-- Purchasing Information
| Paperback | Hardback |
Publication Date: | | 4 July 2008 |
ISBN:
ISBN 13: |
| 1-906358-14-1
978-1-906358-14-3 |
Page Extent: | | 150 |
Book Size: | | 216x138mm |
Price: | | £9.99 |
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P & P (Europe): | | £3.20 |
P & P (World): | | £5.00 |
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Publication Date: | 4 July 2008 |
Digital eBook ISBN 13: | 978-1-908548-85-6 |
Digital pdf ISBN 13: | 978-1-907792-60-1 |
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eBook Price (USA): | $12.03 |
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-- Reviews by the Famous and well Known
Ciaran and I met in the course of making the first season of the documentary series Jane Goldman Investigates, where he accompanied us on all-night vigils, helped us to devise experiments and regularly gave us the benefit of his wealth of knowledge and expertise, both on and off camera, swiftly becoming an irreplaceable cornerstone of the programme.
Until Ciaran came along, however, the cardinal rule that my team and I had come to adopt was to do our level best to keep the makers of point and counter-point as far away from one another as possible. The contributors included mediums, psychometrists, dowsers, healers and ghost hunters, as well as ordinary individuals who had experienced extraordinary events, and many had brought with them an innate distrust of anyone from the scientific side of parapsychology, often based on previous bad experiences.
But with Ciaran, things were different. Where once there had been arguments there were now conversations. It was something of a revelation.
I came to observe, however, that true dialogue between scientist and paranormal practitioner wasn’t just about tact or “people-skills”, or an affable personality, but a deep understanding of the beliefs and experiences of others, a sense of curiosity, a heartfelt love of the subject and an ability to parlay all of the above into productive communication - in other words, a genuine exchange of information and ideas.
The significance of this was, to my mind, enormous. The conflicts my production team and I had observed - and frequently been caught up in! - represented in microcosm much that is problematic in the field of paranormal research. On reflection, I can’t think of any other areas of scientific study where the state of relations between the scientists and their subjects was quite so poor – characterised by failures of communication at best and, at worst, downright hostility and distain from both sides. I often wondered whether it was no coincidence that progress in our understanding of anomalous human experience was so slow - as opposed to, say, our understanding of human behaviour or physical disease.
Little did I know, when I first wandered into the world of paranormal study fourteen years ago that I was, in fact, walking into a battleground. I expected conflicting theories, certainly, and varying beliefs, but where I expected to find lively debate I found something more akin to trench warfare, with pot-shots being taken by either side at anyone who stuck his head over the parapet, and a marked sense that ultimately, there was no hope of victory for either faction.
As a journalist and author of non-fiction who aspired to uphold the “Just the facts ma’am” school of neutral reporting, I found myself in no man’s land. And, despite meeting a great number of intelligent and fascinating people from both sides of the battlefield, I still had a sense of wandering in isolation until I had the great good fortune to encounter Ciaran. And boy was I pleased to see him. Not just a fellow traveller through the hail of crossfire but – if you’ll excuse me for stretching this already over-extended metaphor to within an inch of it’s life – one who was unafraid to suggest calling a truce and having a game of intellectual football instead.
I’d also struggled with the constant pressure to categorise my approach to the subject. I had quickly learned that, in the world of paranormal enquiry, neutrality seemed not to be a tenable position, and that one could expect to be called upon with some regularity to declare one’s allegiance in the most simple terms available.
The main choices, it appeared, were to be either “open-minded” or “a sceptic” – soubriquets which themselves made the issue even more confusing. For my part, I certainly considered myself open-minded (although an open-mind, like a sense of humour, is something that everyone thinks they have – even those who seem to show no evidence for it whatsoever.) But “open-minded” had, it seemed, come to mean “a person who believes in paranormal explanations for unusual phenomena”. Which didn’t describe me with any great accuracy. To me, theories that purported to solve life’s mysteries in a way that relied on new and unproven laws of the universe were as unsatisfying as reading a fabulously intriguing whodunnit only to be told at the end that the butler did it in the locked room by magic. Suddenly the mystery is no longer mysterious, the intrigue no longer intriguing, and all we’re left with is an answer that doesn’t fit in with how the world works, and a whole lot more questions.
So was I a sceptic? Well, in the true sense of the word, I certainly was. But in the modern lexicon, the word is all too often used to mean “someone who does not believe in paranormal phenomena and thinks that anyone who claims otherwise is deluded or making it up”. That wasn’t me either. And among many smart, sincere and friendly mediums, paranormal researchers and people I’d met who’d had odd experiences of one kind or another, “sceptic” was pretty much on a par with any of the words you might reach for when addressing someone who had just rear-ended your car.
The ideal sceptic would be one who escapes from this semantic nightmare – a questioner who is both open-minded and (in the classical sense) sceptical, a shining example of one who adopts a genuine neutrality in their approach, whatever it may be. A true sceptic is not out to prove – as so many of the scientists I met seemed to be - that claims of the anomalous were there merely to be refuted, rather than understood. But neither - like so many on the non-scientific side of the fence – should they accept that some mysteries had already been solved to satisfaction.
My sheer delight at having met Ciaran, then, wasn’t just about things being considerably more pleasant down the pub at the end of a day’s filming (though that was certainly a nice bonus). It was about setting a template for an approach to dialogue and investigation that I still strive to emulate myself, and would unhesitatingly urge everyone, from amateurs and students to experts alike, to adopt. I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting Billy Roberts, but his eloquence and open-mindedness make him the ideal pairing in this journey of enquiry.
In this field what is needed is inspiration for the opposing sides to lay down their weapons and have their no-man’s land match. And to my mind, this book is that game – a rousing yet civilised kick around of ideas and so much more. For it represents a powerfully significant step towards the uniting of those who experience the paranormal and those who study the world by scientific method, that can surely only lead to advancement in the further understanding of anomalous human experience.
Jane Goldman, Novelist and Sci-Fi Author - Written the Foreword
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This truly is a first of its kind! And about time too! The parapsychologist and the clairvoyant come head to head on paper,and the outcome is fantastic! For all you believers and sceptics this is a must and a truly fascinating read. I loved it!
Yvette Fielding, Paranormal Investigator and Television Presenter
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-- Newspaper and Website Reviews
THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Daily Express
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Ilford Recorder
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Psychic News
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Birstall News
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Things that go bump in the night...the X Files...wherever you go the public's fascination with the world of spooky phenomena is always apparent.
Every year, over 200 people in the UK alone report that their homes have been infested by a poltergeist, and over four times that number claim to have seen a ghost. So, is there really “something out there” watching over us?
YES, says world-renowned medium and psychic Billy Roberts, who has personally visited over 100 haunted locations.
MAYBE, says Ciarán O'Keeffe, PhD, who can be seen voicing his thoughts on Living TV’s Most Haunted programme, although he's currently extremely sceptical.
To sort matters out, Roberts and O'Keeffe have penned a book together titled The Great Paranormal Clash, where believer and sceptic go head-to-head over whether paranormal phenomena really do take place or not.
I spoke to Dr. O'Keeffe and Billy Roberts and asked each one to spell out just why they believe – or disbelieve – in ghosts, ghouls and the host of other spooky goings-on that have us all so fascinated...
Ciarán O'Keeffe:
“As a scientist I'd have to say its not about belief - its about assessing the evidence. You have to remain objective and try not to be biased in any way. By having a 'belief' on either side of the fence this would completely ruin any attempt at objectivity.
“The number of natural explanations for haunting experiences is huge. These include suggestion, hallucination and sensory deprivation. I've very rarely seen a case where every single one of these natural explanations has been discounted, so the doubt is always there.
“Mentalists, cold readers, and con artists are able to pretend to be psychic and some of them are quite convincing. So be aware that there are 'pseudo-psychic' techniques and that psychology plays a big part in a psychic reading being successful”.
“There is some extremely convincing positive evidence for telepathy amongst the laboratory research of parapsychologists over the past 50 or so years. But even this evidence is extremely weak. So why should I pay anything up to £100 to have someone read my mind when a) I know what's in there, and b) the evidence for telepathy exists, but it doesn't come from psychics?”
Billy Roberts:
“In my 25 plus years working as a medium, in 100 of the so-called “haunted” locations I have attended, perhaps one or maybe two have been interesting and presented what I could honestly call some sort of paranormal activity. The way in which the paranormal is portrayed on television today I think is responsible for the silly way it is perceived by the general public.
“I believe that our prehistoric forebears communicated their thoughts telepathically, and that genuine mediumistic skills are based on the process of telepathy. I always believe that telepathic skills can be developed, but mediumistic skills cannot. Wishful thinking does not make a medium - honesty does!
“I think it is good that parapsychology is today taking an active part in the paranormal; at least this makes it a little more difficult for 'Joe or Mary Bloggs' to become a working medium.
“The one thing I have learned over the years is that mediumship is extremely unreliable - it doesn't always work, regardless of whether or not the medium is genuine. Mediumship is an experiment, and no matter how famous the medium, no one has the power to “call back” the so-called dead”.
My own feeling is that both O'Keeffe and Roberts have a good point to make.
Do I believe in psychic phenomena and the paranormal? Yes I do, and I've spent over a decade writing my WraithScape column for the Gazette in which I've related literally hundreds of true-life inexplicable encounters. However, it would be wrong to blindly ignore many of the rational explanations that sceptics put forward as many of them provide sensible answers to seemingly insoluble mysteries.
Competition:
Just who wins The Great Paranormal Clash will be decided by you, the reader. Tell me in no more than one hundred words why you believe or disbelieve in the paranormal, and the best two entries will be published in my column and will receive a free copy of The Great Paranormal Clash personally signed by the authors. E-mail your answers to wraithscape@mikehallowell.com by 8 August.
What Gazette Readers Think:
Shop assistant Nicola Wake, from Newcastle, is a sceptic.
“I believe in spiritual healing, but I don't believe in ghosts. When I see one I might change my mind, but until then I'd have to say its just down to people's imagination”.
Computer programmer Milton Smith says he's definitely a believer:
“I haven't seen a ghost myself, but my mother says she has and I believe her. Too many people claim to have seen things for it not to be true”.
Pensioner Edna Wilson, from Jarrow, also believes in the paranormal:
“I once had my fortune told and it all came true, so there's definitely something in it. I think ghosts are the spirits of the dead, and that they come to us when we need them”.
The Great Paranormal Clash by Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe and Billy Roberts is published by Apex Publishing at £9.99 (ISBN: 1-906358-14-1), and can be ordered from the Apex website at: http://www.apexpublishing.co.uk/
If you’d like to see your own spooky stories in print, e-mail them to wraithscape@mikehallowell.com
Visit the WraithScape website at http://www.mikehallowell.com/wraithscape/
The Shields Gazette
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
PSI Journal of Investigative Psychical Research Magazine
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Paranormal Magazine
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GHOST SHOW BLASTED
Southport Champion
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Psychic News
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
The Lowestoft Journal
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Bangor and Anglesey Mail
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Psychic News
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Psychic World
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Two Worlds: The Monthly Magazine for Spiritualists
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Farnham Herald
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
The Brit (Madeira Newspaper)
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Nuneaton News
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Tenby Observer
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The Great Paranormal Clash is a fascinating book, and long overdue. For too long, genuine sceptics and sincere believers have crossed swords with each other (mostly metaphorically, but occasionally sometimes literally, I suspect) over whether paranormal phenomena have any basis in reality.
Billy Roberts is a gifted medium and, it goes without saying, therefore a “believer”. Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe is a committed but open-minded sceptic. I can cope with believers like Roberts, because they never get above themselves. I can also cope with sceptics like O’Keeffe, because they never become so entrenched in their scepticism that they lose their objectivity. Put the two together in the same room, however, and we can expect horns to be locked in a way that would earn HBO a pretty penny if it were televised as a pay-per-view event.
It is to the eternal credit of Roberts and O’Keeffe that they have managed to collaborate on this incredible volume – a fascinating work in which both air their respective views whilst still maintaining a good professional relationship.
Roberts is a believer because he has simply seen too much to leave doubt intact. O’Keeffe takes a scientific approach, and candidly admits that much evidence in favour of “the paranormal” is subjective and doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. Probably there is much truth in both their arguments.
The service that this book provides to people on both sides of the fence is that it makes one reconsider one’s own position. Those, like me, who firmly believe that paranormal phenomena do take place (and far more than we may like to imagine) will be unable to read The Great Paranormal Clash without at least giving the sceptical arguments serious consideration. Sceptics will, I believe, be drawn by the force of Roberts’ conviction to at least meditate upon how solid their own position really is.
Those who read this book will be believers, sceptics or agnostics. All three groups will be forced to do some serious thinking as they peruse these pages. The Great Paranormal Clash is a welcome change to some of the pap currently floating around within the world of psychical research. Don’t miss it.
Mike Hallowell, The Shields Gazette
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It is not often that a leading parapsychologist and a top psychic would join forces to write a book together. Ciaran O'Keeffe has a reputation of being a hard-to-please, yet fair investigator of all things paranormal, a serious parapsychologist to be respected. Billy Roberts has been a top psychic medium for many years. You don't last the distance year in, year out, unless you are genuine and accurate. In this book, Billy the clairvoyant, and Ciaran the parapsychologist, give their opinions on many facets of the paranormal world, respectful of each other, yet challenging and ready to interrogate. What a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in the psychic field to compare the excellent opinions, conclusions and occasional middle-ground agreement from both. An excellent book for anyone interested in the paranormal generally. Get your copy before it sells out!
Philip Solomon, Wolverhampton Express & Star
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Psychic News
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THE GREAT PARANORMAL CLASH
Pick Me Up Magazine
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-- Radio and TV
What is clear by the end of this fascinating head-to-head is that, for some, the scientific journey is magic enough; for others, God moves in mysterious ways.
Ciaran O’Keefe’s work is always fascinating, always eye-opening, always inspirational. Far from a slanging-match, this is an erudite, lively and insightful exchange of views from two professionals at opposite ends of the paranormal spectrum.
Is mediumship a gift, or self-delusion? Because it can be faked, is it faked? Are we blinkered by our rational thinking, or is spiritual belief the easy (wrong) option? Two astute and acclaimed proponents battle it out, and whether it’s a knock-out or a win on points is up to the reader. I know where I stand. Do you?
Ideal for both the curious newcomer and the avowed researcher, this book is refreshingly honest, and (even more refreshingly) fair to both sides of the debate.
Stephen Volk, Creator of BBC’s ‘Ghostwatch’ and ITV’s ‘Afterlife’
It is not often that a leading parapsychologist and a top psychic would join forces to write a book together. Ciaran O'Keeffe has a reputation of being a hard-to-please, yet fair investigator of all things paranormal, a serious parapsychologist to be respected. Billy Roberts has been a top psychic medium for many years. You don't last the distance year in, year out, unless you are genuine and accurate. In this book, Billy the clairvoyant, and Ciaran the parapsychologist, give their opinions on many facets of the paranormal world, respectful of each other, yet challenging and ready to interrogate. What a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in the psychic field to compare the excellent opinions, conclusions and occasional middle-ground agreement from both. An excellent book for anyone interested in the paranormal generally. Get your copy before it sells out!
Philip Solomon, Wolverhampton City Radio 101.8FM (Presenter)
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe was interviewed on 'The Philip Solomon Show'. Ciarán answered questions about his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
Wolverhampton City Radio 101.8FM
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe was interviewed on 'TAPS Family Radio'. Ciarán answered questions about being a part of the TV show 'Most Haunted' and answered questions about his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
TAPS Family Radio
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe was interviewed on BBC London 94.9 FM on 'The Breakfast Show' with Joanne Good and Paul Ross. Ciarán answered questions about his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
BBC London 94.9 FM
Billy Roberts was interviewed on City Talk 105.9 FM. Billy was asked about his views on UFO's and Aliens.
City Talk 105.9 FM
Billy Roberts was interviewed on KCFM 99.8 FM. Billy answered questions about his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
KCFM 99.8 FM
Billy Roberts was interviewed on City Talk 105.9 FM. Billy answered questions about his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
City Talk 105.9 FM (Billy Roberts on 'The Roy Basnett Show')
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe was interviewed on City Talk 105.9 FM. Ciarán answered questions about his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
City Talk 105.9 FM (Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe on 'The Roy Basnett Show')
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe was interviewed on Leith 98.8 FM. Ciarán answered questions about his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
Leith 98.8 FM
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe and Billy Roberts were interviewed by Jim Harold on Paranormal Podcast. Ciarán and Billy answered questions about their book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
Paranormal Podcast
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe was interviewed on BBC Radio Southern Counties 104-104.8 FM. Ciarán answered questions about his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
BBC Radio Southern Counties 104-104.8 FM
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe was interviewed on ParaXRadio. Ciarán answered questions about his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'. The full podcast of the interview can be found at http://stirringthecauldron.mypodcast.com/200807_archive.html
ParaXRadio
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe was interviewed on LPRS Radio. Ciarán answered questions about his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
LPRS Radio
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe was interviewed on Bridge 106.3 FM. Ciarán answered questions about his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
Bridge 106.3 FM
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe was interviewed on White Noise Paranormal Radio. Ciarán answered questions about his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
White Noise Paranormal Radio
The Unexplained Channel featured Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe's and Billy Roberts's book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
The Unexplained Channel
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe was interviewed on Severn 107 FM. Ciarán answered questions about his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash'.
Seven 107 FM
4 September 2009 - Billy Roberts was interviewed on Controversial Television. Billy answered questions about his books 'As I Recall It', 'The Magic of the Aura' and 'The Great Paranormal Clash'. Billy was interviewed on 'The Phil Gardiner Show'.
Controversial Television
-- Readers Comments
As a parapsychologist I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, a fascinating read.
Ms C Murray
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-- Book Signings and Events
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe and Billy Roberts signed copies of their book 'The Great Paranormal Clash' at Southport Arts Centre, Southport.
Southport Arts Centre, Southport
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Billy Roberts signed copies of his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash' at Pritchard's Bookshop, Fromby, Merseyside.
Pritchard's Bookshop, Fromby, Merseyside
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Billy Roberts signed copies of his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash' at Pritchard's Bookshop, Fromby, Merseyside.
Pritchard's Bookshop, Crosby, Merseyside
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Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe and Billy Roberts signed copies of their book 'The Great Paranormal Clash' at Waterstone's, Trafford Centre, Manchester.
Waterstone's, Trafford Centre, Manchester
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Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe and Billy Roberts signed copies of their book 'The Great Paranormal Clash' at Waterstone's, Wrexham.
Waterstone's, Wrexham
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Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe and Billy Roberts signed copies of their book 'The Great Paranormal Clash' at Borders, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
Borders, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire
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Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe and Billy Roberts signed copies and answered questions about their book 'The Great Paranormal Clash' at Waterstone's, Warrington.
Waterstone's, Warrington
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Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe and Billy Roberts signed copies of their book 'The Great Paranormal Clash' at Borders, Birstall, Batley.
Borders, Birstall, Batley
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Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe and Billy Roberts signed copies of their book 'The Great Paranormal Clash' at Waterstone's, Birkenhead.
Waterstone's, Birkenhead
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Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe and Billy Roberts signed copies of their book 'The Great Paranormal Clash' at Waterstone's, Southport.
Waterstone's, Southport
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Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe signed copies of his book 'The Great Paranormal Clash' at Taps Con 2008, Florida, USA.
Taps Con 2008, Florida, USA
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-- Libraries that stock this book
The Bodleian Library, Oxford
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The Library of Trinity College, Dublin
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The National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh
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The University Library, Cambridge
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The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth
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The British Library, Boston Spa
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