It is an adaptation of a brilliant story that I first heard when I was about eight years old and it scared the life out of me then. I like to think it's based loosely on the legends of the Witches of Islandmagee in County Antrim, Northern Ireland (where it was filmed).

The last Witches in Ireland were put on trial in Islandmagee in 1710-1711, half a mile away from the house where the film was shot.

The last Witch Trial was caused by a phenomenon of poltergeists and possession in the house of a Mrs Haltridge. In 1710 Mrs Haltridge had been affected by poltergeists. She had been unable to get any sleep. Clothes had been thrown around the house and a boy had shown himself to her and vanished. One night she was heard screaming that she was being attacked with a knife and was later found dead.

In 1711 Mrs Haltridge the younger, daughter-in-law of the deceased Mrs Haltridge, was visited by one Mary Dunbar. Dunbar was also tormented by the poltergeists. An apron with "witches' knots" was found and Dunbar claimed to be attacked by women in her bed. She named the women and eight of them were arrested and put on trial for having caused the phenomena with witchcraft. They were found guilty of witchcraft and condemned to one year imprisonment and four times pillorying.