World-renowned English author JK Rowling made a surprise appearance in West Cork while visiting one of her ‘oldest and dearest friends.’
The Harry Potter author shared a snap of her outside a Bandon town sign this afternoon, making a subtle reference to her popular book series with the caption ‘rare sighting of a Bandon banshee.’
The ‘Bandon banshee’ was briefly brought up in her book series, described as a monster that was terrorising the West Cork town – but was defeated by a ‘witch with a hairy chin.’
Controversial writer Rowling has made only a handful of appearances in Ireland over the years – barely being seen in the country since 2008, when she made a special trip to UCD to receive a James Joyce Award.
Fans have theorised she is visiting as part of research for her upcoming eight instalment of her book series Cormoran Strike, written under her pen name Robert Galbraith. But Rowling was quick to set the record straight, writing on X: “I’m here visiting one of my oldest and dearest friends, and she took me to visit Bandon!”
Rowling achieved international acclaim and her book series Harry Potter made her a billionaire, but she has drawn controversy in recent years for her views on gender identity.
This is the third celebrity sighting in the Rebel County in a matter of weeks after Gladiator II and Normal People actor Paul Mescal was spotted with rumoured girlfriend Gracie Abrams in a Clonakilty supermarket last month.
The pair were out in the town’s award-winning Scally’s Supervalu on a weekend afternoon – seemingly doing a weekly shop – when Mescal approached one staff member to ask where the eggs were. The celebrity starlets were dressed in mostly dark clothes with caps on, likely trying to keep a low profile, but were more than happy to chat and grab a quick pic with fans.