The 'most haunted house' in Ireland is for sale

A 22-bedroom Irish mansion that is reportedly the country’s most haunted house is up for sale. Loftus Hall dates back to 1350, and it is situated on the Hook Peninsula in Wexford. The Georgian mansion is reported to be haunted and has been exorcised.

Among the various legends attached to it is the claim that the devil visited in disguise for a card game with Lady Anne Tottenham, and shot through the roof in a puff of smoke when his cloven hoof was spotted. Lady Anne never recovered from the fright and the house became haunted after her death.

There have been apparent sightings of her and claims of poltergeist disturbances since then. Loftus Hall was the inspiration for Fowl Manor, one of the primary settings of the franchise, Artemis Fowl, which became a Disney+ original film in June. This is because author Eoin Colfer worked at the mansion in his youth.

The first castle was built on the site in 1170 by the Norman knight, Raymond Lee Gros, who changed his surname to Redmond to adopt an Irish identity. The Redmond family built what was known as Redmond Hall in 1350 to replace the castle, and it became known as Loftus Hall after it was given to the Loftus family as part of the Cromwellian conquest. The building that exists today was heavily renovated between 1872 and 1879 by the fourth Marquess of Ely, John Wellington Graham Loftus.

Anticipating a visit from Queen Victoria that never came to pass, he used the existing structure and added elements such as a grand staircase, mosaic tiled floor and parquet flooring. The building has had several owners since then, including two orders of nuns. These days, many people take haunted tours of the 27,124 square foot house or attend monthly 'paranormal lockdown' evening tours. However, its current owners, Aidan and Shane Quigley, have now put the house on the market, along with 63 acres of land and a private beach, for €2.5 million ($2.89 million). Further information on Loftus Hall can be found on its website here.

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