Would you spend a night on your own in Loftus hall?

Johro wrote: »

If we're talking ghost stories though, we used to live in an old farmhouse in Bannow, Wexford, a couple of hundred yards from the sea, (just down from Hook Head in fact), an old couple had lived in it and died there about fifteen years or more before my folks bought the place, it was just a shell then, lots of work done on it. Anyway, the livingroom had a fireplace, and on either side of the fireplace, at mantelpiece level, were little doors set into the wall, with recesses behind them, for books or whatever, I don't know. One of the doors had a key still in the lock, and the key sometimes turned by itself. Not just dropped a bit or turned slightly, but a full turn and a half or so, then back again, and another time, and again. I saw it myself a few times.
My mother also said she used to hear footsteps come up the stairs at night, come to her bed, then stop. She also said that a few weeks after she moved into the house, she had a dream in which she woke up and went downstairs to see an old couple sitting at the kitchen table, table all laid out for breakfast. They asked her to sit down, poured her tea and seemed friendly and chatty. They had breakfast together, then before they left, the lady said 'You will look after the apple trees dear, won't you?'
After she had his dream, she didn't hear the footsteps anymore, and to this day she's convinced that this old couple were Mr and Mrs Harpur who lived there years ago and gave her their approval. She said she never felt afraid at any time.
Much later, only a couple of years back, someone came to the house who used to know the family, showed her a picture of the old couple, and it was them alright.
Weird.

Is your ghost story as exaggerated as your distance telling? Bannow is about 25 miles from the hook and Loftus hall, along bendy rural Wexford roads and about an hours drive. Hardly, down the road.

Everything gives off energy including humans, which we comprehend and decide its ok. Old buildings give off a certain type of energy that the human mind can't make sense of so ignorance immediately turns to fear. Plenty of examples of that in history. That's what creeped out the atheists!

My uncle was married in nearby churchtown in the 70's and had his wedding in Loftus hall, said it was the best non scary night of his life.

When I read the story at the start of the tour I thought it sounded like a bored young woman had fallen in love with a handsome stranger who had stayed at the house. She possibly had a romantic fling but either way was heartbroken when he left. The family, fearing shame tied her to her bed for 10 long bloody years before she finally slipped away. When the small minded god fearing locals started the rumours about the devil the family did little to dissuade them as they covered what really happened. Of anyone was the devil I'd say it was her own parents who banished her to her room for 10 years.

When we did the tour in the summer, they told us that silly story about the security mans dog refusing to enter lady anns room. I told the tour guide I had a Lakeland terrier out in the car and asked could I bring him in so we could all see his reaction but was told NO in no uncertain terms.

Ghosts my ass..

Did the tour of the place in the summer. I have no real belief in anything supernatural, just wanted the historical info on the place so chose that tour over the haunted house one.
Have to say the place does have a weird vibe off it. I suppose its a combination of the bad state of disrepair much of it is in, the smell of must and damp and the darkness you're in while going around, even on a bright day.

Two things I remember about it. When in the (in)famous Tapestry room, there is a noticeable temperature drop. I was there during the heatwave back in June and while I was happy enough going around the rest of the house in a shirt, I felt like I needed a jacket once in that bedroom. They do keep it completely in the dark with thick curtains blocking out the light.
The tour guide, then pointed up at plasterwork coving which was all water stained. The stains sort of looked like the outline of a woman in period dress, lieing horizontally. It wasnt convincing but the guide seemed very excited by it as did a few others in the group. It just reminded me of Bishop Brennan seeing Dougal's drawing on the skirting board!

The other thing was one of the waiting areas on the ground floor is decorated in a very impressive mosaic dating from the 1700s. The guide told us the Tottenham family comissioned 2 brothers from Italy to come and create a one of a kind pattern. When they had completed their work, instead of paying them, the brothers were dragged outside and both of them had their hands cut off to make sure that they could not recreate this work for anyone else! Not sure if theres any truth to it, but its certainly plausible.

Unless there was a large pile of cash upfront, I would probably steer clear of it!

dees99 wrote: »

Ghosts my ass..

Also I told a story of what happened in the house we used to live in. Read the post. I said what I saw happen and what my mother said happened to her. That is all. I don't believe there are ghosts in Loftus Hall any more than you do. They were separate posts and separate stories.

The woman who lived in the Hall from 1993 to 2006 refused to step foot inside the Tapestry Room once. Every other room she would enter but she kept the Tapestry Room locked for the entire time she was there. That says a lot about that room. I cant find a picture but heres a You Tube brief clip of the room back when it was a hotel. Scroll to the last 15 seconds of clip for a glimpse..

people scare me not ghosts .

If the stories of that girls life are true then it's no wonder that her ghost haunts the house.

loveBBhate wrote: »

Was chatting to one of the lads earlier about this who had visited the place last Summer with his OH. While he was there he thought nothing of it, a load of nonsense, just the owners trying to make a bitta cash like someone mentioned in an earlier post. Anyway, he did the usual, had a look around, took a few pictures, etc...

Anyway, a few weeks later and nothing strange until he was flicking through the photos and came across one photo in particular. He showed me and I could feel my heart in my mouth. I don't know why he had never mentioned this before but it's an eery picture to say the least and certainly scared me.

Sorry I've to put it up like this, he sent it to my iPhone so that's how I'm uploading it, picture isn't great quality to be fair either so it could be anything but...

I was skeptical but, what the hell was that. Time to dust off my rosary beads.

Holsten wrote: »

I'm a complete skeptic and I wouldn't do it.

If I was in a group of people yeah no problem, not alone though.

Your mind would play more tricks on you than any ghost there!

I would be the opposite. I would be worried of someone else doing something stupid because the think they heard or saw something. Leave me in there alone with a live web-stream a comfortable sleeping bag and a pillow and allow me some entertainment, PSP, 3DS etc. Wouldn't make for interesting viewing, but meh!! Maybe even a few scary movies to help me sleep, lol
Poltergeist, The ring, Nightmare on Elm Street.