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The particular case of Gef The Talking Mongoose, or the Dalby Spook, contains ample evidence but is unlikely to reach a satisfactory conclusion, writes GAYLE FIDLER
“I am not a ghost. I’m just a little extra smart mongoose.” The creature who called himself Gef and lived on a remote farm on the Isle of Man, as was once famously said.
The enigma of whatever Gef the Talking Mongoose was (or is) has baffled researchers since Gef first appeared in the 1930s. Some of the most famous names in paranormal research have tried to solve the Gef mystery.
To this day, Gef has an army of fans around the world who are intrigued by the mongoose case. However, the Dalby Ghost (as he was known locally) remains at large.
I visited Doarlish Cashen, the site of the Irving family’s remote farm. Sadly, the house was demolished in the 1970s and there is little evidence that a family home ever stood there.
Despite the lack of physical remains of the farm, the landscape has an eerie feel. It feels like something ancient still haunts the rolling hills and countryside.
Even without a mysterious talking mongoose, the area is a mystical place. There are many local stories of strange creatures and ghostly sightings. The fearsome Moddey Dhoo that haunted Peel Castle. The giant Buggane from Glen Maye who attacked a housewife. The ghostly child with no name who scared the fisherman. These are just a few of the many stories the area holds. If you’re looking for a trace of ancient magic, you’ll find it on the Isle of Man.
Details of the Dalby Ghost and its personality can be found in researcher notes and newspaper articles. The Mongoose case was even discussed in the Supreme Court and was mentioned in the House of Commons.
Who was Gef the talking mongoose, also known as Dalby Spook?
Gef may have been an extra-smart mongoose, but he was also a bad-tempered creature with a big mouth when he wanted to be. It’s hard to read some of the reports without chuckling at his quick wit and demanding temperament.
“Jim, I have a damn cough. I have a damn cold. You’ll have to get me something.’ He complained to Mr. Irving, who offered him mints as a remedy. If he was a ghost, why did he need cough drops?
Gef hated paranormal investigator Harry Price. “He is the man who puts the kybosh on the ghosts!” Gef once stated. There is an underlying sadness and fear in some of Gef’s statements. He seemed terrified of getting caught or dying. “If you try to grab me, I’ll take your finger off,” he once snarled at the Irvings as he allowed them to touch him.
Margaret Irving told parapsychologist Nandor Fodor that Gef had a great preference for food. She found teeth marks in the butter. Gef liked to eat sausages, kippers and uncooked bacon. Mrs. Irving once hid some cookies in a jar on the top shelf and didn’t tell the other family members. Later, the cookies were missing and Mrs. Irving suspected that Gef had stolen them.
Jim Irving wrote in his diary that he was once woken up by Gef at 5 in the morning. The mongoose lay sick under his bed. Jim found the regurgitated remains of carrots. Gef claimed he had been to a house eight miles away and ate all their food.
Gef would bring items from his travels across the island. Paint brushes, a ball of wool, a glove and a coin all mysteriously appeared at Doarlish Cashen. He claimed he found some of the items and stole others on purpose. Including sandwiches from a bus conductor. The man was so angry about his missing lunch that he angrily told Fodor that he would “like to get his hands on Gef.”
Gef also enjoyed listening to local gossip and reporting what he heard to the Irving family. This behavior concerned staff at the bus depot in Peel. A place where Gef liked to hang out, where they had rigged an electric trap under one of the buses to catch him. They failed in their attempt. Gef was wise to them. He told James Irving that he knew everything about it, even the exact bus number the trap was on.
I, like so many others, remain intrigued by the story of the mongoose. It took place in the perfect setting for a mystery. Wild, desolate, unforgiving land, so remote it could hardly be reached on foot.
The Irvings. A strange and complicated family that had gone from riches to rags. James Irving, a father and husband, nearly destroyed by poverty. Destitute and destitute. Desperate to provide for his wife and daughter. Margaret Irving, a formidable-looking woman who believed she was psychic. Voirrey Irving. A shy, lonely girl whose best friend was her sheepdog, Mona. The pair hunted rabbits together and hiked through the wilderness from dawn to dusk. Bullied and made fun of by her classmates, who mocked her about the Dalby Spook.
If the Irving’s made up the story, they certainly didn’t gain any financial benefit from it. It still doesn’t explain the other witnesses Gef opposed during his island rampages.
There are many theories surrounding the Talking Mongoose case. Unfortunately, that’s all they are. Theories. Everyone involved has now died. Hair samples, photos and paw prints have not provided conclusive evidence. For now, any physical trace of Gef the Talking Mongoose is gone.
What do you think of the Dalby Spooky, aka Gef The Talking Mongoose? Tell us in the comments below!
Read Gayle Fidler’s film review of Nandor Fodor and The Talking Mongoose
