Leap Castle, Co. Offaly
“There are spirits here, but we don’t feel threatened by them,” says Sean Ryan, owner of Leap Castle – crumbling seat of the O’Carroll Clan and a 12th-century building widely held to be the most haunted in Ireland. “There’s no nastiness.”
Ryan, wearing a tweed cap and long, grey-white beard, offers a warm welcome before handing over a flashlight and encouraging me to wander up a spiral staircase while he makes dinner for his wife and daughter.
I oblige, picking through cobweb-cluttered nooks, massive fireplaces and a straw-covered chapel untouched “since it was burnt in 1922”.
Ghosthunters filmed here recently (check their findings on YouTube), and there’s a constant procession of paranormal and spook tours, I’m told.
“Once they pay, it’s fine,” Ryan says – though visitors should call in advance. “I could be in the hardware store.”
This entry was posted in Blog, Hidden Gems and tagged Haunted, Leap Castle, Offaly. Bookmark the permalink.
Attempting to find an email for Sean Ryan to set up a tour for myself and cousin when visiting Ireland this September.