[Milly33]

So has anyone got access recently to Loftus...Think we may take a trip down this month and any tips would be great. and before anyone starts off im not going to damage anything or whatever im just going for a nose

[Oryx]

Originally Posted by Milly33

So has anyone got access recently to Loftus...Think we may take a trip down this month and any tips would be great. and before anyone starts off im not going to damage anything or whatever im just going for a nose

As mentioned before ages ago. Do not give or request tips on how to break into this building (or any other).

[Milly33]

Sorry my bad, lots of apoligies

[meryem]

What if such left to rot places are demolished and used for some social welfare activities like developing some free schools, community free professional coarse training workshops etc.

I don't find any good in leaving big strategic places like this having productive potential be left like that. Government should take over such places to use it for public good.

[Unpossible]

Originally Posted by meryem

What if such left to rot places are demolished and used for some social welfare activities like developing some free schools, community free professional coarse training workshops etc.

I don't find any good in leaving big strategic places like this having productive potential be left like that. Government should take over such places to use it for public good.

How about running courses where the participants restore and maintain such places rather than leave part of our heritage rot and waste away.

[meryem]

That will be best thing to do with such places. It will be quite perfect way of using the structure to it's optimum utilization.

[Riamfada]

Originally Posted by Unpossible

How about running courses where the participants restore and maintain such places rather than leave part of our heritage rot and waste away.

That is actually done by FAS. Look at the stunning example of Swords Castle. Just because it hasnt been done on a privately owned building you seem to like, in the middle of a sparsely populated rural location dosnt mean the Guverd'ment are not doing their jobs. With hospitals closing down could you imagine if the government invested millions in a scheme to fix up a privately owned house because it looks nicer than some others.

Why dont you go down there and fix it up?

[Unpossible]

Originally Posted by Riamfada

That is actually done by FAS. Look at the stunning example of Swords Castle. Just because it hasnt been done on a privately owned building you seem to like, in the middle of a sparsely populated rural location dosnt mean the Guverd'ment are not doing their jobs. With hospitals closing down could you imagine if the government invested millions in a scheme to fix up a privately owned house because it looks nicer than some others.

Why dont you go down there and fix it up?

Its hard to reply without going too much off topic here, I want to avoid the hospital debate as I guess we would have different opinions on what needs to be done in the healthcare section.
You seem to be of the impression that I'm talking only about saving this house over others and that I want a privately owned house restored using government money. If you read my reply again (and the post I was quoting), you will see that meryem proposed the government take it over and let it rot in order to build something else on it and my point was that if the government, or the OPW, were to take it over then I would rather it be restored. I have seen far better houses fall into ruin when left in the care of the OPW and I think its a terrible shame. Its great that there was such a course in Swords, but with so many builders unemployed and claiming the dole or going on FAS courses anyway would it really cost that much more for them to work on properties held by the OPW? If such houses can generate income once restored then it will surely be an added benefit.

[vicecreamsundae]

My family used to go to Fethard-on-Sea every summer when I was a little kid, and I remember being terrified and yet completely in love with the Loftus Hall legend. (The one with the devil playing cards... hadn't heard anything about Ann until reading this thread.Or Sean Fortune for that matter... now THAT makes me shudder).

We drove up to it one day (probably around 1990/1991) not realising anyone still lived there. There were two big alsations around the back, not that we planned on getting out of the car anyway. We saw someone's face in the window between the gap in the curtains which at the time I of course assumed was a ghost, but now feel terrible that if Ms. Deveroux was there, she had to deal with strangers driving up like that!

Would love to see it restored.

[germanator]

myselfand a friend went in there a few weeks ago, there was an oul fella living right across from the main gate into the place who came out saying he was getting the guards and all, so we just said "do you own the place?" he said no so we said grand get the guards and heres my name you can tell them.... we went down took loads of pics, didnt go inside or even try now to be honest as that would be asking for trouble, there are a few cctv cams there but wether they are working or not is another thing, about half an hour later we came back out and still no sign of guards or the oul fella... id say meself he just tries to scare people from going in prob thinking they might do damage or somthing, but all we wanted was a closer look and some pics

[Riamfada]

Originally Posted by germanator

myselfand a friend went in there a few weeks ago, there was an oul fella living right across from the main gate into the place who came out saying he was getting the guards and all, so we just said "do you own the place?" he said no so we said grand get the guards and heres my name you can tell them.... we went down took loads of pics, didnt go inside or even try now to be honest as that would be asking for trouble, there are a few cctv cams there but wether they are working or not is another thing, about half an hour later we came back out and still no sign of guards or the oul fella... id say meself he just tries to scare people from going in prob thinking they might do damage or somthing, but all we wanted was a closer look and some pics

Poor fella getting terrorised by tresspassing scrotes? I've been down there, I've been in the same position and I havnt said "go on call the guards" which is just scobie behaviour. Wished he had called them on you.

[Oryx]

Originally Posted by germanator

myselfand a friend went in there a few weeks ago, there was an oul fella living right across from the main gate into the place who came out saying he was getting the guards and all, so we just said "do you own the place?" he said no so we said grand get the guards and heres my name you can tell them.... we went down took loads of pics, didnt go inside or even try now to be honest as that would be asking for trouble, there are a few cctv cams there but wether they are working or not is another thing, about half an hour later we came back out and still no sign of guards or the oul fella... id say meself he just tries to scare people from going in prob thinking they might do damage or somthing, but all we wanted was a closer look and some pics

He is doing his best to protect the house and the locality from rubbernecking idiots who dont care if they trespass or walk across planted fields or interfere in a place they are expressly forbidden to go. You may not have meant harm, but how was he to know? Plenty here have tried to discuss how to break into the place, its a constant threat. You are one person, but youre one of a long never ending stream of people who individually arent too bad but in totality are a real nuisance.

[germanator]

Originally Posted by Riamfada

Poor fella getting terrorised by tresspassing scrotes? I've been down there, I've been in the same position and I havnt said "go on call the guards" which is just scobie behaviour. Wished he had called them on you.

sure what would you of said then? "oh please no dont call the guards"
he said he was calling them and to be honsest i couldnt be bothered arguing with people like that so i just agreed with him and said yeah ok call them! and if he had of called them so what? i wasnt doing any harm, and running off when he said he was calling them would of made it look as if i was intending to do harm, and more than likely thats why he didnt call them because i didnt act bothered so he prob knew i wasnt going to do any damage or anything, and plus he said he didnt own the place and never said he had anything to do with it so why would i listen to a complete stranger, i would be a different story if it was his property i was entering!
By the way i didnt walk through the field, i walked up the pathway and around the hall, took a few pics and the left!

[pixiebean22]

I was under the impression that the house across the road from the gates is the "guard's house" and that the old guy is a sort of caretaker, have heard that is a descendant of some description from the original owners.

[Red Hand]

I've looked through the gates when I used to pass by there on my way to Crook Head. Spooky...the stone eagles on the roof...