Red Room

On the North West Coast of Ireland is a small fishing village called Burtonport. On the surface, it is similar to many of Ireland's more rural villages however scratch the surface and you will hear stories of the cults that called it home for 20 years. Between 1974 and 1992, two cults chose Burtonport as their home, and brought controversy, news reporters and unrest to the otherwise sleepy village.Today we will look at The Atlantis Commune, otherwise known as "The Screamers"; a group that came from the UK to Donegal to practice primal scream therapy, led by Jenny James. Sign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Turns out there was not just one, but two cults that lived in that big 8-bedroom house in Donegal. In 1982, the house changed hands to a group called The Silver Sisterhood, but the people of Burtonport would not know any peace. While this group were quieter on paper, what they got up to within the house was another world of strange, we're talking Victorian era roleplay, caning and eh... video game development?BBC Sounds DocuseriesSign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cults are not always whacky organised communities that live in a commune... in fact, many modern-day cults exist right under our noses. New-age spiritual gurus have gentrified many of the legitimate practices of the East, like meditation and yoga, and used them to gain the trust of vulnerable individuals. Dennis Curran and Shashi Dubey were two of these gurus, who started Japa Meditation Ireland, and used it to abuse its members, financially, mentally and sexually.Sign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore the rise and fall of Aum Shinrikyo, the doomsday cult behind Japan's deadliest act of domestic terrorism. We’ll uncover how a seemingly spiritual group evolved into a deadly organization, leading to the infamous 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack.Sign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're exploring the life of Tony Quinn, the Irish spiritual leader who built a global following with his Educo program, which has been accused of being a cult.We'll explore how Quinn's teachings, wealth and "psychic powers", led to his controversial rise in the oil industry, leaving a legacy of financial manipulation and psychological control. From his humble beginnings to his multi-million euro empire, discover the unsettling truth behind the man who convinced thousands to follow his path—and pay the price.Get in touch: redroompod@gmail.comSign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

QAnon is many things; a conspiracy theory, a digital phenomenon and according to many, a cult that has taken over the minds of their loved ones. This week we are deep-diving on the conspiracy theory behind QAnon, and asking how an online puzzle became possibly one of the world's largest cults.Get in touch: redroompod@gmail.comHBO DocumentarySign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

content warning: this episode mentions instances of childhood sexual abuseWhat does a suburban Pacific Northwest housewife, a former Irish priest and Q Anon members have in common? Well, they all co-sign the teachings of Ramtha: a 35,000-year-old warrior who speaks through a woman called JZ Knight, at her school of enlightenment.This week we're discussing JZ' Knights' early life, and looking at how she went from the daughter of a cotton-picking single Mother to the leader of one of the whackiest New-Age cults ever.Get in touch: redroompod@gmail.comSign up to Patreon for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we investigate the rise and controversy surrounding Christina Gallagher's House of Prayer on Achill Island, uncovering the mystery behind its alleged miracles, financial dealings, and the Catholic Church's disownment. Get in touch: redroompod@gmail.comSign up to Patreon for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're exploring a cold case that has fascinated True Crime fans for decades: the mystery of the Black Dahlia.Elizabeth Short was murdered in 1947. Her death was particularly violent, but precise, this along with many other clues led LAPD to think it may have been conducted by someone who knew their way around human anatomy. It was also a total media sensation, some of the first people to the scene were journalists, and she was dubbed The Black Dahlia, a reference to a popular movie, as well as a nod to the black rose tattoo she had on her thigh.It remains unsolved, 76 years later and in this episode, we'll be asking why.Red Room donates directly to Advocates for Victims of Homicide who provide support and advocacy to families who have lost a loved one to homicide.Womens AidSupport After HomicideCitizens Information Social LinksSign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we discuss the harrowing true story of the Scissor Sisters murders that shocked Ireland and captured international attention in 2005.Charlotte and Linda Mulhall, together with their mother Kathleen, killed Farah Swaleh Noor in 2005 after a drink and drug binge, on St. Patrick's Day weekend. After the murder, the sisters dismembered Swaleh-Noor's body and dumped it in the city's Royal Canal.This is a story of violence, generational abuse and lies and one that is known as one of Dublin's most grotesque murders.Red Room donates directly to Advocates for Victims of Homicide who provide support and advocacy to families who have lost a loved one to homicide.Womens AidSupport After HomicideCitizens Information Social LinksSign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When teenager Bianca Devins asked her online friend to bring her to a concert of her favourite musician, she did so because she trusted him.Bianca had grown a following on 4chan, where the awkward and sometimes depressed teen had found a group of people who adored her, finally, she wasn't the weirdo, like she was at school. Little did Bianca know, that amongst these adoring fans was one who was dangerous; and according to him, if he couldn't have her... nobody could.ResourcesBianca's Law PetitionResources for victims of domestic abuseResources for Cyberbullying & Inappropriate ContentHSE Definitions of Online HarassmentRed Room donates directly to Advocates for Victims of Homicide who provide support and advocacy to families who have lost a loved one to homicide.Womens AidSupport After HomicideCitizens Information Social LinksSign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mary Gough was married for 6 months to her childhood sweetheart Colin Whelan. They were planning a family and renovating their home. Everything looked perfect, but behind closed doors, a plan was afoot.Colin would call 999 on February 28th 2001, claiming that he found Mary unresponsive, at the end of their staircase. In the months and years following, this would evolve into a murder case, that would launch an international manhunt, involve faked deaths and new identities, and lots of unanswered questions.Red Room donates directly to Advocates for Victims of Homicide who provide support and advocacy to families who have lost a loved one to homicide.Womens AidSupport After HomicideCitizens Information Social LinksSign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Playboy Magazine is much more than a publication; it's a lifestyle. The women who have graced it's glossy pages become consumed in their life as Playboy Bunnies, and have done so since the magazine's inception in the 1950s. In recent years however, the curtain has been peeled back on the reality of working under Hugh Hefner; a reality of abuse, control and manipulation.This week we are looking at the lives of two former Playmates, who both met tragic ends. Paige Young and Dorothy Stratten began as young and hopeful starlets, who used Playboy to launch their creative careers. Both, however, would die before they reached their potential, at the hands of people they met in the industry or as a result of the abuse they suffered along the way.Resources for families of homicide victimsRed Room donates directly to Advocates for Victims of Homicide who provide support and advocacy to families who have lost a loved one to homicide. Womens AidSupport After HomicideCitizens Information Sign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the middle of the night, on March 6th 1997, an intruder broke into number 1 Orchard View, Grangegorman and brutally killed two women in their sixties. This attack terrified the nation, the murders seemed totally random and the victims were former patients of the nearby St Brendan's Psychiatric Hospital and lived together as part of an assisted living program. Who could do such a thing to such defenceless and vulnerable people?What would follow in the months to come, would be a story straight out of a “Who done it” movie – a story of false confessions, surviving witnesses and perplexed law enforcement, under pressure to find the killer. Resources for families of homicide victimsRed Room donates directly to Advocates for Victims of Homicide who provide support and advocacy to families who have lost a loved one to homicide. Womens AidSupport After HomicideCitizens Information Sign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trevor Deely would disappear without a trace, after attending his work Christmas party in December 2000, in Dublin Ireland. He has been described as having reddish blonde hair, over 6 feet tall and last seen 24 years ago, wearing a brown shirt and beige cord trousers. He has a distinctive gait, walking with his arms straight down by his sides and was always said to be jovial, happy and social.Missing Person Trevor DeelyTrevor Deely Age ProgressionResources for families of homicide victimsRed Room donates directly to Advocates for Victims of Homicide who provide support and advocacy to families who have lost a loved one to homicide.Missing Persons Helpline DonationsNational Missing Persons HelplineMissing Persons Unit GardaSign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25-year-old Honour Bright was found shot and killed in Ticknock in June 1925. Despite multiple eyewitnesses placing her in a car with a Doctor and a Garda Superintendent, the two men who would be charged and tried for her murder were acquitted by a Dublin jury in 1926.Honour was a single mother, and likely turned to sex work to support herself and pay for her son's foster care. After the trial, the media used her story as a way to scare young women who were prone to becoming "wayward", rather than focusing on the fact that her killer roamed free.Resources for families of homicide victimsRed Room donates directly to Advocates for Victims of Homicide who provide support and advocacy to families who have lost a loved one to homicide.Sign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If the rumours about Countess Elizabeth Bathóry are true, she would be one of history's most violent serial killers. Known as The Blood Countess, living high in her castle in Transylvania, Elizabeth Bathóry tortured and killed over 650 girls and women in 20 years. She would bathe in their blood as an anti-ageing practice and engage in blood magick and ritual with her cohort of witches and warlocks.However, she was arrested, put on a show trial, and imprisoned in her castle until her death by a man whose number one goal it was to destroy her noble family. This leads many to believe she was not the murderous masochist history makes her out to be, but a victim of a political conspiracy.This week, we're decoding The Blood Countess's story.Resources for Imelda's CaseImelda Keenan - GardaíImelda Keenan, Murdered Or Missing ? Help Us Uncover The Truth ! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On January 3rd, 1993, Imelda Keenan would leave her small apartment to collect her social welfare. The walk was a short one, only 7 minutes according to Google Maps. Before she left she made her fiance, Mark, a cup of tea. She put her makeup on and headed out the door, she would never return.Imelda's Family are certain that their beloved little sister was abducted and murdered, however, her case has never been investigated as one.Resources for Imelda's CaseImelda Keenan - GardaíImelda Keenan, Murdered Or Missing ? Help Us Uncover The Truth !Resources for families of homicide victimsRed Room donates directly to Advocates for Victims of Homicide who provide support and advocacy to families who have lost a loved one to homicide.Sign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Celine Cawley knew what she wanted from life. She began modelling as a teen, and by her early 20s she had landed a bit part in a 007 movie with Rodger Moore. However, she was not just a pretty face. In 1990 she founded a hugely successful production company and by the 2000s she was settled in a beautiful home in Howeth, with her beloved daughter and her husband of 17 years, Eamonn Lillis. Celine Cawley was killed in her home on December 15th 2008, her husband claimed it was a failed burglary, but the investigation that followed would point Gardaí much closer to home. Resources for families of homicide victimsRed Room donates directly to Advocates for Victims of Homicide who provide support and advocacy to families who have lost a loved one to homicide.Womens AidSupport After HomicideCitizens Information Sign up for weekly deep dives & exclusive contentFollow me on InstagramFollow Red Room on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amy Fitzpatrick was just 15 years old when she vanished without a trace on New Year's Day 2008 in Mijas, Spain. Amy was last seen walking home from a friend's house, but she never made it back. Years later, her brother would also be killed, and her step-father would be convicted of his manslaughter.Missing Amy Fitzpatrick Website Amy's Change.org PetitionMissing Amy Facebook Group Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.