Best Start Believing In Ghost Stories Ireland….You’re in One

Good evening. For those of you who don’t know already, Niamh and I are from the sometimes wonderful island of Ireland. Since we are in the run up to my favourite holiday, Halloween, I feel that it is 100% necessary to scare the living daylights out of everyone with some ghost stories and tales of haunted castles from our beautiful, friendly Emerald Isle. We are a country where some people still believe in the Fair Folk and our friends on the other side and we are lucky enough to have some wonderful places for you to visit if you fancy the spine tingling thrill of haunted places. Turns out Ireland has a few skeletons in the closet and ghosts in the attic (and the abbeys and the castles and….you get the picture.) Ireland is a country founded by rebels and freedom fighters, you didn’t think our history was going to be all sunshine and daisies, did you? So, allow me to introduce you to some of the most haunted places in Ireland and some of my favourites. We shall begin in the capital and then carry on from there.

Dublin 

Malahide Castle – Malahide, Dublin (the grounds of the castle are also used as a music venue so at least the occupants can enjoy some live music)

As far as we know, Malahide Castle has at least 5 ghosts in residence. One is Lord Galtrim’s ghost who wanders the castle groaning. Some say he groans because of the spear wound that was the cause of his demise but others say he groans because the woman he married, just a few hours before his untimely death, decided to marry his rival shortly after his death. However, Maud Plunkett, the woman in question, haunts Malahide too. She chases her third husband (the second one didn’t stick around too long), who she was very possessive of and some say she abused, around the castle and, thankfully, he isn’t there to be chased. One ghost is believed to be that of Miles Corbett who was hung, drawn and quartered in Malahide for the atrocities he committed during Cromwell’s reign. The White Lady is the fourth identified ghost though no one knows her identity or how her portrait came to be in Malahide Castle but she steps out of her painting and wanders the halls. Lastly, and a visitor favourite, is Puck. He was the Talbot family’s jester and a watchman but Puck fell in love with a Lady related to the Talbot family and was, according to most stories, stabbed in the heart and vowed with his dying breath to haunt the castle. P.S. Puck likes to photobomb.

Kilmainham Gaol, Kilmainham, Dublin

Here is where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were executed and many other rebels and Republicans from Irish History met their gruesome demise here. It is only natural that there are souls who linger here. Ghosts can be seen walking around in broad daylight and the Echoing Corridor has been the site of numerous reports of sounds of footsteps being heard or the sound of marching feet. There are strange cold spots and noises like footsteps, voices and cell doors banging shut. Lights turn themselves on and off and people have even said that they’ve felt themselves being pushed. Many people, both tour guides and visitors, have felt an evil, scary presence around the chapel balcony and the feeling of being watched. Also don’t bring kids here, whatever lingers in the Gaol preys on children. Kids who have come for the tour have frozen at the gates in sheer terror then adamantly refuse to go inside. Proceed with caution here.

Wexford

Loftus Hall, Hook Head, New Ross, Wexford.

Now, Loftus Hall is a special one because it is not only haunted by the ghost of a young woman but also, locals say, that the Devil has visited this place. The legend goes that on a stormy night a stranger on horseback came to the Hall and was invited by the Tottenham Family, who owned the Hall at the time, to seek shelter there. Anne Tottenham fell in love with the stranger. One night, during a card game, Anne dropped a card and, when she bent down to get it, she noticed that their guest had cloven hooves instead of feet. When the guest realised what Anne had seen, he shot through the roof in a ball of flames and Anne descended into madness, was locked in the Tapestry Room by her family and died a few years later. However, servants and family members saw her ghost and the local priest was called to exorcise the place but could not exorcise the Tapestry Room. The whole hall creates a general sense of unease but is open to the public since 2012  

Meath

Ross Castle, Mountnugent, Ross, Meath

Ross Castle is home to one of the most notorious ghosts, the Black Baron., otherwise known as the English Lord Richard Nugent. The Black Baron was hard on his people, ill tempered and mean with a horrible reputation. Now, the Black Baron had a daughter named Sabina who, though very sickly, grew up to be a beautiful lady. On her walks, she met with the local Irish and she was well liked, unlike her father. On one particular day, she met Orwin O’Reilly, son of the Irish chieftain, and they began meeting in secret and fell in love. Though their families were bitter enemies, the two decided to elope. As they sailed across the local Lough, their boat capsized in a storm and Orwin drowned while Sabina was rescued. Sabina fell into a despair and eventually died. Her ghost still lingers mourning the loss of her love unable to rest until she is reunited with Orwin. Her fate is thought to be payback for her father’s cruel deeds along with his own eternal unrest over the fate of his victims and the grief of his daughter’s death.

Kilkenny

Kyteler’s Inn – St. Kieran’s Street, Kilkenny

This is the oldest inn in Kilkenny and was established by the first ever convicted witch in Ireland, Dame Alice Kyteler. This woman’s list of witchy crimes including bewitching and murdering using potions and charms and being with an incubus but, before she could be prosecuted for the crimes she was found guilty of, she was spirited away by her supporters and never heard of again while her longtime faithful servant, Petronella, was tortured profusely and confessed to everything and was the first person burned at the stake as punishment for witchcraft. 

St. John’s Bridge -Kilkenny

The current bridge was built during 1910 but was first built around the year 1200. A short distance upriver you can see Green’s Bridge which is important to know. During the flood of 1763, the Green’s Bridge collapsed into the Nore. However, a small group of people perhaps unaware of the danger or indifferent towards it, watched as Green’s Bridge collapsed. St. John’s Bridge then collapsed as well and plunged all those on it into the Nore below. Sixteen people died. Many locals have said that they have seen figures leaning on the walls of the new bridge looking towards Green’s Bridge or struggling in the water trying to climb up the river banks.

Offaly (Home Sweet Home!)

Leap Castle – R421, Roscrea, Co. Offaly

With the title of World’s Most Haunted house, this 16th century castle has one hell of a history. Even the passing down of this castle through the generations is a bloody affair. The castle’s history has death and demise galore with entire battalions meeting their doom and family members murdering family members. In the Bloody Chapel, it is said that an awful murder occurred here; one son murdered his brother, a priest, for power. The Priest’s House is said to be a site of apparitions and a former owner has mentioned seeing a monk in the now derelict area. Charlotte and Emily are the two children in residence in the Main Hall. Charlotte is seen dragging a deformed leg behind her; Emily died at 11 falling from the battlements and there are still sightings of a girl falling from the height only to disappear before she hits the ground. To describe all the sightings would take to long but should you visit keep an eye open for The Murdered Woman, The Governess, The Old Man, The Red Lady and The Elemental (possibly from the time of the druids) and do visit The Murder Hole Room.

Charleville Castle – Charleville Demesne, Tullamore, Co. Offaly

My hometown castle. Both Niamh and I have been here and I am a firm believer that Harriett, the resident ghost, is in fact there. Harriett was the daughter of the Third Earl of Charleville and died aged eight after she fell down a staircase in the castle and she roams the castle as she pleases. Harriett is seen in a blue and white dress and has a habit of laughing, singing and screaming at night. Good luck getting reception in the castle too, it’s nigh on impossible. Also, just inside one of the demesne gates (the one closest to the town centre), there is a huge oak tree. It’s anywhere between 400 and 800 years old. There is a superstition that should a branch fall a member of the Bury family, who were long time owners of the castle, would die. The death of Charles Howard-Bury in 1963 was seen as proof as his death followed shortly after the ‘King Oak’ was struck by lightning which split it’s trunk in two.  

Cork

Charles Fort, Kinsale, Cork

The story of Charles Fort is one of love and tragedy as, under English rule, the barracks of Charles Fort had plenty of soldiers and a touring officer fell in love with the Commander’s daughter. After a whirlwind romance, they married and after a day of celebration normal operations resumed. So, as the newly wed couple walked along the parapet, the bride saw a single white flower below which a sentry said he would climb down and get for her as a wedding gift as long as her new husband minded his post. But the sentry never returned and the groom was forced to mind the spot while his wife retired to their room. But the groom fell asleep. On his rounds later that evening, the Commander spotted a man sleeping on the job and shot him for his negligence only realising afterwards that he had killed his new son-in-law. In his grief, he threw himself from the parapet. The young wife found the bloody body of her husband on the parapet and the broken body of her father below and so, broken hearted, she leaped to her death to be reunited with her husband. Her ghost still wanders the parapet, dressed in her wedding gown and can be seen at dusk. Her presence inspires fear and sadness in those who encountered her and, until the fort was abandoned, even the most battle hardened soldiers locked their doors to try and keep her out.

Galway

Aughrim Battlefield, Aughrim, Galway

Site of the bloodiest battle to ever take place on Irish soil, the souls of some of the 7000 soldiers massacred here during the Jacobite rebellion in one day roam here. Their bodies were left out to rot for a year and it is understandable why they still linger. It is said that on quiet nights you can hear the howl of a soldier’s dog that refuses to leave its master even in death and sometimes the dog’s ghost can be seen sitting in the exact spot where his master was killed. Apparitions of the massacred Jacobite soldiers in uniform can be seen staring into the distance, still stunned to this day that they lost a battle that was almost an assured victory. There is a generally gloomy air about the place especially near the spot where the Jacobite General, St Ruth, was horrifically decapitated with a cannon ball.

And on that cheery note, Ladies, Gents and apparitions of all ages, I am done. Evil dreams 😉