Top 5 Most Haunted Places in Ireland
Halloween is just over a week away, and we are determined to get you into the spooky spirit. Ireland is famous for many things, such as our culture, history and Aran jumpers. However, Ireland also has a haunting past, with scary stories of Celtic myths and legends reaching as far back as 500 BC. These mysterious tales have left behind a trail of haunted locations across Ireland, and many visit to take their chances. If you're feeling brave, we'd like to highlight the top 5 most haunted places in Ireland.1. Belvelly Castle, Cork
Belvelly Castle was built in the 14 Century in Country Cork and is described as a very rural and isolated building. The castle sits on a harbour and has sat as a ruin for decades until recently when 5 million Euros was invested in its renewal.
To this day, Belvelly Castle has a reputation as one of the most haunted in Ireland, and countless reports have claimed in horror to encounter several spirits when visiting.
The most notorious is known to be Lady Margaret, a faceless ghost that roams the castle endlessly. She was said to have been captured by soldiers and brought to court in the 17th century. Legend says she was left there to rot and was taunted and obsessed by her slow decline in beauty. As a result, she smashed mirrors in a feverous rage and since haunts the halls as a faceless ghost. Whether or not mirrors have been allowed in the new renovation remains to be answered, but many strongly believe this should be avoided at all costs.
2. The Hellfire Club, Dublin
In County Dublin, Mount Pelier Hill sits a large lodge built-in 1725 for hunting and innocent enjoyment of the countryside. In 1730, young men allegedly used the lodge to meet and partake in Satan rituals following the original owner's death.
Legend has it the devil would erupt out of the fire, and the young men would make sacrifices to please him. The men named themselves The Irish Hellfire Club and would dress in black cloaks and horns. Rituals involving killing cats and allegedly even servants were performed in hopes to summon Satan, and citizens of Dublin were terrified of them.
The lodge eventually burnt down, which many believe was an act of ritual from the club. Locals and horror enthusiasts believe spirits seeking revenge for the gruesome practices set upon them still lurk in ruins, and many report strange smells and atmospheres lurking around. Even the look of the place is terrifying.
3. The Abbey of the Black Hag, Limerick
Going back to as far as 1298, the Augustinian Abby is notoriously one of Ireland's longest haunted locations. Found in rural Limerick, the Abby was built in the 1200s and has been given the name of the Abbey of the Black Hag due to its haunted history and paranormal suspicions.
The story is derived from a legend that a married couple was attacked and sought shelter in the Abby. Apparently, the wife was shot with an arrow, and the husband believed her to be dead. He buried her in the Abby before fleeing. Nun's began to hear screams and crying and eventually decided to bury up the poor wife to investigate. To their horror, they found the corpse rotted but with broken fingers and nails, and it was apparent she had been buried alive. To this day, people believe the wife haunts the abbey, waiting for her husband to return to save her.
Over the years, the abbey has been excavated, and reports of bodies being buried within the convent were confirmed. People report an uneasy atmosphere within the abbey's ruins, and it is now not accessible to the public.
4. Glenuilin, Derry
The legend of the Abhartach, the first recorded vampire in the world, is said to rest in his grave in Glenuilin, Derry. Allegedly he lies standing upright and upside down and takes the form of an extremely short dwarf.
The legend of the Abhartach goes as far back as the Druids, who called him the red bloodsucker. It is believed the vampire can't be killed unless pierced with a sword made of wood and then buried headfirst.
The locals of Glenuilin have placed a wide stone over his resting place to ensure he can't rise and cause terror, and the area is known as the "bad ground" and is widely avoided.
5. Aughrim battlefield, Galway
Located in rural Galway lies a battlefield haunted by the massacre of the Jacobite army, with thousands being slaughtered in 1691 by the English Army.
The bodies of the poor soldiers were left unburied and mutilated for over a year, with only their bones remaining.
People often avoid walking across this field, but those who do often report feeling uneasy and can still hear the screams of the soldiers begging to be put to rest.
