There are probably more dramatic ways to meet the grandson of Ed and Lorraine Warren.
I met Chris McKinnell when he was being introduced to the concept of a Tayto crisp sandwich.
It was around 2pm on Friday, 16 October 2026, when I arrived at Sharon Rectory in County Donegal. Emma Louise Tully, whose family owns the house, brought me inside and, a few moments later, Chris appeared around the corner, held out his hand and said, “John, it’s nice to finally meet you.”
There was no grand entrance, no bravado and certainly no sense that I was being introduced to somebody carrying one of the most famous surnames in paranormal history.
Within minutes, we were talking about food, Ireland and the weekend ahead. Before long, Chris was learning about another important aspect of Irish culture: the Tayto crisp sandwich.
“You eat these, right?” he asked.
“Oh yeah,” I replied. “Just make sure you use real Irish butter, it’s the best.”
Chris insisted on making his first one himself and sat at the kitchen table examining it before taking the first bite. There was a brief moment while he processed the flavours and texture, and then the verdict arrived.
“I really like that,” he said.
I can’t say I was surprised. It’s a good sandwich.
Looking back, that fairly ordinary moment in a Donegal kitchen probably tells you more about the man I spent the next two days with than any dramatic introduction ever could.
Chris McKinnell’s UK and Ireland tour
Chris was in Ireland as part of his 2026 UK and Ireland tour promoting The Warren Legacy: What the Paranormal Reveals About Consciousness and Reality.
Inevitably, much of the public interest centred on the fact that he is the grandson of Ed and Lorraine Warren, two of the most recognisable figures in paranormal investigation. Yet one of the first things that struck me was how little interest Chris seemed to have in behaving like somebody who expected people to be impressed by that fact.
Before heading to Lifford Old Courthouse later that evening, we sat down at Sharon Rectory and recorded an episode of Soul-O Xperience: The Podcast.
Chris had already told me he was looking forward to becoming my first guest, but what surprised me was how prepared he was. He had listened to my introductory episode beforehand and was able to reference something I had said before offering his own perspective on it.
That might sound like a small thing, but on a busy promotional tour it would have been easy to turn up, answer the questions and move on. Instead, it felt as though he had taken the time to understand who he was talking to.
This was only my second podcast episode and Chris was my first guest, so I was learning as I went. While many people know him through the Warren name, I found myself more interested in the person behind the public reputation.
There are plenty of interviews covering the famous cases and family history, but I wanted to spend some time exploring Chris himself, his ideas, experiences and the things that have shaped his outlook.
We talked about his Irish heritage, the paranormal, consciousness and belief, frequently wandering into unexpected territory along the way.
When the recording ended and I began gathering cables, microphones and other equipment, Chris stayed behind to help clear everything away. It was a small gesture, but one that reflected the impression I was already beginning to form of him.
Lifford Old Courthouse
Later that evening we arrived at Lifford Old Courthouse, a venue that felt perfectly suited to the occasion.
The presentation took place inside the old courtroom itself and, by my estimate, there were well over 100 people there, with additional audience members seated in the gallery above.
The atmosphere reflected the level of interest in the event, with people chatting excitedly before the presentation began and continuing those conversations long afterwards.
Some people had come specifically to hear Chris. Others knew the Warren name through Ed and Lorraine. For many, their introduction had come through The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun and the wider film universe inspired by cases associated with the Warrens.
Meanwhile, I was having my own moment of anxiety, staring at the stage lighting rig I had supplied and silently praying the bloody thing would turn on. Thankfully, it did.
Backstage, Chris remained remarkably calm. His waiting-room door stayed open while he looked over notes on his iPad.
Whenever audience members happened to pass by the doorway, he smiled, waved and exchanged a few words before returning to his preparations.
When he finally stepped into that packed courtroom, he greeted the audience in much the same way he had greeted me earlier that afternoon: warmly, informally and without any unnecessary theatre.
I’m not going to spoil Chris’s lecture by trying to recreate it here. What I will say is that it was an engaging presentation packed with fascinating stories, remarkable cases and some compelling photographs and video evidence.
More importantly, it provided an insight into the man delivering it.
What stood out to me was the balance Chris strikes between respect for his grandparents’ legacy and a willingness to think independently.
He speaks about Ed and Lorraine Warren with great affection and respect, but he is also comfortable questioning assumptions and forming his own conclusions.
Equally apparent was his belief that paranormal investigation should never lose sight of the people at the centre of these experiences. Long after specific cases fade from memory, that was the message I found myself reflecting on most.
By the end of the weekend, I found myself reducing much of what Chris had said about the legacy he hoped to continue into four simple words: protect and help people.
During the investigations, what interested me most was not the equipment but Chris’s approach to using it.
Rather than rushing towards conclusions, he preferred to look for consistency and test information from different angles. He also spoke about spending time quietly within a location, listening, observing and making notes before reaching for technology.
For all the gadgets now associated with paranormal investigation, there was something refreshingly old-fashioned about that approach. Sometimes the most important thing an investigator can do is simply be still, be present in the moment and pay attention.
Lorraine Warren’s rosary at Sharon Rectory
The following evening at Sharon Rectory felt entirely different from the courthouse event. Where Lifford had been public and energetic, Sharon was more intimate.
Guests moved through a historic family home, listened to presentations, shared experiences and spent time exploring a location already well known locally for its stories and reported activity.
It was during Chris’s presentation that something happened to me which I still cannot explain.
Chris had brought Lorraine Warren’s rosary beads with him as part of the lecture and, as he spoke, they were passed around the room.
Eventually they found their way into my hands, where I held onto them so I could return them to Chris after the presentation. For several minutes nothing unusual happened, but after moving the rosary from my right hand into my left, I became aware of a sensation of heat surrounding my hand, wrist and lower forearm.
It did not feel like the warmth of an object resting in my palm. The closest comparison I can offer is the sensation of somebody gently holding your wrist between both hands for a brief moment.
The feeling lasted only a moment, perhaps 10 seconds at most, before gradually fading away and, despite continuing to hold the rosary for several more minutes, it never returned.
I do not know what caused it, and I am not going to pretend that I do. All I can report is what I experienced.
Later that evening I told Chris what had happened. His face immediately lit up and he told me he believed his grandmother Lorraine had connected with me. He seemed genuinely pleased by the possibility, as was I.
One thing that struck me throughout the weekend was the time Chris gave people.
It didn’t seem to matter whether there were dozens waiting to speak with him or only a few guests left at the end of an event. He always seemed willing to stop, listen and have a conversation.
A late night at Sharon Rectory
Late on Saturday evening, after the final guests had departed, Chris, Emma Louise Tully, her mother Lisa, Keith from Soul 2 Soul Paranormal, Mark Robson and I found ourselves gathered in the kitchen at Sharon Rectory.
Around the old Stanley cooker, with the original floor tiles beneath our feet, it felt like the sort of place where conversations naturally settle in for the night.
We began by discussing the event itself, but before long the conversation had drifted into the sort of subjects that only seem to emerge once the audience has gone home.
We talked about paranormal investigation, philosophy, belief, life experiences and a dozen other things, with plenty of laughter along the way.
By then the public event felt a world away and the Warren name barely featured. It was simply a group of people sharing stories around a kitchen table in the old Donegal rectory.
Eventually Chris announced he was calling it a night. Knowing I would be heading home the following day, this was our chance to say goodbye.
He thanked me for helping throughout the weekend and for showing him kindness during his time in Ireland. I thanked him for his generosity, his time and the opportunity to work alongside him, and expressed the hope that our paths might cross again somewhere down the road.
The Warren name carries an enormous amount of baggage. For some people, Ed and Lorraine Warren are pioneers of paranormal investigation. For others, they remain controversial figures. For millions more, their names exist somewhere between documented history and Hollywood mythology.
The Warren name is a legacy Chris was born into, but over the course of the weekend it became clear that he is committed to carrying it forward in his own way while honouring his grandparents.
He speaks about Ed and Lorraine Warren with great affection and respect, yet remains willing to learn from his own experiences, ask questions and reach his own conclusions.
Before meeting Chris, much of what I knew about him came through the stories surrounding the Warren name.
After two days in Donegal, however, I find myself walking away with something altogether different: memories of a Tayto crisp sandwich, countless warm conversations, shared experiences during the investigations, an unusual encounter involving Lorraine Warren’s rosary, and a late-night discussion in the kitchen at Sharon Rectory.
Those are the moments I will carry with me, because they revealed far more about the man behind the name than any reputation ever could.
If you would like to listen to my conversation with Chris McKinnell, follow Soul-O Xperience: The Podcast on Spotify. Visit Soul-O Xperience for news, content, adventures and more.
You can follow Chris McKinnell on social media and learn more about the work of the Warren Legacy Foundation.
