A selection of Ireland’s most haunted stories
It seems like almost every country on the planet has a haunted tale or ten linked to it. Ireland is certainly no different, with a variety of haunted locations dotted all over the country. For Kilkenny locals, there is certainly a selection of horrifying stories doing the rounds, especially after Kilkenny was named one of the most haunted places in Europe. Kilkenny isn’t the only Irish destination with a spine-chilling story associated with it, though.
Throughout Ireland, there are various theories about a specific location being haunted. While most people will live their lives without seeing or hearing anything petrifying, there are others who claim to have substance behind their claims. Most people gain a look into these spine-chilling situations through horror movies like The Exorcist or games such as Vampire Princess of Darkness, but there are a select few who claim to have seen or heard something suspicious in the flesh. Some haunted stories are from the past, while others have emerged in more recent periods of time. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of Ireland’s most haunted stories.
Kilkenny’s Ghost River
Not everyone living in Kilkenny perhaps knows the most famous haunted tale that is linked to it. This particular story has certainly helped contribute to the haunted tales being levelled at the town. The story focuses on the great flood in 1763, when a crowd was crossing John’s Bridge and it tragically collapsed, drowning 16 of them and causing distress to many locals. Since the tragic event occurred, locals have spotted ghosts and heard a selection of unusual sounds.
Hangman’s Noose
Throughout the course of history, there have been a few blood-curdling stories linked to prisons. Crumlin Road Gaol is no different, with this Victorian-era prison housing a selection of Belfast’s most feared criminals and characters. With a number of inmates passing away inside the prison, be it due to natural causes or inmates fighting, their tortured souls have been heard in the night, whether it’s through walking down the hall or moaning in the evening.
The Bloody Chapel
A medieval building of great beauty, Leap Castle also has a large dose of ugliness linked to it. While skeletons have been discovered inside the building, there is also a spooky tale that earned the castle its famous nickname. As two competitive brothers battled it out for the family seat in 1532, one of them stabbed the other as he was giving mass in the castle chapel. The priest brother who was stabbed subsequently bled out, which resulted in the Bloody Chapel name.
Lady Isobel and the Phantom Children
Located on the Antrim coast, Ballygally Castle is one of the most haunted places in the country. After the previous owner apparently locked his beloved wife, Lady Isobel, in a tower because she couldn’t produce a child, she jumped from the building and subsequently died after landing on the rocks below. Fast forward to modern times and hotel guests have apparently seen her ghost roaming around the building. Some people have even seen children walking through the hallways inside Ballygally Castle, too.
The Hell Fire Club
Located in the mountains of Dublin, the Hell Fire Club is an abandoned hunting lodge that was built in 1735. The building housed a large cult that contained lords and noblemen that followed satan and carried out horrific, immoral acts in his name, hence why it was given the name of the Hell Fire Club. The cult even tried to summon the devil on occasions, earning it a chilling reputation in the process. Even to this day, people hear things.
