Charleville

Charleville Forest Castle is one of the most haunted castles in Ireland and has a spooky tale to tell.

Charleville lay vacant for many years, but when local workers began renovating the building, they disturbed the spirits that haunt the residence. The huge staircase is reportedly visited often by the ghost of a young girl named Harriet, who was killed accidentally while sliding down the bannister.

Visitors have felt the chill of her presence while climbing the stairs, and many witnesses claim to have seen her ghost, spiraling down the staircase in the same manner, which took her life. Sometimes, she is seen in the company of a small boy. People have heard the voices of children playing in the nursery, even though it is no longer in use.

The daughter of Charleville’s current owner had a very creepy encounter with the ghost children. She was playing hide and seek, and crawled into a cupboard. A ghostly little hand shut the closet door on the child and flipped the latch, locking her inside. She had to call for her mother to open the latch and let her out.

On another occasion, the little girl got lost in the basement of Charleville. When her parents found her, she claimed that a ghostly little girl had taken her by the hand and led her to safety.

An overnight guest of the castle named Richard Hayes also had an encounter with strange happenings at this site. As he climbed into bed, he heard voices whispering to eachother in conversation. He spent a sleepless night curled up on the floor, with the lights on and the door locked because he was the only person in the castle at the time.

Many ancient oak trees line the driveway. One of the largest is referred to as “King Oak”. Legend says that a member of the Charleville family has died every time the tree lost a branch to weather or old age. Colonel Charles Howard Bury died in May of 1963 – two weeks after the tree was nearly destroyed by a lightning strike.

Charleville has been featured on several paranormal TV shows, including Ghost Hunters, Most Haunted and Scariest Places on Earth.