Loftus Hall is reported to be one of the most haunted houses in Ireland.
Besides, situated on the Hook Peninsula in County Wexford this mansion is on the site of the original castle – Redmond Hall. Built there in 1350 during the Black Death pandemic.
Therefore, on the way from Tintern Abbey to Hook Lighthouse, I stopped to see this Ireland’s famous haunted house.
Loftus Hall has a fascinating history and infamous legend.
Because it is said by locals to have been haunted by the devil and the ghost of a young woman.
Hall’s haunted reputation dates back to 1766 and an earlier residence, Redmond Hall, is on the same site. Lord Tottenham, who had married Anne Loftus, lived there.
Furthermore, there are many versions of the tale which take place. On a dark and stormy night, a stranger came calling. And he and Tottenham’s daughter, Lady Anne, spent hours playing cards together in the Tapestry Room. During a game, she bent down to retrieve a fallen card. Only to spy cloven hooves at the end of the stranger’s legs. She screamed, prompting the stranger to disappear through the ceiling in a puff of smoke. Lady Anne never recovered and after her death the house became haunted.
Then, Father Thomas Broaders exorcized Loftus Hall and his powers worked. Fr Boarders went on to become Parish Priest of the parishes of the Hook and Ramsgrange for almost 50 years.
The building with which the legend is associated was leveled to the ground in 1870, and the present-day mansion was erected.
Therefore, the 22-bedroom and 97 windows house we see today was built on Hook Peninsula between 1865 and 1875. House sits on 63 acres of land, with access to a private beach. It was built by the Marquis of Ely, on the ruins of Redmond Hall, which was in existence since 1350. The Loftus family purchased the House in the 1600s.
Next, in 1917 the Sisters of Providence bought the Loftus Hall. And they turned into a convent and a school for young girls interested in joining the order.
Then, in 1983, Michael Devereaux purchased it and reopened it as “Loftus Hall Hotel”, which was subsequently closed again in the late 1990s.
Finally, in 2011 the Quigley family purchased the house. More recently, the hall had been run as a tourist attraction with guided tours of the property. And seasonal events, with people traveling from all over the world to take part in paranormal investigations following Ghost Adventures.
Moreover, in 2016 The Gothic thriller The Lodgers was shot on location at Loftus Hall and premiered to International acclaim at TIFF 2017.
However, Loftus Hall was put up on the market for sale in 2020 for just under $3 million. It has sold after a year on the market. It closed now, and I could only take some photos from a distance.
Location of Loftus Hall:
Below are photos I took in August 2021.
