Loftus Hall on the Hook Peninsula, Wexford has been named ‘Ireland’s most haunted house’ by a group of paranormal investigators, Irish Ghost Hunters (IGH).
IGH carried out a number of investigations earlier this month. They claim to have experienced ‘major temperature drops’ and electromagnetic field spikes.
Tina Barcoe, Location Manager and Lead Investigator with IGH said: “Our team is scientific, we don’t work with psychics or mediums.”
She told Irish Independent Travel: “We go in with our equipment and try to debunk everything before we say it is paranormal. But there were things that happened at Loftus that we just couldn’t debunk.
“Our investigation left us with more questions than answers.”
Barcoe said that the team heard mysterious footsteps and recorded readings that indicated that there was an energy source nearby. They recorded responses on a K2 meter (EMF) which Barcoe said seemed to be in connection to IGH’s questions.
It is no surprise that the IGH chose Loftus Hall. It was built in 1350, during the time of the Black Death, and is famous in the local area and has been the scene of a number of terrifying tales.
The most well-known took place late one night in 1765. A stranger approached the mansion. He was lost and looking for somewhere to stay.
He soon settled in and before long he was playing cards with the Anne Tottenham – who was the daughter of the family who owned the mansion.
As the game went on, the stakes got higher. At one point Anne got distracted and her cards fell to the floor. As she bent down to pick them up she noticed something very strange about man who had come in to her parents’ home.
As she reached under the table she caught a glimpse of the strangers’ legs and was horrified to see that he had cloven hooves. She had been playing cards with the devil!
At that instant the man left into the air in a ball of flames and went flying through the roof.
The current owner of Loftus Hall Aidan Quigley said: “The very same roof has been irreparable ever since.”
Can the mansion really be haunted? You can take a guided tour to see for yourself. Daytime tours are suitable for children, while there are also adult only tours, after dark.
Check out the Loftus Hall website for more details.