#leap castle

[barnettshale]

Even more Leap Castle

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History | 31 October:

Halloween/Samhain Eve/Oíche Shamhna. Samhain is a festival on the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, with aspects of a Festival of the Dead. It is popularly regarded as ‘The Celtic New Year’. The term derives from the name of a month in the ancient Celtic calendar, in particular the first three nights of this month, with the festival marking the end of the summer season and the end of…

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[caitylove]

Alright in celebration of Halloween, here are a few spooky pics of places I've been ghost hunting.

[sandros-travel-blog]

With sightings over the centuries of at least nineteen individual ghosts, accounts of the sounds of a phantom battle being heard to play out upon the castle grounds, a banshee and the frighteningly hideous and oppressively foul-smelling Elemental; Leap Castle truly merits its longstanding reputation as “the most Haunted Castle in the world.” Built in the early 1500′s under the supervision of the powerful and warring O’Carroll clan, Leap Castle has been the centre of much bloodshed and brutal attrocities.

[beyondthebizarre]

Ireland's Biggest Haunt - Leap Castle

Hey there, are you looking for a place to scare yourself silly in Ireland? Well, look no further than Leap Castle! Located in County Offaly, this old castle is said to be one of the creepiest and most haunted places in the country. If you're into the paranormal, this place is definitely worth checking out.

So, what's the deal with Leap Castle? Well, it's got a long and violent history dating back hundreds of years. Legend has it that two brothers were fighting for control of the castle in the 16th century, and one of them, Thaddeus O'Carroll, was a real sadist. He apparently had a secret dungeon built in the castle, where he'd torture and kill his enemies. The dungeon was so nasty, with spikes on the floor and walls, that prisoners often died from their wounds.

Even after Thaddeus was long gone, the castle seemed to have picked up some bad vibes from all the violence that had taken place there. People have reported seeing all kinds of freaky stuff over the years, from ghosts to unexplained noises to just an overall creepy feeling.

One of the most famous ghosts at Leap Castle is the "Elemental," which supposedly hangs out in the castle's chapel. This thing is supposed to be super malevolent and has been known to attack people who go into the chapel alone. Apparently, the Elemental was created by a previous owner of the castle who was into black magic and used the chapel for his rituals. So, you know, it's probably not a good idea to mess around in there by yourself.

But the Elemental isn't the only freaky thing at Leap Castle. People have reported seeing a lady in a red dress, a phantom drummer, and even a little girl who died tragically in the castle. So, basically, there's no shortage of spooky stuff to see and feel at this place.

Despite all the creepy vibes, Leap Castle is still a popular spot for tourists and paranormal investigators. If you're brave enough, you can even spend the night there! Just be warned, you might not get much sleep with all the ghosts and ghouls hanging around.

So, if you're into the paranormal or just looking for a good scare, Leap Castle is definitely worth checking out. It's got a crazy history and plenty of freaky ghosts to keep you on edge. So, why not give it a shot? Just make sure you bring a friend – you don't want to mess with the Elemental by yourself!

[myhauntedsalem]

Leap Castle

Ireland

Winner of this year’s Most Spooky Castle Award (and—if I had one—- quite possibly the most haunted building on Earth award), is Leap Castle.  Home to several ghosts and an Elemental, Leap Castle strikes fear into the hearts of many. Located in Ireland, this castle is thought to have been built by the O’Bannon clan in the 1500s.  Prior to the castle being built, the land it resides on was used by Druids for initiation ceremonies.  This castle was also the site of much bloodshed and violence.

In 1557, the O’Carrolls gained possession of the castle.  After the death of Mulrooney O’Carroll in 1532, a fight between two brothers within the family erupted.  One of these brothers was a priest.  One day, while he was holding mass for members of his family, the rival brother burst into the chapel and plunged a sword into his chest.  The brother fell across the alter and died in front of his family.  The chapel where this occurred is now known as the Bloody Chapel.

The Bloody Chapel is also the location of an area known as the oubliette. The oubliette (AKA Murder Hole)  was a small dungeon that was hidden by a secret trap door. Coming from the French word, to forget, the O’Carrols used to throw dead or dying prisoners down the hole and completely forget about them.  One tale states that the O’Carrolls would sometimes hire other clans as mercenaries to eliminate nearby threats.  Once the mercenaries completed their job, they were invited back to the castle for a celebratory feast.  However, unbeknownst to them, the feast was poisoned and the mercenaries’ throats would be cut.  The corpses were then thrown into the oubliette.

In 1922, parts of the castle were burned down.  During the cleanup that followed, it is rumored that up to three cartloads, or 150 bodies, were taken from the castle.  This event is also said to have triggered an increase in the hauntings at the castle.

Now, strange lights are often seen streaming out of the upper windows where the Bloody Chapel is located.  Strange smells, like rubber have also been reported.  The most famous haunting in the Bloody Chapel is that of the murdered priest.  The priest can be seen both in the tower, and on the stairway below.

Other apparitions have been seen throughout the castle. In the great hall, the spirits of members of the MacMahon clan have been spotted.  The MacMahon clan were among several of the clans hired as mercenaries and killed.  An apparition of a strange man is also thought to live in the oubliette. On occasion he has been spotted wandering the lower levels of the castle. In the Priests House (now just a hollow shell), shadow figures are seen wandering around. Other than the strange man, a woman murdered by the O’Carrolls is sometimes heard screaming throughout the castle.  Those who have seen her said she had a red cloth covering her face.

Another more distressing apparition is that of the Red Lady.  The Red Lady takes the form of a tall woman in a red dress.  She holds a dagger menacingly, and a strange light comes from within her.  Those who have seen her feel a horrible chill that fills the room.  This woman is thought to have been captured by an O’Carroll and raped.  The Red Woman then became pregnant, and upon the baby’s birth, the O’Carrolls had the baby killed.  Unable to handle her grief, the woman killed herself with the same blade they had used to murder her child.

The spirits of two young girls have also been seen playing in the main hall and running up the stairways.  One of the young girls, Emily (who had died falling from one of the castles battlements) is also seen falling off of the castle roof and disappearing before hitting the ground.

Sometimes seen with the two girls is the spirit of the governess.  Like the girls, she is usually spotted in the main hall. Guests at the castle have also reported being touched or feeling someone brush past them.  Reports of a Victorian lady, and an old man have also been seen in the Main Hall.

Finally, one of the scariest residents of this castle is the Elemental.  The Elemental was accidentally summoned by Mildred Darby (the Darbys owned the castle after the O’Carrolls) after she began dabbling with dark magic.  Mildred later described the elemental she summoned as being thin, gaunt, and shadowy.  Its face featured eyes that were two black cavities, and the smell that came from it was the same as a decomposing corpse. Ever since this incident, the elemental has actively haunted the castle.

[theirishaesthete]

Feeling Haunted

For those who believe in the supernatural, there’s stiff competition for the title of Ireland’s Most Haunted House. But one property which often appears to lead the field is Leap Castle, County Offaly. Superbly located on a rocky outcrop and with views across to the Slieve Bloom Mountains, in its present form the core of the castle is a late medieval tower house but likely built on the site, and…

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[morbidology]

Located in County Offaly, Leap Castle is said to be the most haunted castle in Ireland. Believed to have been built in around 1250 AD, Leap Castle has had numerous owners over the years. Arguably the most famous owners were the O’Carroll brothers, one of which was a priest. While holding a mass in the “Bloody Chapel” of the castle, the other brother burst through the doors and stabbed his brother with a sword. In 1922, workers allegedly discovered a secret dungeon that had piles of human skeletons on top of wooden skeletons. Legend says that the O’Carroll clan had a hidden trap door and if they had an unwanted guest or enemy, the would open the door for the unsuspecting victim to fall to the wooden spikes down below

With such a violent history, it’s no surprise that Leap Castle is supposedly haunted and ghost hunters from across the world had travelled to the castle in the hopes to catch a glimpse of something unexplainable. 

Nowadays, Leap Car is owned by Sean Ryan who says he does not fear the residential ghosts. According to him, the most active ghosts are two young girls, Catherine and Emily. He claims that when he calls their names, the front door opens. In addition to the two young girls, many witnesses have seen the ghost of an old man sitting in a chair and a ghostly woman known as the “Governess” who frequently touches visitors.