This happened when I was sixteen; I'm thirty now, so my memory of the event is beginning to fade somewhat. I have told it many times since that night, but I want to record it here, partly just to share with you but also to serve as a written record.

I come from a small town in the north of Ireland: with a population of about 4,000. When I say town, it might as well be the countryside; it is a few streets and mostly housing estates, all surrounded by fields, woods and mountains.

Not far from my house, out in the countryside itself is the ruin of an old ring fort or ràth; Ireland is dotted with them. This one is locally known as the Fairy's Ring, and it has a somewhat haunted reputation: ghostly children, banshees, strange lights and black dogs. The kind of tales surrounding it seem to mostly be told by children, but even adults avoid the place at night.

I was never one to avoid it though. Partly due to my interest in history, fascination with ghosts and its isolated location. I would go there most nights, often dragging my friends with me. This went on from the age of thirteen until I left for England at the age of twenty-six.

This particular incident happened on Christmas Eve/Day when I was sixteen. My friend and I had been up there for hours, talking, no doubt about girls and D&D. It was after midnight when we decided to call it a night and walk back to town.

It was a clear night; the moon was bright enough to bathe the countryside I'm a silvery glow, giving us enough light to see by.

We had made it down the hill from the Fairy's Ring and onto the little country road that led back to town. We had been walking several minutes when we heard a noise. It sounded like hooves clacking against the tar of the road. At first it seemed to come from behind us, but then we realised it was coming from the road ahead.

From around a bend in the road came some sort of figure: black, darker than the night around it and featureless. We could only make out its height and vague outline. It was waist height and dog or wolf-like in shape; it seemed to have four legs but the sound was unmistakable: it had hooves.

It moved at a gallop towards us. My friend cowered behind me. I got ready to start kicking; although I was terrified and close to bolting. It ran into a bank of grass. Then we were illuminated by a bright light...

A car had come around the bend in the road (no doubt returning to one of the lonely farm houses). In the instant when the light struck us, the thing on the grass had disappeared, but in its place was a man. It had happened instantaneously.

We stepped to the side and let the car pass.

The man started walking towards us. He was wearing black trousers and shoes, but was dressed in a white anorak, which reflected the moonlight, making him visible from a distance. The oddest thing was that he was carrying a white cake box. As he got closer, my friend said, "You gave us a scare there mate!" The man did not answer him.

He passed right by me and that is when I saw his eyes: white. They were of the purest white and nothing else, but I got a strong sense of malice and hatred from them.

We ran all the way back to town.