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Despite its modest size on Europe's periphery, Ireland is home to an extraordinary number of castles. Surprisingly, purchasing a stunning countryside castle can often cost less than a tiny Dublin apartment. Given Ireland's turbulent past, it's no wonder many of these castles are said to be haunted by restless or sinister spirits.
10. Carrickfergus Castle, County Antrim
Carrickfergus Castle, a remarkable Norman fortress, sits just outside Belfast in Northern Ireland. Constructed between 1180 and 1205, its strategic position on the northeast coast has seen it occupied by the Irish, English, Scottish, and even the French over the centuries.
The castle has witnessed countless deaths and violent events, leading to numerous ghostly sightings. Among these, the most renowned is the spirit nicknamed “Buttoncap,” named after the large button adorning his hat.
In the mid-1700s, an English soldier named Robert Rainey was posted at Carrickfergus Castle. There, he fell deeply in love with a woman named Betsy Baird. Tragically, Betsy was rumored to be involved with another man.
Upon discovering the affair, Rainey killed the man. As the victim lay dying, he revealed the truth to his brother, Lieutenant Colonel John Jennings, the castle’s commanding officer. However, instead of Rainey, another soldier named Timothy Lavery, a close friend of Rainey, was wrongly accused of the murder.
Despite Lavery’s claims of innocence, his resemblance to Rainey led to his death sentence. Declaring he would haunt the castle for this injustice, many believe he was hanged, as it was the common execution method of the era.
It’s possible that Buttoncap is one of the castle’s many ghosts. Additionally, there have been reports of a drummer boy who was allegedly pushed into a well and met his demise. Since Lavery also served as a drummer, many claim to have seen him near the well, now famously known as Buttoncap’s well.
Could these sightings be a case of mistaken identity between the two spirits? Or was Lieutenant Jennings so grief-stricken by his brother’s death that he devised a unique punishment for the accused killer?
9. Leamaneh Castle, County Clare
Leamaneh Castle, a 17th-century fortress in western Ireland, is rumored to be haunted by the spirit of Maire Rua (“Red Mary”). Her nickname stems from her hair color, which is peculiar given Ireland’s abundance of red-haired Marys.
Born in 1615, Maire was a prosperous woman who married three times and had 13 children. Her first husband, a wealthy landowner, died a few years after their marriage, which began when she was just 15.
During her union with her second husband, Conor O’Brien, a cousin, the castle was constructed. Life appeared stable for Maire and her large family during this period.
However, Conor perished while leading a rebellion against Oliver Cromwell, a figure deeply despised in Irish history. Fearing the confiscation of her estate due to her husband’s rebellion, Maire hastily married John Cooper, one of Cromwell’s officers.
Her advantageous marriages fueled rumors of promiscuity. Tales circulated that she entertained a different soldier each night before having them executed. Allegedly, she disposed of around 25 husbands in gruesome ways, such as forcing them to ride a horse off a cliff.
Maire was undeniably a formidable woman. Born into an influential family, she married prominent men and maintained strong alliances. Naturally, such power also attracted formidable adversaries.
Legend has it that her enemies eventually turned against her, trapping her inside a hollow tree. Unable to break free, she met her end there. To this day, her red-haired spirit is said to roam Leamaneh Castle.
8. Leap Castle, County Offaly
Though the exact construction date of Leap Castle remains unknown, it is believed to be at least 500 years old. Over the centuries, the castle has been home to numerous influential figures, including Teige O’Carroll, who infamously killed his priest brother in the area now called the Bloody Chapel.
Another spectral presence is the Red Lady, thought to be the spirit of a woman imprisoned in the oubliette, a dungeon accessible only through a trapdoor. The castle’s website suggests she became pregnant by an O’Carroll man, who later killed the child, leading her to take her own life.
An alternative theory claims the Red Lady is the ghost of Mrs. Darby, who liberated her lover from the O’Carrolls’ dungeon by sparking a violent conflict that allowed Darby to take control of the castle. The Darby family then occupied Leap Castle for over two centuries.
In the late 19th century, Jonathan Darby discovered three skeletons sealed within the castle walls. Deciding it was best not to disturb them, he re-bricked the skeletons into the walls. Over the following decades, more skeletal remains were unearthed across the grounds.
The castle is said to be haunted by several other spirits, including an elderly man, two young girls, and their nanny. However, none are as notorious as the entity known as “the elemental.”
Mildred Darby, known for hosting seances at the castle, once described the elemental in an occult publication: “The creature was roughly the size of a sheep. Emaciated, shadowy, and eerie... its face appeared human, yet distinctly inhuman.” She added that its eyes seemed decayed, and it emitted the stench of a decomposing body.
After lying abandoned for more than five decades, the castle is now home to the Ryan family. They have welcomed various paranormal investigation teams, including The Atlantic Paranormal Society and the cast of Most Haunted.
7. Loftus Hall, County Wexford
Originally named Redmond Hall, the estate was constructed in 1350 by the Redmond family. It was later renamed Loftus Hall after being taken over by the Loftus family three centuries later. However, it wasn’t until 1766 that the property became plagued by a supernatural entity, a presence that lingers even today.
During that era, it was common for sailors to seek refuge in homes during storms. When a mysterious stranger arrived seeking shelter, the Tottenham family, who lived there at the time, welcomed him in.
The storm reportedly lasted for weeks. Over this period, the stranger grew particularly close to Anne, one of the Tottenham daughters. He often joined the family for card games in the evenings until one fateful night when Anne dropped a card under the table.
As she reached down to pick it up, she noticed the stranger had hooves instead of feet. Realizing he was the Devil, Anne screamed in terror.
Instantly, he transformed into a fiery orb and shot through the ceiling. The Devil’s visit left an indelible mark on Loftus Hall, blamed for the eerie and violent occurrences that followed. Despite an attempted exorcism, the disturbances persist.
Anne was so deeply scarred by the encounter that she descended into madness, confined for 19 years until her death. Her ghost is said to wander the estate, unable to find peace after the horrifying incident.
A tourist’s photograph from 2015 allegedly captures Anne’s spirit alongside that of an elderly woman. In 2011, a group of paranormal investigators even produced a documentary focusing on Loftus Hall.
Adding to the intrigue, this year marks a significant milestone for Loftus Hall as it celebrates its 666th anniversary. To commemorate this rare occasion, the estate is offering overnight stays from 8:30 PM to 3:30 AM for just €66.
6. Duckett’s Grove, County Carlow
Despite its gradual decay, Duckett’s Grove remains one of Ireland’s most stunning castles. Spanning nearly 50 square kilometers (20 mi), the estate was initially the location of the Duckett family home. By 1830, it had been redesigned into a magnificent Gothic Revival castle.
There’s no evidence that anyone other than the Duckett family lived in the castle, and many of them are said to still inhabit it in spirit. Reports include ghostly figures working in the kitchen and sightings of the eerie Death Coach.
While many have claimed to see the ghosts of the Duckett family or their servants, the castle’s banshee is its most famous spectral resident. Though banshees are a type of fairy, they originate from transformed ghosts and often remain tied to families they were close to in life.
The Duckett’s Grove banshee is thought to be the spirit of a woman who had an affair with William Duckett. She met a tragic end during a horseback ride.
The woman’s mother, likely ashamed of her daughter and enraged at the Duckett family, invoked a widow’s curse to transform her deceased daughter into a banshee destined to haunt the family eternally. Since then, many have reported hearing her mournful cries, sometimes lasting for days, as a warning of an approaching death.
Although the Duckett family resided at the grove for about a century and held significant influence in the region for over 300 years, William’s wife, Maria, was the last to live there, abruptly leaving the estate in 1916.
In 1933, the castle mysteriously caught fire and remained in ruins until Carlow County Council purchased it in 2005, initiating efforts to restore its former grandeur. Maria passed away in 1937, and her sole daughter, Olive, became entangled in a legal dispute over her inheritance.
A settlement allowed Olive to receive interest from a portion of her mother’s wealth, but it would revert to the estate upon her death. This marked the downfall of the once-mighty Duckett family. Their motto, Spectemur agendo (“Let us be judged by our actions”), seems to have been their undoing.
5. Howth Castle, County Dublin
Howth Castle has been home to the St. Lawrence family for nearly 800 years, though most of the current structure is under 600 years old. Inside, a painting of Nicola Hamilton bears a note on its back, stating that a black ribbon originally painted on her wrist vanished during cleaning.
Nicola shared a lifelong bond with John Le Poer, also known as Lord Tyrone. Both orphans, they were raised together until their teenage years and remained close throughout their lives. They vowed that the first to die would return to share details of the afterlife.
Lord Tyrone passed away first. A woman with a robin redbreast on her finger appeared at his bedside, predicting his death at midnight in three days. True to her words, he was found dead three days later, his watch stopped just after midnight. Some believe he took poison to fulfill the prophecy.
A few nights later, Nicola woke to find Lord Tyrone’s ghost at the foot of her bed. Unaware of his death, she questioned his presence. He revealed he had passed away and was allowed to return to share three predictions: Nicola was expecting a son who would marry his daughter, she would remarry after her current husband’s death, and she would die at 47 during the birth of her second husband’s third child.
Concerned she might dismiss the encounter as a dream, Lord Tyrone’s ghost seized her wrist, leaving it permanently marked. The next morning, she concealed the scar with a black ribbon, which she wore for the rest of her life, as Lord Tyrone had forbidden her from revealing it to anyone.
4. Ballygally Castle, County Antrim
Ballygally Castle, a 17th-century fortress near the coastal town of Larne in Northern Ireland, now functions as a hotel. The original structure is rumored to be haunted by Lady Isobel Shaw, whose husband, James, constructed the castle in 1625.
James allegedly locked Isobel in one of the castle’s turrets before throwing her either out of a window or down the stairs. He reportedly discovered her affair with a sailor, who might have been the true father of Isobel’s daughter.
Numerous guests have reported supernatural occurrences in and around this room, now known as the Ghost Room, but none as compelling as the experiences of Kim Lenaghan.
Kim, a TV and radio presenter for BBC Northern Ireland, including BBC Radio Ulster, decided to spend a night in the hotel as part of a Halloween series, accompanied by a medium named Sally.
In the Ghost Room, Sally tried to communicate with a spirit. Kim recounted three simultaneous events: Sally began speaking to a visibly distressed woman, a strong scent of “old, musty vanilla” filled the air, and the room’s temperature rose dramatically.
The encounter lasted nearly 10 minutes, during which Sally sensed the spirit was trapped and repeatedly called out to the sea for someone named Robert. When the connection broke, the odor vanished, and the room’s temperature normalized.
Despite Sally’s departure, a visibly shaken Kim chose to spend the night in the Ghost Room, a rare decision. At 3:00 AM, the temperature spiked again, and the scent reappeared. Kim began recording notes but soon fled the room in fear.
The following day, the manager informed her that other guests in that section of the castle had been disturbed by late-night knocking sounds. One guest even reported seeing an unfamiliar woman in their room. Upon returning to the Ghost Room, Kim found her name written on the mirror, though she remains unsure if it was a prank.
3. Carrigaholt Castle, County Clare
Believed to have been constructed around 1480, Carrigaholt Castle now stands in ruins, largely forgotten. With Ireland’s abundance of castles, such ruins often go unnoticed, their centuries of history overlooked as people go about their daily lives.
Also known as McMahon Castle after its original owners, the fortress has been abandoned for over a century. While it’s no longer accessible inside, the castle is rumored to house a malevolent presence so terrifying that few dare to approach it. Even paranormal investigators, who have explored every other castle on this list, reportedly avoid Carrigaholt.
Like many Irish castles, this one features a murder hole—a hidden passage from the upper levels to the main entrance, used to drop substances like boiling oil on invaders. Despite its grim name, it’s a sealed chamber within the castle that allegedly harbors the evil entity said to reside there.
The last known attempt to enter the room occurred in the 1920s, when an exorcist tried to purge the castle of its dark force. Overwhelmed by the entity’s power, he was found dead the next day, his face frozen in an expression of sheer terror. The room has remained sealed ever since.
The true nature of what lies within the sealed chamber remains a mystery. It might be a spirit, a banshee, a demon, the Devil, or even some form of “energy.” Whatever it is, it’s likely best left undisturbed.
2. Charleville Castle, County Offaly
Charleville Castle, a grand Gothic Revival–style structure, was constructed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Nestled within a forest, it is regarded as one of Ireland’s most stunning castles and is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a young girl named Harriet.
Harriet resided in the castle until her untimely death at the age of eight. In 1861, while sliding down the banisters of the main staircase, she lost her hold and plummeted to the stone floor below, a fall that may have been three stories high.
Over the years, there have been numerous reports of Harriet’s ghost, with many claiming to have photographed her. She is most often spotted near the staircase where she died, though sightings have occurred throughout the castle.
Harriet is described as a blonde girl wearing blue ribbons and a blue-and-white dress. She is typically seen alone, though sometimes accompanied by the ghost of an unidentified boy. However, she isn’t always visible; some visitors have only heard her singing or laughing within the castle.
Her parents, heartbroken by her death, installed a protective railing on the staircase to prevent further accidents. Although the railing is no longer there, its traces remain visible today.
Another tale involves a mystical tree still standing on the castle grounds. Legend states that the fall of a branch from this majestic King Oak predicted the death of a Bury family member. Shortly after the tree was hit by lightning in 1963, the last Bury family member passed away. His ghost is also said to haunt the castle.
1. Malahide Castle, County Dublin
Regarded as one of Ireland’s most iconic castles, Malahide Castle was constructed by Richard Talbot in the late 12th century. The Talbot family resided there for almost 800 years.
However, Rose Talbot chose to end this centuries-old legacy by selling the castle for a substantial profit. She also auctioned off much of the furniture. Fortunately, the government intervened, purchasing the castle and recovering as much of the original art and furnishings as possible. Today, the castle is open to visitors.
The castle is teeming with ghosts, including some particularly peculiar ones. The most renowned is Puck, a grotesque dwarf who served as the court jester in the 16th century and lived in one of the towers. Scattered throughout the castle are small doors said to be used by Puck to move around.
Another ghost is Walter Hussey, who roams the castle, pointing to the spot where he was mortally wounded in battle. He died on the same day he married, leaving his wife, Maud Plunkett, as a “maid, wife, and widow in one day.” Her ghost is often seen pursuing the spirit of another husband through the castle.
Miles Corbett’s ghost also haunts the castle. He took control of the castle during Oliver Cromwell’s invasion of Ireland. However, the Irish despised being occupied, and during the Restoration of 1660, he was executed by hanging, drawing, and quartering.
This brutal execution involved being dragged by a horse to the gallows, hanged, emasculated, disemboweled, beheaded, and cut into four pieces. Witnesses of his ghost describe him as a knight who horrifically disintegrates.
Finally, there’s a painting of an unidentified woman in the castle, and her ghost is said to wander the grounds. Known as the White Lady, she is a typical ghost, though some claim she can step out of her own portrait.
