A “powerful” new book co-authored by a local heritage advocate and an award-winning writer and folklorist has been launched in Armagh City’s Palace Stable grounds to great acclaim from Deputy lord Mayor, Kyle Savage.
Written by Joe Garvey BEM FCIH and Martelle McPartland MA the book is the culmination of five years of dedicated community research into the sacred and spiritual history of Ballintaggart.
Entitled, ‘The Spirits Rise Again: From Stone Age Giants to the 20th Century – Six Millennia of Heritage at Ballintaggart, Portadown’ the book is a compelling blend of folklore, archaeology, myth, and local history that brings Ireland’s distant past vividly — and eerily — back to life.
At the centre of their work lies the Ballintaggart Giants Grave, a four chambered Neolithic court tomb once believed to be a portal between worlds — long disturbed, discarded, and finally reconstructed after years of community effort.
But the stones are more than archaeological remnants — they are storytellers, silent witnesses to millennia of ritual, belief, and possibly unrest.
The Spirits Rise Again explores a spiritual world shaped by animism, earth energy, fairy lore, and cursing stones, where land was sacred and supernatural forces shaped daily life.
Fairy trees that refuse to fall. Quartz crystals scattered over the dead. Whispered warnings not to disturb the ancient places. These are not merely legends, but echoes of a deep cultural truth that still lingers in the soil of Ireland.
The book delves into the enduring belief systems of pre-Christian civilizations, the forgotten sacredness of the land, and the way folklore and archaeology intertwine to tell stories both wondrous and unsettling.
Perfect for members of historical societies, folklore circles, and those who walk the land with reverence, The book offers a new insight into the sacred spaces of Ulster — and the unseen energies that still hum beneath our feet.
Part supernatural chronicle, part historical revelation, The Spirits Rise Again is both a sacred past, and to tread carefully on land that remembers.
This isn’t just a book of history. It’s a story about memory. About spirit. About a sacred place — right here in our own landscape — where the veil between past and present grows thin.
There is a warning and an invitation: to uncover the buried truths beneath our feet, to honour the sacred past, and to tread carefully on land that remembers.
The book also records stories about the area from possible murders to the antics of the landed gentry.
Speaking at the launch at the Palace in Armagh the Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Kyle Savage said: “I can only say I found this book fascinating and I must commend the authors for the research and work they put into it.
“It never ceases to amaze me that we have so much heritage in this area and yet we know so little about it. When Richmount Rural Community Association embarked on this significant heritage project I am sure it did not expect to uncover such a wealth of heritage together with all the spiritual aspects.
“It is amazing that a short distance from here we had a sacred shrine or temple from a 6,000-year-old civilisation which introduced farming to this island.
“I know that the authors Joe and Martelle campaigned hard to get this ancient megalith returned to Co Armagh and that did not happen, but they should be proud that now they manged to get it reconstructed for all to see.
“As for the spirits being happy about their new home – that is outside my realm. However, I would recommend other community groups to do some research on the heritage of their area. It does not have to be 1000s of years old but let us be proud of our ancient origins and ancestors.”
