Ghost hunters seek N. Ireland apparition

COALISLAND, Northern Ireland, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Paranormal investigators are flocking to a Northern Ireland village after locals reported dozens of encounters with a ghost known as the "white lady."

The apparition has been the subject of dozens of reported sightings during the past six weeks near the ruins of a farmhouse just outside the village of Coalisland, The Daily Mail reported Friday.

Villagers described the purported ghost as an old lady with a sad expression, but none have been able to give any details about the woman's face.

Locals said up to 60 parked cars loaded with ghost hunters hoping for a glimpse of the white lady have lined the sides of the road near where the sightings were reported at midnight.

Warren Coates, of the Northern Ireland Paranormal Research Association, speculated that the ghost may be the spirit of a woman who died in a car accident in the area.

However, some were more skeptical of the paranormal claims.

"If you ask me, it's more likely to be a reflection of the moon on the river that flows through the area. Although the talk is that what was seen was in the shape of a person," said Desmond Donnelly, a Sinn Fein councilor.