Oíche Shamhna is famously the night when the veil between our world and the spirit world is thin. The recent hypercommercialisation of Halloween may have distracted us, but a simple truth remains: we know little about the dead. Below is a list of eight places in Ireland where that veil is thinnest, revealing a world of trapped souls, banshees, demons and even, perhaps, the devil himself.
Leap Castle
Co Offaly
Hailed as the world’s most haunted castle, this intimidating fortress has a long and bloody history. Originally built in the early 1500s on a site used by druids for initiation ceremonies (surely the Irish equivalent to ancient Indian burial grounds), it has no shortage of horrifying stories and associated spirits. One of the most famous can be found within the walls of the Bloody Chapel. In the 16th century a power struggle between two brothers of the O’Carroll family resulted in a priest being slaughtered while he said Mass. It is said his ghost can sometimes be seen on the chapel stairwell.
Duckett’s Grove
Co Carlow
Although the magnificent Gothic exterior and walled gardens of this grand 18th-century mansion remain open to the public, the interior was unfortunately destroyed by a fire in 1933. But was this fire a tragic accident or an ancient curse finally fulfilled? Legend tells of William Duckett, who had an affair with a young girl who was killed in a riding accident. The girl’s mother, in a grief-stricken fury, placed a piseóg on the Duckett family – a spell to bring misfortune and eventual ruin. The summoned banshee, it is said, haunted the estate and cursed anyone who heard her screams. Nowadays you can take a very pleasant tour of the walled gardens and learn all about the Duckett family and what life was like for the landed gentry, but you’d be wise to keep your wits about you. And if you do happen to hear a distant wailing getting closer, make like a banana and split.
RM Block
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Loftus Hall
Co Wexford
A large country house on the Hook Peninsula, Loftus Hall has had a long and storied history, but one tale stands out. In 1775 the house was occupied by the Tottenham family, and one stormy night a ship unexpectedly arrived at a nearby harbour. The family welcomed in a young man from the ship and he stayed for a while. One evening while playing cards, Lady Anne Tottenham dropped a card and as she bent below the table to retrieve it, she saw their mysterious guest had cloven feet. At that point the stranger burst into flames and shot out of the house through the roof. Lady Anne never recovered.
Loftus Hall is currently closed to the public, but you can access a virtual tour here
The Hell Fire Club
Co Dublin
A short drive from Dublin city, the ruins of the Hell Fire Club will be recognisable to most as a landmark punctuating a nice weekend walk with the dog. But this place holds many secrets. It is said, for instance, among anxious groups of parents, that teenage kids assemble here to take their first sup of the devil’s nectar (previously known as Tesco own-brand cider). But long before bored kids discovered it as a handy hang-out, it was the site of occult activities and numerous sightings of the devil himself. Originally built as a shooting lodge in 1725, it was soon used as a meeting place for members of the Irish Hellfire Club – a group of well-to-do nutcases who used the building to drink, have sex, dabble in black magic and perform the odd sacrifice.
Nearby walking trails and carpark opening times can be found on coillte.ie
Wicklow Gaol
Co Wicklow
People unfortunate enough to have crossed the threshold of Wicklow Gaol in chains were understood to be entering “The Gates of Hell”. From soldiers in the 1798 Rebellion to destitute victims of the Famine, every prisoner suffered in what was a grim, filthy, disease-ridden pit of despair. It’s no surprise there are a few ghosts hanging around. In the cell where rebel leader Billy Byrne was held before his execution, there are reports of an oppressive presence making it difficult to breathe. In the old schoolroom, people have seen the ghost of a young boy standing in the corner. In Cell 5 visitors often suffer waves of nausea, sometimes oddly accompanied by the smell of roses. If ever there was a place where the dead linger, it’s here.
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Oweynagat
Co Roscommon
Speaking of Gates of Hell, Oweynagat, or “Cave of Cats” is a more literal example. That is to say, on Halloween night, this cave becomes the actual entrance to hell. It doesn’t look like much from the roadside, but underground you can find an archaeological wonder. Forming part of the Rathcroghan landscape, which includes over 240 archaeological sites, it is in this ancient capital of Connacht that the festival of Samhain was said to originate. A double souterrain, which turns into a natural cave, it is a wonderful meld of the historical and mythical, with one Ogham stone inscribed with the words, “of Fróech, son of Medb”.
As it is on private farmland, you need to contact the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre in Tulsk to arrange a visit. rathcroghan.ie
St Kevin’s Church
Dublin
As the days get shorter, you might find yourself walking past St Kevin’s Park after dark. A small park with an old graveyard and the ruins of a church, St Kevin’s is the resting place of many notable historical figures, as well as the unclaimed remains of famine victims. For a period the site became the target of 18th century body-snatchers, who would deliver recently buried corpses to Trinity College or the Royal College of Surgeons for anatomy lessons. But one particular ghost haunts these ruins. On June 20th, 1584, Archbishop Dermot O’Hurley was tortured and executed at College Green; his body was later removed from a mass grave and interred at St Kevin’s. It is said on dark and stormy nights he can be seen offering the Tridentine Mass above his grave, and when it comes to the raising of the Host, he disappears.
St Kevin’s Park is on Camden Row, just off Wexford Street. Opening times vary by month. Check dublincity.ie for details
McCarthy’s Pub
Co Tipperary
What better way to calm your nerves after a brush with the paranormal than a freshly poured pint of stout? McCarthy’s in Fethard has been open since the 1840s and operates as a pub, restaurant and undertakers. For those who appreciate convenience, they promise to “wine you, dine you and bury you”. It is perhaps this unique aspect of the establishment that explains some of the eerie goings-on. Patrons swear to seeing bottles levitating and floating across the room. Pictures have flown off walls, and ghosts have been spotted behind the bar. Any of this would give even the most hardened sceptic goosebumps, but it’s nothing another round wouldn’t fix. If, however, you hear three sharp knocks on the door, and there’s nobody on the other side ... it’s time to say your goodbyes. There are times a banshee visits this otherwise cosy and welcoming pub, and when she does it is, they say, curtains for you or someone you love.
To book a table (or arrange a wake), visit mccarthysfethard.ie
