Man Hanging Out in Library on Break from Work Stumbles Upon Long-Lost Story by 'Dracula' Writer: 'I Was Just Astounded'

An amateur historian made an incredible discovery at a library in Ireland unearthing a long-lost short story by the author of "Dracula," which had been forgotten for more than 130 years, according to a report.

In 2021 Brian Cleary stepped away from his work at Dublin's Rotunda Hospital due to sudden hearing loss, leading him to browse the national library's archives in Dublin, Ireland. Cleary deemed himself a lifelong enthusiast of "Dracula" author Bram Stoker, and was on a mission to uncover rare material.

On one visit to the National Library of Ireland, he found a short story titled "Gibbet Hill" by Stoker in an 1890 Christmas supplement of the Daily Express Dublin Edition, coinciding with the time in which Stoker began writing "Dracula."

"And I was just astounded, flabbergasted," Cleary told BBC.

"I sat in the library flabbergasted, that I was looking at potentially a lost ghost story from Stoker, especially one from around the time he was writing 'Dracula', with elements of 'Dracula' in it," according to CBS News.

After finding the work, Cleary reached out to library director Audrey Whitty and Stoker biographer Paul Murray to verify the writing. Both confirmed the short story, with Murray noting it as an important period of time in Stoker's literary evolution.

"'Gibbet Hill' is very significant in terms of Stoker's development as a writer, 1890 was when he was a young writer and made his first notes for 'Dracula'," Murray said.

The macabre story details the perils of a murdered sailor and the strange fate of his killers and is now being published alongside artwork by Irish artist Paul McKinley by the Rotunda Foundation for the first time in over a century.

"When Brian sent me the 'Gibbet Hill' there was so much I could work with," said McKinley. "Making new images for an old story that has been buried for so long [was a] fascinating challenge."

The story is set to be highlighted at the upcoming Bram Stoker Festival in Dublin, where it will be part of an exhibition celebrating the works and legacy of Stoker. Proceeds will go toward research on infant hearing loss.

"It's quite surreal now to be standing next to a picture inspired by three of the characters in the story," said Cleary.