Most Haunted Places in Ireland

Ireland. A beautiful country with over 5 million citizens. More if you include all the dead ones. 

Ah yes, an ideal destination for a ghoulishous holiday. There are stunning vistas of potential necromantic ritual sites, quaint graveyards, bloody battle fields, moldering ruins, gateways to the netherworld….

Well my morbid adventurer, we are here to guide you to the top five haunted locations Ireland has to offer! We guarantee satisfaction! And interment cost reimbursement.

We’re ready to leave so please place your dowsing rod and holy water in the storage compartment under your seat, sit back….and try to stay calm.

The first stop on our journey may be a place you’ve heard about, Leap Castle in County Offaly. I understand it’s become quite the famous locale after appearing in human shows like “Ghost Adventure” and “Most Haunted.” 

But this is no fairytale castle. Its burned and blackened walls vibrate with the memories of betrayal, murder, and an ancient malevolent force awaiting its next victim.

Otherworldly forces have been a part of Leap Castle’s history even before it was built. They say long ago a druidic ritual site stood on the ground. It was a tranquil stone structure jutting out from the hill. Ancient beyond reckoning and left well enough alone. That is until about the middle 1500s when two members of the O’Bannon clan arrived. 

You see, these two O’Bannon men had a problem. Both of them lusted after the chieftainship of the clan. In a sacred conclave, the two leaders listed their qualities and accomplishments before a counsel of their kinfolk. It was soon apparent that they stood on equal footing. Yet neither would back down, such was their pride. You can’t have two chiefs so what was to be done? As the two men glared at each other, surrounded by the ancient druid stones, a plan formed in their minds. Or perhaps it was put there? 

A contest! One decisive test of courage and resilience! Let us each throw ourselves off the highest stone and see who survives! 

Both warriors took a running start and leaped with all their might over the crest of the stone. Down they hurtled through the misty air, down the side of the hill to the jagged rocks below. 

One cracked open his skull at the bottom. The other was named chieftain and immediately ordered a new stronghold be built on the site of the contest. He named the structure, Leim Ui Bhanain, meaning ‘Leap of the O’Bannons.’

The castle became an impressive and strategic structure.  So much so that the O’Carrolls, who were the primary chieftains above the O’Bannons, said "hmmm yeah we’ll take that thank you very much.” 

One of the most haunted parts of the castle is a section called the Bloody Chapel. The name comes from an encounter between brothers Thaddeus and Teighe TIGE O’Carroll. The two brothers were locked into a family feud. Thaddeus, a priest, decided to snub his brother by starting mass before Teighe could arrive at the castle. This was seen as a huge dishonor. When Teighe arrived he decided to take that dishonor and double it. He stabbed Thaddeus to death right in the middle of mass. From that day forth residents say they sometimes can see Thaddeus wandering the chapel trying to finish his mass.

The O’Carrolls stayed until 1652 when an English Captain named John Darby acquired the castle through marriage. I bet that didn’t sit well with the neighbors…or the spirits. 

When the Darbys moved into Leap Castle they decided to spruce up the place. They began in the Bloody Chapel, probably hoping to make it a little less, well, bloody. While repairing the masonry, the workmen discovered a tiny, cramped chamber connected to the Chapel. It was an oubliette. For those who don’t know (or have never seen the movie Labyrinth).  Oubliette is derived from the French word “oublier” meaning “to forget.”

This oubliette was a dank shaft-like cell with a trap door. Apparently it had been used by the O’Carrolls to stow away anyone they disagreed with. Supposedly including some of their own hired mercenaries. Maybe it was just cheaper than paying them.

These prisoners were quite literally tossed in the oubliette and “forgotten”. Left to rot and decay, one atop the other. That is, until the new owners uncovered the chamber. It’s said the Darbys had to carry away three cartloads of skeletons. Some believe it was this discovery that caused the spirits of the castle to awaken. And one supernatural force was especially angry to find new residents living on the grounds.

OUr best account of this entity comes from 1889. Mildred Darby was the wife of Johnathan Charles Darby. Mildred was an accomplished writer who published under the pen name Andrew Merry. One stormy night Mildred came face-to-face with the most infamous spirit in Leap Castle. 

She would later write about the experience….

“Suddenly, two hands were laid on my shoulders. I turned round sharply and saw, as clearly as I see you now - a grey ‘Thing’, standing a couple of feet from me, with its bent arms raised as if it were cursing me. I cannot describe in words how utterly awful the ‘Thing’ was, it’s very undefinableness rendering the horrible shadow more gruesome. Human in shape, a little shorter than I am, I could just make out the shape of big black holes like great eyes and sharp features, but the whole figure-head, face, hands and all-was grey-unclean, blueish grey, something of the colour and appearance of common cotton wool. But, oh! so sinister, repulsive and devilish. My friends who are clever about occult things say it is what they call an “Elemental”.

No one knows how the Elemental came to be. Some say it was installed by the druids long ago to protect their temple and ended up in Leap Castle when the O’Bannons used stone from the old structure in their construction. 

The Darbys eventually moved out of the castle which was probably the smartest decision they could have made since only a little bit later masked men burned the place to an empty husk. The Darbys were apparently not the most popular folks with the locals in the area. 

Today, one Sean Ryan owns Leap Castle and is working hard to retore it to its former glory. He feels he has made peace with the spirits. Well, all except for the Elemental, saying that’s one spirit he’d rather not encounter.

Good news! We’re just a hop a skip and a jump from the next ethereal edifice on our tour. Still here in Offaly County we’re checking in at scenic Charleville Castle.

Like Leap, this place stands by an oak forest that was once used by the ancient druids. This land changed hands many times over the years, but it wasn’t until 1798 that anything was built on it. That being the stately home of the Bury family.

The Burys didn’t want to completely uproot the old forest, so they preserved a few of the great oaks around their new manor house. In fact, a huge 900-year-old oak named King Oak still looms above the gardens today.

Hmmm. and you know they say this oak tree had a special connection to the Bury clan. A rather sinister one. It’s said that if a branch fell off the old tree, it was a sure omen that a family member would soon die. Want proof? Well I’ll have you know that in 1963 King Oak was struck by lightning and only a few days later Colonel Charles Howard-Bury dropped dead from no apparent cause.

The supernatural isn’t just limited to the garden, however. In 1861 an 8-year-old named Harriet who was the youngest daughter of the third Earl of Charleville decided to play a little game. She wanted to see how far she could slide down the banister in the great entrance hall. Tragically, Harriet found herself sliding too fast and lost her grip on the bannister. She tumbled down the stairs suffering a fatal blow to her neck. Ever since the accident, little Harriet haunts the halls of Charleville Castle. 

Tragic. But at least little Harriet is not a malicious ghost. Witnesses describe her as a normal-looking child in a lacy dress, her hair tied up with blue ribbons, contently singing and playing. 

Bridget Vance, a more current owner of the castle, once lost her three-year-old son in the upper halls. Hearing a horrible tumbling sound, she panicked! Fearing her dear boy had fallen down the staircase just like Harriet. Running down the stairs she found ….. Just her little lad sitting at the bottom completely fine. The boy claimed a girl helped make sure he got down the staircase safely despite no one being around.

As a matter of fact, the Vance family has noted several strange occurrences like this. Doors locking and unlocking despite no one using a key….Hearing the voices of men raised in argument…And even seeing monks reciting chants down the halls before vanishing. I guess Charleville is a very popular place. So welcoming that nobody wants to leave….ever.

We move out of Offaly County into County Dublin. Our next stop is the top of  Montpelier Hill. There you’ll find an old abandoned hunting lodge. This lodge was originally built by William Connolly. Once speaker for the Irish Parliament, he was touted as the wealthiest man in all of Ireland. 

Connolly had enough money to build whatever he wanted. And what he wanted was a comfy hunting lodge with a beautiful view. The only issue was the hill he had in mind was already occupied by an ancient Celtic passage grave surrounded by stone cairns.

Despite protests from the locals, Connolly pursued his dream and demolished the passage grave. He even used the stone cairns for building material. Worst. Upcycling. Ever.

In 1725, Connolly finally finished construction. Not long after, the roof was blown off in a storm. The locals claimed it was the spirits from the grave seeking vengeance, but Connolly didn’t believe them as he set out to rebuild the roof. He’d have the last laugh. And four years after finishing the lodge, he did! Well, he had his own last laugh because he keeled over dead as a post. Tally ho!

Now, the hunting lodge lay abandoned for several years after Connolly’s death. It’s claimed that the Connolly estate leased out the building to Richard Parsons, first Earl of Rosse, though officially historians have no documentation for this. 

Parsons was said to dabble in black magic and was president of the infamous Irish Hellfire Club. And the lodge became their headquarters. 

The Hellfire Club was a group of young upper-class men who were known for their scandalous debauchery. They would show up at bars drinking SKAWLTEEN (whiskey and hot butter) prowling for women. The group was loudly critical of religious structures. This view combined with the secretive and exclusive nature of the group led many to believe they were practicing satanic rituals behind closed doors.

There were several groups similar to the Irish Hellfire Club in both Ireland and England. One such group was created by Phillip, the Duke of Wharton, who originally owned the Montpelier Hill land before Connolly. Hmmmmmm….

Jonathan Swift, the Anglican cleric and writer, was once quoted as describing the Hellfire club as “A brace of monsters, blasphemers and bacchanalians, of whom Worsdale was the leader.’”

Historians believe they know the six main members of the group thanks to a painting by James Worsdale. It depicts Henry Barry the 4th Baron of Santry, Simon Luttrell; Colonel Henry Ponsonby; Colonel Richard St George; and Colonel Henry Clements.

The Hell Fire lads seem to have had ceremonial roles for each member with Worsdale being the ‘Master of the Revels’, and supposedly, Pearsons was referred to as the ‘King of Hell.’

Rumors of the group’s activities ran rampant….

Didn’t you hear? They set a place for the devil at every meeting and meal! 

Their mascot is a black cat and it’s really a demon in disguise!
They torture their servants and then sacrifice them in a black mass!

Locals near the hunting lodge claimed that any outsiders who entered during a Hell Fire gathering would either be found dead the next day, or struck mute from fear.

Another story claims that once the devil himself attended a card game there. His visage was disguised in a long cloak save for a single cloven hoof peeking out the bottom.

Is any of it true? Well, you know how rumors are. But the club’s rowdy nature is documented. Henry Barry, one of the members in the painting, was accused of burning a servant while drunk. In 1739 he was convicted of killing an innocent tavern porter by stabbing him several times while in a drunken rage. The trial of Henry Barry was a very public affair and led to several popular and influential figures scrutinizing the group's activities.

The Irish Hell Fire Club officially disbanded a few years later. But in time many copycat groups would arise following the model these “gentlemen” established.

We shoot down south towards Kinsale Harbor to visit an Irish National monument, Charles Fort. Named after King Charles II, this fort was built in 1682 on the site of an earlier stronghold named Rincurran Castle.

The fort was used as a British army barracks until 1922 when it burned and was abandoned during the Irish Civil War. Now it stands as a monument to Irish history. 

One tragic tale has stuck with the fort. It’s about three lives that were struck painfully short in a single evening.

It begins with a Governor named Warrender who moved to Kinsale with his daughter, Lady Warrender, to be commander of the fort. Warrender was a strict man prone to anger, but he loved his daughter dearly so he would allow her to tour the fort often. 

Young Lady Warrender fell madly in love with one of the officers at the fort. He was a stalwart lad and a gentleman and gained the old commander's permission to wed his daughter. The two were married at the fort and it was said to be a hugely joyous occasion.

Later that night, after the festivities had died down, the happy couple walked the outer wall of the fort seeking some peace and quiet alone. Gazing out from the bulwark, Lady Warrender spotted a beautiful single white flower glowing in the moonlight. It was just peeking out from the rocks at the base of the wall. 

A nearby Sentry eagerly offered to climb down the wall and retrieve the flower as a wedding gift. That was, if the husband could just watch his post until his return.

The couple cheerily agreed and the man was off. They waited for some time. The misty night air became chilly, so the officer commanded his new wife to seek shelter in the fort. She obliged and the officer continued to wait for the sentry on his own. However, exhausted from the drinking and partying, he slowly slipped into a deep sleep. Leaning against the parapet.

Meanwhile, Commander Warrender, a bit tipsy himself, was doing his usual nightly inspection around the fort. Warrender came upon the spot where the officer was dozing, slumped over on the wall.

He called out. “You there! How dare you sleep on watch!”

The sleeping man did not respond and in a rage the old commander fired his pistol. It was meant to be a warning shot to shock the fellow awake. But oh horror! The ball found its mark and Warrender’s new son-in-law died instantly. 

His daughter who had just heard the gunshot ran out to find her husband dead. Without a second thought and wheeling in shock and despair, she threw herself from the ramparts to the jagged rocky shore below. 

Men came running at the commotion. The tragedy unfolding before them. Warrender fell silent and staggered away to his quarters. Not long after there was the crack of a pistol shot from within. The old soldier, having lost both his daughter and son-in-law in one horrific blunder, had taken his own life.

Tragic. So tragic. While the fort was still active, soldiers often saw Lady Warrrender’s ghost walking the battlements. Most felt she was making sure no one fell asleep and suffer her husband’s fate. But her resentment toward her father may not have completely passed as some Captains at the fort reported being pushed by an unseen force down the stairs on several occasions.

Even now, Lady Warrender wanders the fort’s ruins and the streets of Kinsale, too. Her glowing white wedding dress flows in all directions giving her the moniker of the white lady. Twirling a bloom in her fingers, she endlessly seeks her bridegroom. By and large she seems to be a peaceful spirit and is considered by the townsfolk to be a sort of guardian of the community. 

Our last stop is in County Clare. The destination - Leamaneh Castle, said to be haunted by a woman filled with fire and rage who murdered anyone who dared cross her.

Leamaneh was originally built as a tower house around 1480. It stayed in the O’Brien family for several years and not much happened until 1648 when Conor O’Brien married his cousin Máire (Mary) MacMahon. “Affectionately” known as Red Mary for her fiery red hair.

As it happened this was Mary’s second marriage. Her first was to a wealthy landowner named Daniel Neylon. Once Mary and Conor were wed, they decided to use Mary’s inherited funds to remodel Leamaneh Castle. Part of the old watchtower was demolished to create an impressive four-story manor.

They say Red Mary’s hair wasn’t the only fiery thing about her. She apparently had a very short temper and would often explode at her servants. A common punishment for servants who annoyed her was being strung up by their hair outside one of the castle windows.

According to one tale, Mary hated having visitors at the castle. Her solution was simple. Anyone who dared to step on the grounds hoping for asylum was offered a challenge. If they could ride Mary’s horse then they could stay the night. 

As soon as the victim was in the saddle, the beast would gallop full speed towards the nearby cliff. Upon reaching the cliff’s edge,  the horse would stop in its tracks and buck the rider off, sending them careening over the edge to their doom.

Interestingly enough, the word Leamaneh is derived from the Irish for “the horse’s leap.”

Mary’s husband Conor was a staunch Irish Nationalist who fought against English rule. He was eventually fatally wounded in a fight. The news shocked Mary. Not for the loss of her man, but for the loss of his income. They say that before Conor’s body was even cold, Mary had dashed off in her carriage to the nearest English outpost…on the hunt for a lucrative replacement.

And indeed she found one - a certain Captain John Cooper. The two wed, but their honeymoon didn’t last long. Apparently one morning John Cooper was mocking Mary’s old husband, Conor. She must have felt something for the old fellow because she turned on John like a whip and kicked him solidly in the gut! He passed away from internal bleeding. 

Well, the news of the gruesome ending to Mary’s third marriage spread. She was now regarded very firmly as a black widow.But this didn’t deter men from wooing her for her gold. Legend says she had twenty-five more marriages with none lasting more than a year and a day. Each ending in either death or divorce.

Eventually, Mary’s deeds caught up to her. One gray morning, a gang folk who had had enough surrounded the castle and snatched her away. They dragged her to a nearby hollowed-out tree and lashed her to it. And there she was left to slowly starve to death. 

If you’d like to hear Mary's side of the story, well that’s easy. Her flame-red spirit still stalks Leamaneh Castle. Some say you may even see some of her husbands crawling about her feet like a pack of mangy hunting hounds. But don’t get too close, lest fiery Mary grab you by the hair and knock you down!