family for 27 years.

As Lisa tells us in the episode, the property has a dark history of murders and hauntings. She speaks of unsettling events like shadows pacing through the kitchen and chairs scraping in the night. But what's even more intriguing is Lisa's encounter with the ghost of Mrs. Waller, who she claims is protecting her family from darker entities within the home. Mrs. Waller, a historical figure from the time when the rectory was originally built, has been dubbed the "blue lady" due to Lisa's description of her sighting.

Emma's perspective of the haunting has a much darker tone. She describes being physically affected by an unseen force—waking up with scratches, marks, and bruises. What's most disconcerting is her claim of being haunted by a seven-foot dark shadow, one that has immobilised her with an unexplainable terror. This shadow figure, unlike Mrs. Waller, has a far more malevolent vibe.

From the moment Ian Lawman steps foot into the Sharon House, it becomes apparent that this case is different. Ian describes feeling nervous as he conducts his solo psychic sweep. He encounters a mysterious man by the fireplace and even hears a growl, which he identifies as potentially coming from a "hell hound," a servant of the devil. He also picks up on a distinct aroma of lavender, suggesting the presence of another entity in the house.

While Ian concludes his psychic sweep, Barri went to meet Willy, a lodger who describes an encounter with a malevolent entity in the old servants' quarters, known as the Coachman's, where he was pinned down in his sleep.

Meanwhile, Jayne adds further layers to the story by bringing in local historian Keith Ramsey who delves into the home's tragic past. A brutal double murder in the late 18th century involving Sarah Waller and Reverend Hamilton provides a morbid backdrop to the current events. But perhaps what's most unsettling is Keith's confirmation of the hell hound, a spectral black dog, said to roam the property, corroborating Ian's psychic impressions.

With their initial investigation complete, the team regroup to share what they've learnt. Ian recounts the uncomfortable experience he had in the house, guided by a mysterious female entity. Jayne thinks this could be Sarah Waller, a past resident linked with a brutal murder.

They then invite Lisa and Emma to join them for a part of the investigation that the team call "spirit triggers." The concept is rooted in the notion that the familiar presence of the homeowners might coax elusive spirits into making contact. Here's how the investigation unfolded.

They begin by attempting to capture Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP), where Lisa and Emma are invited to call out to the spirits. EVP is a technique used to capture ghostly voices on electronic devices. The team chooses the 'Blue Lady's Room' for this exercise, a room both Emma and Lisa find to be significant. This room is thought to be connected to Sarah Waller, providing another layer of context for any spiritual activity.

As Lisa and Emma call out, asking Sarah Waller to show some sign of her presence, Ian claims to see a face manifesting in a television screen in the room. Emma notes that she too had seen an apparition reflected on that same TV. The tale takes another turn as they discuss the mysterious appearances of a dog with red eyes. Emma mentions having seen this entity and believes it to be linked with the dark energy in the house.

Jayne proposes recreating a séance that Lisa had channeled something sinister in a few years back. The idea is to perhaps draw that dark energy forward again for examination. Emma feels secure enough to participate, particularly with Ian present. As they conduct the séance, Ian calls upon spiritual guides for protection. Then something unexpected happens. Lisa begins to channel an entity that seems to answer when asked what it wants with a single word: "Souls."

Ian forcefully tells the entity that it's unwelcome, invoking a higher power to protect the occupants of the house. Lisa describes a physical sensation of burning in her hands and head, while Emma remarks that Lisa’s face appeared distorted during the channeling. The session concludes with Barri Ghai stating that their fears of a demonic entity have unfortunately been confirmed.

Once Lisa and Emma had left the property for the night, Barri, Jayne, and Ian got stuck into their nightlong investigation. They began in the dining room where the team decided to use an ITC application to attempt make contact with a spirit known as Mrs. Waller. Voices captured by their ghost-hunting gadget seemed to indicate that Mrs. Waller was trying to communicate. The team were impressed by seemingly significant phrases like "find him" and "information."

Later, the team split into smaller groups. Barri and Ian headed to the cellar with an SLS (Structured Light Sensor) camera, a device used to detect figures invisible to the human eye. At the same time, Jayne tried to gather visual evidence in the library. Both groups had interesting experiences. Barri captured a figure on his SLS camera, and Ian felt something touch his face. Meanwhile, Jayne captured a dark shadow in one of her photos.

Moving outside to the coachman’s quarters, Barri used the Alice Box, a psychokinetic device designed to capture etheric voices. Here, the investigators heard knocking sounds and used another ITC application which yielded a chilling one-word response to the question of demonic presence: "yeah."

As the investigation concluded, the team engaged in a blessing and exorcism ceremony aimed at cleansing the property. Ian led the ritual, invoking religious texts and sprinkling holy water. He claimed to feel a significant shift in the atmosphere.