George Moore made a fortune in the Spanish wine trade and decided in the 1790s to build himself an impressive house on the edge of Lough Carra in County Mayo in Ireland. The locals were superstitious about his choice of location because Muckloon Hill was alleged to have been cursed by a druid in the year 400.
Four haunted houses for Halloween
Halloween is a time for family and friends to gather around a crackling fire and share ghost stories. Apparently in Victorian times, spooky tales were more associated with Christmas but nowadays we savour them at the end of October. There is a limitless supply of ghost stories in Ireland where huge ruined castles loom on the landscape and the ruins of big houses lie abandoned at the end of long winding avenues. They have always fascinated me so, to celebrate the spooky season, I’ve found four tales of haunted houses.
Five Ghostly Tales for Halloween
It’s Halloween or All Hallows’ Eve. I have to admit that I’ve never seen a ghost – at least not knowingly - but I’ve met people who claim they have. Ireland is apparently alive with phantoms and spirits. I went to visit an elderly man in England, once married to my great-aunt who died young. His second wife told me she visited Ireland on one occasion and would never risk it again. I thought this was an unusual comment and asked her why. She said it was because she could see spirits and was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers that appeared on Irish roads wherever she and her husband went. I have five ghost stories for you today and I’ll start with the one in our Victorian house in Dublin.
Two versions of an Irish ghost story
One of the best things about living in Ireland is how eager people are, often complete strangers, to tell stories. I was lucky enough to be picked to work on a film set at Ardgillan Castle in North County Dublin earlier this summer and, in the quieter moments between shooting, we discussed the history of this beautiful demesne, now restored and run by Fingal County Council. The castellated house with walled garden and parkland has sweeping views of the ocean and is open to the public. As with most castles and grand old houses in Ireland, the stories inevitably involve a ghost.