Leap Castle · The Chapel in the Wall

Leap Castle is the best known haunted castle in Ireland. In the fifteenth century two brothers quarrelled; the younger was a priest, and the elder stabbed him to death during a feast. Deaths in the family followed.

During repairs, workers found a deep pit set with spikes inside the wall, a medieval “oubliette”, from which anyone pushed in could not get out. Dozens of skeletons lay at the bottom.

Most often told are the figure of a red-robed “elemental” and the shape of a small girl. The castle is still lived in; visits are by appointment, and the owners do not discuss these matters.

Haunted Ruins / Offaly · Ireland / 1513