Leap Castle

Leap Castle is located in County Offaly, Ireland. Built in the 1500s, it is the longest continually inhabited Castle in Ireland. Prior to the castle being built, the land was used for Druid Initiation Ceremonies. Originally, it was owned by the O’Carroll Clan. Other owners include John and Mildred Darby (late 1800s early 1900s) and Sean Ryan who currently owns the property.

Leap castle is situated over the crossing of two Ley Lines. It is believed the veneer between the physical and spiritual realms is thinner and much more permeable between the Ley Lines. This allows entities to manifest much more readily. Any thoughts or actions in this area grow more potent and have more forced effects.

The O'Carrolls were a vicious and hostile Clan. They killed anyone who stood in their way. They would employ other clans as mercenaries and then kill threats. The MacMahan clan was murdered in their sleep and said to haunt the great hall.

Two brothers were contesting to be Chief of the O’Carroll Clan. To become Chief, they had to display their strength and bravery. They both jumped off the rocky cliff where the castle was to be built. The survivor won.

An incident between another set of O’Carroll brothers happened in the Chapel. The two were having a power struggle. One was a priest. He was stabbed by his brother while performing mass. The Chapel is now known as “The Bloody Chapel” The priest’s spirit has been seen in the Chapel. There is a stain on the floor from the priest being murdered by his brother. The stain will reappear within an hour of being cleaned up. Bright lights stream out of the upper windows. There is a strange smell of rubber. A woman with very few clothes and red cloth over her face will appear. She screams loudly twice and disappears. It is believed she witnessed the O’Carroll brothers fight. She was chased up the stairs and stabbed.

In the Priest's House, shadowy forms are seen wandering through the empty building.

Mildred Darby stated “Something heavy lays on beds and snores. A burly man, dressed like a peasant pushes a heavy barrel up the stairs. When at the top the barrel rolls back down the stairs. A monk crawls in one window and out the other.”

Mildred Darby was asleep In the “Muckle Hole Room”. She put her hand off the bed to snap for the dog. Another hand grabbed hers. The hand let go and it sounded like a body fell off the end of the bed. She heard a loud groan, then what seemed like a prayer.

The Blue Room served as the nursery. A tall Woman in a red dress carries a dagger in her hand raised menacingly. A strange luminescence is seen radiating within her. The room gets cold. The cold permeates into the heart of anyone in the room. She is known as the Lady in Red. She is believed to be a woman assaulted by one of the O'Carroll men. She became pregnant. The baby was killed by the clan. The distraught woman killed herself with the same blade. She can be heard sobbing at the foot of the bed.

Sisters Emily and Charlotte are former residents of the Castle. Emily died at age 11 after falling from the castle’s SE battlements. People see her apparition fall and disappear before she hits the ground. Charlotte had an issue with her leg. The girls are known to run through the halls and stairways. Charlotte is seen dragging her leg behind her. The Governess is always with the girls, she will touch people walking in the hallway.

An older man is often seen sitting by the fire. He wears a green cut-away jacket, knee breaches, bright shoe buckles, holding a leather bag in his hand

A small chamber, known as the Oubliette, is located in the NE corner of the chapel. The O’Carrolls used it as a dungeon where prisoners were thrown while dying or already dead. The entrance is a narrow hole originally fitted with a trap door. Once thrown in, the prisoners were forgotten about. They would invite mercenaries to a feast, poison them, and throw them in the Oubliette to die. The Darby’s had the oubliette cleaned out. 3 cartloads of skeletons were hauled away. It’s believed an emotional shock wave was released when the Oubliette was cleared. Many spirits were awoken, possibly including The Elemental. Sean Ryan says there is a spirit who seems to live in the oubliette.

The most well-known entity in the castle is The Elemental. Large holes of blackness for eyes, grey in color, about the size of a small adult human, its face appears to be decomposing and it has a foul smell. It has been described as half man, half beast. The elemental can cause physical harm. It has the ability to alter atmospheric pressure which triggers serotonin hyperfunction syndrome. Heart palpitations, nausea, vomiting, sweating, chills, tremors, dizziness, and electrical charges have all been reported by people who have come into contact with the being. Two of the Darby’s maids quit after encountering The Elemental.

The origins of The Elemental are unknown. There are several theories.

• Put there by the Druids before the castle was built and used to protect the site

• Put there by Gerald FitzGerald, Earl of Kildare. He practiced magic and tried to take over the castle. He placed it there to burn the castle from the inside.

• Many of the O’Carrolls died of Leprosy. The Elemental is possibly the ghost of one of these family members. Its decomposing facial features and unappealing stench mimics symptoms of Leprosy.

The current owner, Sean Ryan has heard chanting outside and his name being called. He encountered poltergeist activities during renovations. His tools were moved, and a ladder was pushed off a wall resulting in a fractured knee. Ryan says the spirits are friendly. He doesn’t call it a haunting. They don’t interfere with him, they just let him know they are there.

You can learn more about the history of the castle by visiting: http://leapcastle.net/

Sources from: http://leapcastle.net/ and Ghost Hunters