Mary Gallagher was a prostitute living in the predominantly Irish community of Griffintown during the 1800's. She was murdered by another prostitute (Susan Kennedy) on 27 June 1879 in an upstairs apartment located at 242 William st. The decapitated body of Mary Gallagher proved to be a most gruesome and shocking crime, committed by a woman of the 19th century.
The headless ghost of Mary Gallagher is said to appear every seven years on the 27th of June at the corner of Rue Murray and William. These seven year anniversaries have come to be known as 'MARY GALLAGHER DAY' to the local residents of Griffintown.
The story itself is of interest to the OCPRS for various reasons. Like all reports of ghosts and hauntings, the dangers to the unsuspecting public are of primary interest. However, as with most reports of ghosts, the stories themselves provide clues that can help seperate the facts from the legends. Not having fully investigated the reports, we thought it would still be interesting to share this story with others.
The next anniversary (or 'MARY GALLAGHER DAY') is 27 June 2012. The OCPRS hopes to be there to investigate and offer perspectives that may help confirm or debunk this ghost story as another urban legend. More importantly, the investigation will serve to bring attention to Christian perspectives on such phenomena.
For more information, watch the video and check regularly at the OCPRS Toronto Canada webpage/blog to learn more about Mary Gallagher's legend. Or please contact either Marcio or Demetrius for further details and questions (emails located on the OCPRS YouTube channel)
