Fiction/ Paranormal book about a creature (possibly invisible) that tricked a poor man to get him on a boat to come to America

[J]

I believe the setting was Ireland, Scotland, or somewhere else in the UK.

I could have sworn the title was ‘grolnich’ or ‘grolnican’.

The cover had big, yellow/gold eyes and claws on the edge with a tree or a man walking down a forested path in the middle.

I read this book somewhere between 1999-2003. Any help is appreciated.

[Becca]

Do you think it could be classified as horror - did bad things happen as a result of going to America? I'm guessing this was adult fiction rather than children's / YA?